Olivia Wilde Just Made Hot Pants Look Shockingly Wearable
New York Fashion Week is always accompanied by one too many over-the-top outfits (at least for my taste). Sure, it's a great opportunity to experiment in the dressing room, making pairings that you'd normally consider to be too out-there for just any day at the office. But at times, the looks go too far. Then, there are the masters, the people who can style those risqué pieces just right and make their outfits feel both fitting for the occasion and not in need of any editing down.
One such mastermind is Olivia Wilde (and her stylist Karla Welch), who arrived at the Michael Kors Collection S/S 24 show in Brooklyn this week wearing 2023's most daring trend: hot pants. Minuscule in size but huge in impact, the teeny-tiny shorts that have been popping up all year are shockingly difficult to style in a low-key, approachable manner. Yet that's exactly how I'd describe Wilde's look, which included the brown suede shorts, a matching cashmere sweater, sheer tights, and a floor-length coat, all of which were designed by the man of the hour, Michael Kors. She also added her signature Ray-Ban Wayfarers, of course, and knee-high suede boots from Stuart Weitzman. Just like that, Wilde cracked the code for styling hot pants for fall. Add a maxi coat, tights, and boots, and voilà—a completely wearable way to style bottoms that are only an inch away from being underwear.
Scroll down to see Wilde's look for the Michael Kors Collection show.
On Olivia Wilde: Michael Kors Collection coat, top, shorts, and bag; Stuart Weitzman Vida Suede Block-Heel Knee Boots ($850); Ray-Ban Mega Wayfarer 51mm Square Sunglasses ($182)
Shop the hot-pants trend:
Eliza Huber is an NYC-based senior fashion editor who specializes in trend reporting, brand discovery, and the intersection of sports and fashion. She joined Who What Wear in 2021 from Refinery29, the job she took after graduating with a business degree from the University of Iowa. She's launched two columns, Let's Get a Room and Ways to Wear; profiled Dakota Fanning, Diane Kruger, Katie Holmes, Gracie Abrams, and Sabrina Carpenter; and reported on everything from the relationship between Formula One and fashion to the top runway trends each season. Eliza lives on the Upper West Side and spends her free time researching F1 fashion imagery for her side Instagram accounts @thepinnacleoffashion and @f1paddockfits, watching WNBA games, and scouring The RealReal for discounted Prada.
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