Revolutionizing Fashion: The Hotpants Phenomenon of the 1960s and '70s

Hotpants, or booty shorts describe extremely short shorts, which may be worn by women and, to a lesser extent, by men.

Whilst the term “hotpants” is used generically to describe extremely short shorts, similar garments had been worn since the 1930s. These garments, however, were designed mainly for sports, beachwear and leisure wear, while hotpants were innovative in that they were made from non-activewear fabrics such as velvet, silk, crochet, fur and leather, and styled explicitly to be worn on the street, for parties, or even as bridal wear.
At the end of the 1960s, the fashion industry had tried unsuccessfully to promote the mid-calf-length or midi skirt as a fashionable replacement for the miniskirt. In contrast to the lukewarm response to the midi, shoppers enthusiastically embraced the idea of short shorts, which were made available at all price levels from haute couture to inexpensive ready-to-wear.

Eleanor Lambert credits Mariuccia Mandelli of the Italian fashion label Krizia with designing the first “hot pants” in 1970. Hotpants are also increasingly credited to Mary Quant, who reportedly offered them in the late 1960s. Many designers from across the Western world produced their own versions of hotpants at all price levels, including Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino, Halston, and Betsey Johnson. Mass-produced versions were also sold through the Sears mail-order catalogue.

Hotpants either look ridiculous or… boing! They are really sexy!