What Are Hot Pants: An Investigation

Here's everything you need to know about this cheeky style staple.

Pants-free fashion, thy name is hot pants. While A-listers have mastered the art of styling these barely-there bottoms, hot pants as a concept can be elusive. It's easy to mistake them for bathing suit bottoms or the cheekiest of shorts when, in fact, they're a style of bottoms all their own.

To explain what hot pants are, it's helpful to start with what they aren't. Hot pants aren't short shorts, and they aren't underwear, making them an altogether different beast than the fuzzy undies A-listers keep stepping out in. While not universally high-waisted, hot pants tend to have the fit and look of high-rise briefs (heaven preserve us if low-rise hot pants spike in popularity). Hot pants also don't have to be skin-tight. In fact, many designer hot pants have a slightly baggy silhouette, which helps keep them from riding way, way up.

If you're thinking, "This description sounds a lot like an adult diaper," you're not wrong. A pair of plain cotton hot pants could very well be mistaken for laundry day undies, which is why many designers take care to ensure their hot pants feature flashy prints or adornments. And, while there's no getting around the fact that you will likely look pants-less, hot pants are actually easy to style. Ahead, we've rounded up enough hot pants outfit inspiration to get you excited to try this bold and barely-there fashion It Girl staple.

Try Tailored Separates

Hot pants may be itty bitty, but that doesn't mean you should steer clear of luxurious and elevated separates when putting together a hot pants outfit. Paris Fashion Week is often peppered with stylish guests wearing trouser-style hot pants with luxe essentials like button-down shirts and cardigans.

Add Coverage with a Long Coat

Pants-free fashion can be daunting, but that's no reason not to give hot pants a try. If you're worried about coverage, introduce a long wool or trench coat into your next hot pants outfit. Not only will it keep you covered, but a long coat can create a striking silhouette so you can keep the rest of your look sleek and understated.

Include a Base Layer

If you've got coverage concerns, you're not alone. Hot pants, especially those on the tighter side, can easily ride up, up, and away. To avoid any artless adjustments in public, we recommend adding a pair of full-coverage dance briefs under your hot pants. Designed to be worn under leotards, dance briefs come in a wide range of skin-tone-matching shades, but why hide them? We love the pop of contrast a pair of black dance briefs provides under a pair of metallic hot pants.

Simplify with a Matching Set

Thanks to designer luxury brands like Chanel, Prada, Tom Ford, and Miu Miu, there are plenty of hot pants in bouclé, cable knits, and tweed textures. These elevated textiles lend themselves to three- and two-piece matching sets, taking the struggle out of deciding what to wear with hot pants.

Mix Prints

Make the most of a pair of patterned or printed hot pants by mixing prints. Even the most diminutively-sized hot pants will pop when worn with a contrasting pattern. If you're concerned about too many prints creating chaos, be sure to ground your 'fit in a single color palette.

Style with Sheers

Not ready to hit the streets in a full-on hot pants 'fit? Don't fret. Take a baby step into the world of hot pants by wearing them as a base layer under a sheer skirt with enough coverage to keep you feeling comfortable and confident.

Slip on Sheer Tights

One easy way to elevate a hot pants outfit while adding a bit of bonus coverage is to pull on a pair of sheer stockings or pantyhose. While this celeb-loved styling hack has been used by A-listers from Kate Moss to Sydney Sweeney with leather hot pants, we think it's equally fetching with wool, sequin, and sweater-texture styles.

Try a Statement Texture

As we mentioned, there's a wide array of adorned hot pants out there to leave no onlooker in doubt that you are wearing hot pants, not large, baggy undies. Despite their diminutive size, high-shine vinyl or glitter-coated pair of hot pants can be the focal point of a bold look.

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