Just over a year ago, Kim Kardashian West attempted to bring back one of the more questionable trends of the Eighties and Nineties: cycling shorts. However, instead of styling them with an oversize brightly coloured T-shirt like a character in Saved By The Bell might have done, she wore them with a slinky lace top, a leather jacket and – of course – extravagant strappy heels.
Since then, the reality star has refused to give up on their comeback and has been seen styling them with everything from corsets and tiny vests to denim jackets and furry sliders.
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While the internet may have had mixed feelings about Kardashian’s attempt at bringing the sportswear back into our day-to-day wardrobes, we can all stand corrected. Designers, models and fellow celebrities have now followed suit, making the knee-length, skintight short a contender to be one of the biggest trends of the summer. And due to our obsession with all things athleisure, it’s not altogether that surprising.
Both MSGM and Alexander Wang showed the trend in their spring/summer 2017 collections. While the former teamed the tight shorts with exaggerated volume, Alexander Wang (who also showed a pair in his H&M collaboration back in 2014) made them leather and styled them with a sporty, cropped jacket.
For Cruise 2017, Chanel took cycling shorts to Cuba and gave them a tropical spin, while Maria Grazia Chiuri showed a more tailored, slightly longer length and far more wearable version in her first collection for the house in spring/summer 2017.
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The Kardashian clan are of course on board (Kylie, Kourtney and Khloé are all fans) and this week, Kendall Jenner pledged her allegiance to the trend by stepping out in a pair, which she styled slightly more demurely than her elder sister, with a loose-fitted yellow jumper.
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Kristen Stewart’s peddle-pusher Chanel catsuit was not too far removed from the bicycle shorts trend; Katy Perry was also seen in a pair this week and Leandra Medine has been flaunting hers all over Instagram for months.
It’s safe to say that both the fashion and celebrity circuits are on board with the trend, but if you’re not sure if you can make them work for you, here are our top five tips for wearing bicycle shorts in real life:
1. Don’t go too short
Skintight lycra that finishes mid thigh is not an easy look to pull off. If you want to cash in on the trend, but don’t want to risk an unflattering finish, we recommend you opt for a slightly longer version.
2. Do not wear them with trainers
Avoid looking like you’ve got lost on your way home from your spinning class by teaming your cycling shorts with more glamorous and less sporty footwear.
3. Play it safe and opt for denim
Take your cue from Gigi Hadid and swap lycra for denim if you want to try out the bicycle shorts style but in a much more wearable way.
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4. Style them with something baggy
Just because you don’t want to leave the house in heels, bicycle shorts and a bra doesn’t mean you can’t wear the trend. Try teaming them with a baggy T-shirt or an oversize knit à la Kendall Jenner.
5. Suit up
Katy Perry’s recent Chanel getup featured a pair of knee-length shorts that nicely fitted in with the trend, but didn’t look too daring. Take your cue from the singer and wear a miniskirt and long blazer over the top for a power-suit finish that Hillary Clinton would be proud of.
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This article originally appeared on Harper’s BAZAAR UK.
