We Regret to Inform You, Capris Are Back

And cuter than ever.

I remember my first pair of capri pants. It was 1998 and I was 11, recently mourning the breakup of the Spice Girls and coveting everything at the local Limited Too. The late ‘90s were a weird time for trends; we zoomed through the smiley faces, platform shoes and groovy orange and purple palettes of the ‘70s and somehow found ourselves in the ‘50s shortly thereafter with capris and sweater sets. And yes, I wore all of these trends before middle school.

2023 is an equally weird time for style, with trends coming and going faster than ever thanks to social media. But even before TikTok entered the equation, it was only a matter of time before capris would come back around, as what's old is always new again. Ahead, we dive into the love-it-or-hate-it trend.

The Trend

Let’s keep things short, pun intended. Capris have been around a long time, starting in the ‘50s and ‘60s with housewives, bad girls, and mod icons alike, and they continue to cycle in popularity from decade to decade. At the time I wore them, capris had gotten a major boost in popularity from the Gap and the exceptionally trendy Delia’s catalog, among other popular retailers of the Y2K era. Once capris trickled down to the aisles of my local Target, my mom finally acquiesced and bought me a pair—khaki, of course, inspired by those swing-dancing Gap commercials. I wore mine with a baby tee, socks and baby blue Sketchers sneakers.

Capris went out of style again shortly thereafter until Lauren Conrad brought them back with a vengeance circa Laguna Beach and the early seasons of The Hills (and we thought she was such a style icon at the time), then disappeared again in favor of cropped jeans, which hit at the ankle instead of the calf. The 2020s thus far have been all about all cropped everything, but the return of Y2K trends meant the capri was due for a revival, and here she is, right on time.

Capris, as polarizing as they may be—especially if you too wore them in middle school—have popped up on Instagram and TikTok as part of the resurgence of all things ‘00s—the good, the bad and the big useless belts. Creators are wearing them with their best Y2K-inspired ‘fits, opting for looser-fitting army or cargo pant styles with cropped tops and slides, or skinny styles to better show off knee- or calf-high boots.

The capri resurgence goes hand-in-hand with the long jorts trend; after influencers and celebs were seen wearing knee-length loose-fitting shorts, it was only a matter of time until capris made a comeback. Hailey Bieber has been spotted in said shorts, while Gigi Hadid recently wore a pair of denim Jacquemus capris with a chic black tank and pumps. Alo Yoga sells a soft, super slim ‘50s-esque version if your vibe is more Audrey Hepburn and less Lauren Conrad circa 2006, as does Dolls Kill.

How to Style Capris

Honestly, my childhood outfit is pretty on-trend today, so you could take a cue from my 11-year-old wardrobe with sneakers and a baby tee. Looser-fitting capri pants are a great contrast to “going out tops” or minimal ‘90s style spaghetti strap tanks. To really lean into the Y2K revival, add a strappy heel, a chunky hip belt and lots of jewelry or try a cropped baby tee or tank with slides. This is the time to lean into the TRL and Lizzie McGuire era, so give yourself permission to play with prints, colors and layers.

If your style is more on the classic side, throw it back to the '50s by pairing slim-fitting knee-length capris with a matching top for a cute co-ord moment, or a retro cardigan with ruffled socks and heels for Lana del Rey coquette vibes. Or, look back even further and style a bloomer-inspired ruffled pair with a corset or bustier a la cool-girl brands Bye Bambi and Peachy Den. No matter how you style them, wear those capris with pride.

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