Thom Browne's Thong Miniskirts Lead Menswear Into a Risqué Renaissance
Miu Miu's infamous miniskirt has competition. At Paris Fashion Week, Thom Browne put a tweedy twist on fashion's recent obsession with all things Y2K, proving that anyone and everyone can get in on the trend.
By now, your Instagram feed is probably flooded with videos of a very cheeky moment from Browne's Spring/Summer 2023 collection — specifically, the closing look, a pair of ass-less chaps made of denim-colored tweed, complete with a tweed cowboy hat and Thom Browne-branded thong.
But to fully appreciate the finale, let's rewind. Browne opened the show with a pair of tailored shorts, cut with an ultra low-rise waist to reveal a red, white, and blue-striped "whale tail." The designer's take on visible thong straps — every parent's nightmare in the early 2000s — immediately set the tone for the rest of the show.
Browne paid additional homage to the early aughts with thong strap-baring trousers, kilts, and micro-miniskirts that immediately recalled Miu Miu's internet-breaking Spring/Summer 2023 women's collection.
Don't call Browne's miniskirts a copy, though. They're more of a winking statement on how culture has changed since the early 2000s, when the mainstream would most likely pan a man wearing a miniskirt, much less anything remotely "gender-bending."
From Rick Owens' teeny tiny tank top to Browne's leggy looks, the industry has spoken: menswear is about to enter a risqué renaissance.
