HISTORY OF HOT PANTS!

HISTORY OF HOT PANTS!

Hot pants are actually not pants, but are shorts. They are, in fact, characterized by being short — about as short as possible — and are sometimes known as short shorts. Hot pants are thought to have been inspired by the miniskirt. Having two separate holes for the legs, they could achieve even shorter lengths than the miniskirt, while still staying in place.

These shorts first became a popular fashion during the 1970s and were often worn to disco clubs during these years. They are considered a disco fashion, but hot pants were not only worn while grooving under the mirrored disco ball — they were also a popular fashion item for everyday street clothes.

In the first months of 1971, hot pants (as the B-52s later put it) burned, sizzled, and just plain exploded. They were on the runways, in shopping malls, and the pages of McCall's Needlework and Crafts magazine. Women wore short shorts in the office and at the altar. And, they were on the pop charts too, starting with James Brown's tribute to the garment, the three-part single called "Hot Pants (She Got to Use What She Got to Get What She Wants).

During the heyday of hot pants, their place in the office held mixed reviews. For example, while many companies forbade their employees to wear the shorts to work, others embraced the fashion. Southwest Airlines, for example, proudly incorporated them into the company uniform. 1970s television commercials and print ads for the airlines show stewardesses wearing short shorts, along with tall, heeled boots, which were a popular accompaniment.

Hot pants were sometimes worn very tight to the hips, waist and bottom. It was common to see these super-tight shorts on pin-up posters, often worn with a short top that showed the midriff. Hot pants were often worn with stockings or tights underneath, but many ladies were brave enough to wear the leg revealing shorts alone.