There are definitely mixed feelings about capri pants being in fashion today, but did you know that people were also skeptical in the 1950s?

Capri pants were designed by German designer Sonja de Lennart. In 1945, de Lennart came out with a Capri Collection, which at first did not include the capri pants we know today. The collection was inspired by her trips to Capri, Italy. On a trip to Capri after the war, de Lennart was wading in the water wearing a pair of what she called winter capris. She realized that it would be helpful if the pants were shorter so that they wouldn’t get wet in the water. So, in 1948, she added the summer capri pants. These are what we call capris today. The winter capris hit right above the ankle, but the summer pair hit right below the knee.

During this time period, very few women wore pants. It was seen as more masculine attire and unlady-like. American designer Edith Head admired the Capri Collection and decided to dress Adurey Hepburn in capris in the movie Roman Holiday, which was released in 1953. At first, people were skeptical of this new style. Celebrities, such as Marilyn Monroe, began to wear the new style of bottoms and soon they became popularized. It was the first time pants were considered an acceptable fashionable style for women to wear. The pants could be dressed up or down, which meant women could wear them at any time. 

In the 2000s, capris made a resurgence when celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez and Britney Spears began to wear them. They made appearances in TV shows, like in Sex and the City when Carrie Bradshaw was pictured in them on multiple occasions. They were typically low-rise and paired with an iconic hat to give off the perfect Y2K vibe. 

Some may be against the revival of capris now, but they have definitely been spotted on the runaway on multiple occasions recently. While I could make a page long list of my favorite examples of capris on the runway in the Spring 2026 Ready-To-Wear collections, I will tell you two of my favorites. The brand Fashion East showcased capris, my favorite look being look 17. My other favorite was look 2 from Celine. 

Till next Sunday,

Daisy