Yea, Nay, Or Eh: Diaper Shorts? Depends

One of the most welcome things, for me, about the Michelle Obama-mania seizing the fashion industry is the fact that for the first time that I can remember, the woman that designers would kill to dress is an actual grown-up, lady-type person. As opposed, I mean, to a sloppy, underpants-optional starlet, or one of those famous-for-nothing girls who live on reality television. Maybe, I thought, when it was announced that the CFDA would be handing out a special award to MObama, we were ushering in an era of sophisticated dressing. Then I spent the weekend wandering around Brooklyn and saw girls everywhere in…diaper shorts. Sometimes called bubble shorts or bloomer shorts, or in longer versions, harem shorts, these are shorts that pouf out around the hips, crotch, and behind and taper into bands around each leg, or an elasticized hem. A good number of brands introduced versions this summer, so many that it doesn’t bear citing examples. I will note that Lauren Conrad wore a pair by ... (link)