Skorts Are Everywhere Right Now — But They’ve Been Quietly Revolutionary For Years

In 1931, Spanish tennis player Lilí Álvarez caused a scandal when she showed up to Wimbledon wearing a skort designed by Elsa Schiaparelli. “I think what bothered people was the movement that [the skort] allowed her. [She was able] to play in a way that was considered inappropriate,” says Keren Ben-Horin, a fashion historian and author of She’s Got Legs: A History of Hemlines and Fashion. During the interwar period, American designers Tina Leser and Clair McCardel also redefined womenswear with their own versions of the skort. “The skort really became a way for women to carve out their sartorial space,” says Clemente. 
By: Frances Solá-Santiago