How THAT Miu Miu Set Went Viral (But Would You Wear It?)

By now you must be familiar with Miu Miu’s infamous skirt set. You’ve seen it on magazine covers, on celebrities, on Instagram. It is as divisive as it is ubiquitous. It’s 2022’s low-rise jeans. The Crocs of school-girl style. The black and blue dress controversy all over again.

With its ultra-low fit, imperfect pleats, raw hemline and exposed pockets, Miu Miu’s micro mini skirt — part of a set with an equally tiny crop top and often worn with cropped jumpers and shirts – has become fashion’s first viral moment of the year.

Since its debut at Miu Miu’s SS22 shows last autumn, droves of celebs and models have been seen wearing this serviette of a skirt, including in editorials featuring Zendaya, Nicole Kidman and most recently Paloma Elsesser for i-D. Celebs from Saweetie to Chiara Ferragni to Bimini have all been spotted in it.

Fitting in nicely with the current Y2K renaissance that has us all in a chokehold, the micro-mini is giving early 2000s Paris H and Xtina, as well as big "Don't Cha" by The Pussycat Dolls energy. While we wait for Miu Miu to show their AW22 collection next week, online searches for copies of their famous skirt set are steadily on the rise.

According to Depop, searches for “micro-mini skirts” are up 23% compared to last year. On the virtual styling platform Stitch Fix, there’s been a 194% increase in inquiries for “mini skirts” this year versus last, and a 19% increase this past month alone. 

So of course this raises the question, who are the people actually wearing this skirt? A quick ask around the R29 team proved the style to be questionable. “Do you think they made a whole outfit and then cut the bottom off each bit?” asked sub-editor Katy. The same sentiment came from Vicky, our features editor: “I’m not sure I'm ready for the return of expensive and unfinished clothes during a cost of living crisis TBH.” 

A poll of our readers also found that 89% would not wear the skirt. Some notable replies: "I might wear it as a scarf," and a succinct, "stop making it happen."

So if this many of us are having trouble latching onto the look, why (and how) has it become so popular? From memes and viral tweets to high-street dupes, this Miu Miu moment seems far from over.

Inspired by its virality, New York high school student and stylist Ashley Langholtz created a fan account for the set earlier this week. We chatted about why the skirt has taken the fashion world by storm despite its divisiveness.

"I think a big part is the way it’s been shown on so many different body types and people," she says. Indeed, Elsesser's cover look brought a lot more positive attention to the set, after previously being seen only on slim bodies.

"I also read this tweet that was like, 'everyone’s sick of this already but no one’s seen it in person,'" Langholtz says. Which, to be fair, is an excellent point. That could soon change though. It took Matches just three days for the camel skirt to sell out. If you’re one of those buyers please show yourself.

So would Langholtz wear it herself? "I mean, yeah, if I could get one."