The Past and Present of Bike Shorts

It’s undeniable that the 80’s craze of biker shorts and aerobics class wear is back and finding its way into today’s fashion. Making their debut in the 80’s, fashion icons and celebrities wore biker shorts all the way from the gym to the Oscar’s. Now, biker shorts are making their way to the catwalk and being designed and styled in ways the 80’s would never imagine.

To understand how and why everyone decided to incorporate biker shorts into their everyday look, we must understand the history behind why they were created.

Biker shorts, also known as “cycling shorts,” were first introduced to cyclists so they could hide the marks developed on their legs after sitting on the bike seat for a long period of time. Princess Diana then adopted the trend and made them into the fashion craze they are today.

The queen of biker shorts and modern-day athleisure is Princess Diana. Her outfits consisted of colorful biker shorts, oversized sweatshirts, chunky sneakers, and crew socks. Her style sparked many other celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker and Madonna to dress the same and turn the 80’s into a biker shorts fashion revolution. From men to women, sports players to actress’, you could not get enough of the spandex like trend during what was described as the “aerobics and body culture” decade.

The spandex like shorts that lay just above the knee could be one of the most versatile pieces on the market nowadays. Ranging in a variety of colors, pair your biker shorts with oversized t-shirts and sweatshirts, a tank top for the gym or under dresses and skirts. Fashion icons like Hailey Bieber, the Kardashians, Emily Ratajkowski, and the Hadid sisters can’t get enough of the trend and their outfits incorporating bike shorts get better every time.

Zoë Kravitz took the versatility of biker shorts and approached them with her own twist. Kravitz famously wore her white biker shorts to her wedding rehearsal. Paired with a white bra, exposing hand crochet pearl cocktail dress, and white biker shorts, the actress opted out of tradition and went for trend during her wedding festivities.

Nowadays, numerous retailers sell biker shorts so you can hop on the trend. Target, Amazon, Alo Yoga, Lululemon and Aritzia are just a few companies that sell long-lasting, functional, and affordable bike shorts that will support you through the spring and summer months.

Want to check out how fashion designers and luxury brands have approached biker shorts? Chanel, Miu Miu, Saint Laurent, Alexander Wang, Off-White, Dolce & Gabbana and many others all debuted their take on biker shorts through their spring and summer runways.

Whether you jump on the bike bandwagon or not, let us know what you think about this 80’s trend that is back for good!

Header photo from Allure