The micro miniskirt dividing the internet

One designer micro miniskirt set has celebrities and fashion lovers obsessed and divided.

This mini is having a major moment.

Miu Miu’s ultra-cropped, low-rise, pleated skirt has taken the fashion world by storm – with celebrities such as Nicole Kidman and Zendaya sporting it on magazine covers and social media devouring it.

With barely enough fabric to peek out from under a belted waistband, the itty-bitty kilt is reminiscent of Britney Spears’ sexy schoolgirl outfit in her 1998 Baby One More Time music video, the New York Post reports.

Some have decried the look as tawdry, but demand is skyrocketing. Miu Miu has been sold out of the coveted item for weeks despite an eye-popping price tag: The skimpiest version of the khaki miniskirt costs $950, with a slightly longer version available for $1150.

Miu Miu first presented the micro-mini skirt during its spring 2022 fashion show last October.

Miuccia Prada showed off the skirt for the first time when she walked the spring 2022 fashion show catwalk in October 2021. Picture: Dominique Charriau via The Sun

After the skirt was seen on nearly every red carpet, designer Miuccia Prada revamped the daring style for her autumn 2022 collection, which just hit the Paris fashion week catwalk.

Since its release, demand for miniskirts has hit a three-year high, according to Lyst. In the last week of February, there were 900 daily searches for the iconic set – the mini can be paired with an array of ultra-cropped tops, which just about cover the bra line.

Fashion Nova has made their own knock-off version of the Miu Miu micro miniskirt set. Picture: Fashion Nova

The Miu Miu skirt set has become so popular it even has its own Instagram account, @miumiuset. Meanwhile, the luxury label’s Soho location has a long wait list of fashionistas itching to get their hands on the coveted skirt.

Shoppers not ready to drop nearly $1000 or wait several weeks can head over to Fashion Nova for a knock-off priced at $50.

While most of the fashion world seems obsessed with the hip-bone-baring thigh-high hem line, not everyone is a fan.

The Miu Miu skirt set received a wave of backlash after Nicole Kidman wore a navy blue and white collegiate-inspired set on the cover of Vanity Fairfor its 28th annual Hollywood Issue.

The 54-year-old actress showed off her long, lean legs and toned torso in the saucy style but some internet users were left “confused”.

An Instagram user said that Nicole Kidman’s outfit in Vanity Fair belonged in an ‘adult film’. Picture: Vanity Fair

“This outfit looks like something straight out of an adult film,” one Instagram comment read. Others compared the accomplished actress to a “schoolgirl”.

While many said the blowback smacked of ageism, several comments pointed to a major critique of the skimpy outfit: It’s made for a certain body type.

The style seems to be riding the wave of Y2K nostalgia championed by Gen Z, though the micro miniskirt set makes Paris Hilton’s dreaded low-slung jeans from the early aughts seem modest by comparison.

Many say that the skimpy outfit is made for a certain body type. Picture: Instagram/i—d

The outfit seems to be designed with that era’s diet-obsessed party girl in mind, but that hasn’t stopped plus-size models such as Paloma Elsesser from rocking it.

The 2022 version of the look has hit some as a more empowering version of the fashions worn by their favourite celebs when they were young and starting to explore fashion.

Fashion photographer Madi Atkins, 27, told the Post that she sees the Miu Miu miniskirt as a “tasteful” and “empowering” statement piece that has finally found its moment.

“Now we’re seeing the skirt on all different body types and we’re in an environment where there’s not as much shame around dressing sexy, so more people are free to wear it!”

This article originally appeared in New York Post and was reproduced with permission