In 1970, Women's Wear Daily gave a name to a new kind of short: hot pants. The publicist Eleanor Lambert said the term described the fashions of the French label Dorothée Bis, and she credited Mariuccia Mandelli of Krizia with the very first pair. What made them new was the fabric. They came in velvet, silk, crochet, fur and leather, and they were meant for the street and for parties, not for the tennis court.

I think about that every time someone calls micro shorts a trend. They are a revival with a long memory, and the fall version is the one I like best, because October gives them something to do. Tights, loafers, a heavy knit: suddenly the shortest short in the closet looks planned.

Tailoring is the gentlest way into the length. The Ilya from EAVES comes in black and in natural linen blend, both with a zip fly and real pockets, so it behaves like a trouser that stopped early. I would wear the black one with opaque tights, a pointed loafer and an oversized blazer. The gray Rosie check has a low rise and a double button closure, and it wants a plain tee and a long coat. The Piper in brown bengaline comes with its own belt, which saves you the hunt. And the Dockers short from Line & Dot is cafe tweed with a bit of wool in it, my pick for a cold morning with knee boots.

The practical test: sit down in them. Tailored fabric should stay put when you do, and the waistband should not gape at the back. If it moves, size up before you give up.

Daisy Dukes get their name from Catherine Bach's character on The Dukes of Hazzard. Network censors found her cut-offs too revealing, so she wore flesh-colored pantyhose underneath. That is the original shorts-and-tights move, and it was forced on her in primetime. Denim is where the idea started, so it is where I would look first for a pair that lives in a fall wardrobe.

The two Edikted blacks are the easy ones. The Margie is a slim stretch pair, and the Dinah is cotton with a rolled hem and back pockets. Both disappear under a long sweater with black tights and boots. For something with more attitude, OneTeaspoon's Micro Dukes have a frayed hem and a blue that looks properly worn in, and ABRAND's microshorts in mid blue are a good partner for a thick gray cardigan. The Ana from We The Free has a slouchy waistband that sits on the hip, and the dark wash makes it the one I would wear to dinner. The Jenni carries embroidery on rigid cotton, so it needs nothing else on top but a plain knit.

In the fitting room, check the rise. A low rise on a short this short can slide, so look at the back pockets and the seat in a mirror. Rigid denim loosens with wear, stretch denim does not, so choose by how you plan to move.

What I would skip: a pair with a hem so frayed it catches on tights. Wear the fray bare-legged in spring.

These are the shorts I actually wear on a Sunday. Knit and sweat micro shorts sound like a joke until you wear them over fleece-lined tights with a big cashmere sweater and sneakers. Then they are just the coziest layer you own.

The Silvana in ivory from EAVES is the dressy end, a soft knit with a stretch waist that pairs with a camel coat. The Edele in light gray melange is a rayon blend with a fine hand, and the Marcus is a black rib that sits low and hugs. Edikted's Shelba stripes in pink and brown with button detail, which looks like a vintage pajama short that went out for brunch. On the sweatshirt side, the So Fetch is charcoal waffle-knit cotton, the Runner is washed green with a drawstring, the Follow Request is a red with a ribbed band, and the Beach Bum in slate is the plainest and softest of them.

My pairing, again and again: a chunky sweater long enough to cover the waistband, thick tights, and a sneaker or a loafer with a sock. Keep the top half bulky and the bottom half quiet.

For the buying test, hold the fabric against your hand and stretch it. If it springs back, it will keep its shape. If it stays stretched, it will bag out by the third wash. Check the waistband too: a drawstring should be a real one, and a ribbed band should grip.

What I would skip: the sweat versions for anywhere with a dress code. They are for the couch, the airport and errands.

Kate Moss made the cold-weather case for leather shorts: sheer tights, sleek pointed-toe heels and a roomy knit. Chanel did a version too, with monogram tights and tailored shorts under its autumn 2020 pirate boot. Both looks tell you the same thing. The shorter the short, the more the rest of the outfit should carry weight.

Most of these are faux leather or faux suede, and the finish varies a lot. The Rhys from BY.DYLN is cocoa with a slant zip fly and three pockets. Nicholas's Tala in cacao is lightweight, with belt loops and faux welt pockets, so a thin belt looks right on it. Edikted's Melaney is black and low-rise, the Darsy is brown with a wide buttoned waistband, and I would put the Darsy under a gray knit and tall brown boots. On the suede side, the BLANKNYC pair in latte has lace-up front detail, the Habitual teak is a stretch faux suede, and the We The Free Sun Siren is milk chocolate vegan suede. The studded jet black one is the loudest of the lot, a festival short at heart.

One test: flex the fabric at the hip. Coated polyester should fold softly, not crease white. Suede should feel even under your thumb, and the lace-up pair needs eyelets that sit flat.

For fall, I would go cocoa or cacao with sheer tights and a slingback, and add a boxy sweater in cream. That is the closest thing here to a full outfit.

What I would skip: the studded black pair with an already busy top. Let one thing shine.

Go back to 1970 for a second. Hot pants were new because they were cut in velvet and satin instead of sportswear fabric, and they were made for parties. Sequin and velvet micro shorts are the direct line from there, and December is when they make sense.

The Macie in black and the Stajey in brown, both from Edikted, are allover sequin with a low rise, and they are the easiest to style. Wear them with a plain black bodysuit and sheer tights. The Sephira is light pink with big paillettes and a scalloped hem, the Erna from Motel is butter yellow and slim, and the Showtime from Princess Polly is burgundy with stretch panels at the sides. Lioness has the Slick in a pale lemontini yellow with a drawstring, and by.DYLN's Messa is a lined indigo with a side zip. The Menlo from Retrofête is the odd one out: blue velvet, high-rise, with faux pockets and a concealed zip. It is the dressiest, and the one I would wear with a satin blouse.

Sequins scratch and shed, so run a hand along the inside seam before you buy. A lined pair like the Messa is kinder to tights. Check that the sequins are sewn flat and that the waistband does not pinch, since you will sit in these for hours.

Keep the top simple: an oversized blazer, a long coat or a thin black knit, then a flat or a boot.

What I would skip: sequins and a sparkly top together. One shiny piece is plenty.

I would start with a tailored short, black, from EAVES, and wear it all October with tights and loafers. It does the most work and asks for the least thought.

Then comes the denim, for weekends, and a leather or faux leather pair for the first properly cold dinner. The knit shorts stay at home with a big sweater. I would pull out the sequins on one night in December and no other.

Hot pants started as a stunt in velvet and satin in 1970. Decades on, they are still the one item in the closet that looks better with a coat on. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together How to Style Best Travel Pants for Long Flights Women's and Camo Pants Guide.