Nowadays, we have different types of skirts, the Ayra Starr skirt, maxi skirt, Ankara skirt, jean skirt, mini skirt, and plenty more. But do you know about the hoop skirt?
I know you’re probably like me, thinking, “I’ve never heard of that one.”

In your mind, you’re asking: What is a hoop skirt? Is it the new trend? How come it hasn’t entered my Instagram or TikTok algorithm? I’m always up to date.

Well, maybe it’s not just humans that want to wear skirts. Turns out, the stars want their own Ayra Star moment too.

These skirts aren’t just any skirts, they’re worn dramatically around the waist, like some TikToker pulling off moves and dancing to seduce viewers into watching every step.

Same goes with the stars. Some galaxies grabbed the attention of scientists because their stars and gas form a wide, angled ring around the main galaxy, a “hoop skirt” in space that spins almost sideways, refusing to follow the crowd.

Astronomers call these polar-structure galaxies, but “hoop skirt” is easier to picture. For a long time, these galaxies seemed rare, like the rarest trend you’d scroll past on TikTok without noticing. But with newer telescopes and massive surveys, researchers are now finding thousands of them.

So how do galaxies pull off this dramatic style? Scientists think it’s all about interaction. One galaxy might steal gas or stars from a neighbor, or two galaxies may pass close enough that material gets thrown into orbit in unusual ways. Instead of mixing neatly with the main disk, some of it settles into a sideways ring, showing off its cosmic flair.

Why does this matter? Because it changes how we think about galaxy formation and evolution. Galaxies aren’t always calm, well-behaved systems. Sometimes, they’re messy, dramatic, and unpredictable and those messes leave visible signs, like a hoop skirt defying gravity.
These galaxies also help scientists study dark matter, reveal how gravity shapes massive systems, and understand the cosmic history of interactions that create the universe’s variety.

So no, this hoop skirt won’t appear on TikTok trending pages. But in the universe?
It’s a statement piece, a bold, dramatic, and attention-grabbing display that proves even the stars want to stand out.