Jessica Simpson -- Return of the DAISY DUKES!!

Jessica Simpson rocked a pair of Daisy Dukes in L.A. yesterday ... begging the question, WHY WAS SHE AFRAID TO SHOW OFF HER LEGS IN THAT WEIGHT WATCHERS COMMERCIAL?

Simpson -- who signed a $4 mil deal with WW -- took some serious heat for not flaunting her revamped, slimmed down figure when her first WW commercial aired earlier this month.

But yesterday, Simpson finally showed off the goods during a mid-day shopping trip ... and the goods looked good.

Jess ain't exactly back in the same Daisy Dukes shape she was back in 2005, when she rocked the short shorts in "Dukes of Hazzard" ... but still, progress is progress.