If you are looking to keep cool, shorts are a summer staple for beating the heat. They’ll earn you style kudos this season too: on the SS26 catwalks, there were brocade Bermudas at Dries Van Noten, boxers at Fendi, and frill-trimmed knitted styles at Loewe.
Having come a long way from denim cut-offs – at one time the only shorts option – shorts have transitioned from holiday wear to everyday wear and, yes, even something you could even wear for the office. This season’s grown-up iterations, from silky shorts to sporty styles with stripy adornments, move shorts even further beyond the beach and are versatile enough to dress up or down.
As much as a dress can be a one-and-done, easy, breezy option when the temperature rises, shorts offer ventilation and reduce friction, especially if you are prone to sweaty legs or chafing. When it comes to styling shorts, it can seem daunting, but a simple trick is to treat them like a skirt. Once you start thinking of Bermudas as knee-length skirts, or silky pairs like slip skirts, it’s not so overwhelming, and endless styling options open up.
The sporty short is enjoying a moment beyond athleisure. From the Adidas Firebird to nylon and boxer-silhouetted styles in brighter, Crayola colours, these are proving super versatile if you’re willing to embrace out-of-the-box styling ideas. Think oversized blazers and loafers, striped button-downs or pretty white blouses and ballet flats. It’s the unexpected styling combinations that make them less casual and more contemporary and cool.
