THE GROWN-UP WOMAN’S GUIDE TO WEARING DENIM SHORTS (WITHOUT GETTING INTO DAISY DUKE TERRITORY)
“Wait,” my daughter said, her face already opening into a smile. “Are you really wearing Jorts?” Jorts of course being the contraction of “jeans” and “shorts”. And yes, darling, I am. A pair of mid-blue, high-rise, long-line denim shorts of the sort I’d never previously considered wearing, to be exact. Silhouette-wise, mine are about one salute away from Shelly Long’s khaki scoutmaster shorts in Troop Beverly Hills. They also carry faint echoes of 1930s coastal path walkers and 1970s summer-camp directors. These are notable for representing both the first denim shorts I’ve worn since chopping my worn-out jeans into cut-offs when I was a camp counsellor about 20 years ago, and the longest ones I’ve ever tried on.
And you know what? I like these jorts.
Look down Regent Street or around your local park on the next genuinely warm day, and chances are you’ll spot people wearing denim shorts. Along with the standard cut-offs that remain a prerequisite in every summer-holiday wardrobe, you’ll see longer, looser versions that fall to around the mid-thigh. Drawstring styles. Softer basketball-style shorts. Knee-skimming bermudas, leopard-print jorts, front-pleated pairs…
The new shapes and styles are flattering, modern and versatile enough to wear during the unpredictable British summertime. Yes, even for erstwhile shorts refuseniks like me. No wonder John Lewis clocked a 25 per cent week-on-week rise in sales of its And/Or denim shorts near the end of April, ahead of the early-May heatwave. At Hush, where new cuts include the slim bermuda and mid-rise, pleated Lya shorts, sales in the shorts category have doubled year-on-year – one washed-leopard denim short sold out in a week.
Mother, the LA-based denim and ready-to-wear brand, has registered “a real shift in preference for longer denim short styles,” says Tim Kaeding, the brand’s creative director and co-founder. Sales of longer shorts (lorts?) have increased by 523 per cent compared to this time last year.
I’m all for the denim shorts-aissance, mostly because it’s made the shorts world a more inclusive place. “The early 2000s really scarred a lot of us, with all those itty-bitty little shorts,” says Meghan Gordon, chief marketing officer of premium denim brand DL1961. “But people are a lot less scared of jean shorts now.” Kate Moss and all the 18-year-olds at Glastonbury can keep their denim hotpants; I’ll take a pair of more forgiving jorts any day. (Gordon says at DL1961 too, “everything is trending toward that slightly longer inseam”.)
While plenty of people would rather sweat in jeans all summer than hazard a short, there’s a jort out there for everyone. “Look to your favourite jeans as a guide and shop for something with a similar cut,” Kaeding recommends. Into barrel-leg jeans? Seek out a short that shares a similar width in the thigh. Still love your skinnies? Try a capri. Whatever you like will be the right answer. “There’s an openness to playing with proportions and more trend-right options to choose from. Go with the fit you are most comfortable with.”
But how to style them? With an eye on three words: proportion, proportion, proportion. If you’re wearing something more voluminous on your bottom half, it’s best to keep the top neat and low-key. Wear a vest top or tuck in a boxy tee: it’s really that simple. A hip-length chore jacket, boxy cotton jumper or oversized blazer will ward off a chill and pull the components together. Just add footbed slides or retro trainers.
Some people manage to achieve a certain boyish charm by pairing an oversized T-shirt with hip-slung jorts and flip-flops. No one’s described me as boyish since an unfortunate haircut around age seven. Instead, I’m leaning into the 1970s mum-ness of the look by wearing my denim shorts with a vintage lace-inset top (see also Monsoon’s Trish sleeveless ruffle top, £55, or Me+Em’s asymmetric crochet vest, £150, for a similar vibe) and Penelope Chilvers’ tan leather Shepherdess sandals (£129). Treat the shorts like a midi skirt and style accordingly.
Maybe it’s Beyoncé’s imminent London shows, maybe it’s a more general country and western mood in the air, but I’m thinking of wearing a different pair of jorts with a vintage rose-embroidered rodeo shirt and cowgirl boots (at least on June 7, the night I have tickets to the Cowboy Carter tour). If you’re a tailoring fan, try a pair of pleat-front jorts with a neutral linen waistcoat and minimal sandals.
“Style them with things that maybe you wouldn’t think of wearing with shorts, like a cardigan or a pretty blouse,” Gordon says. “Add a belt and a ballet flat. Wearing shorts with a ballet flat or a loafer is very ‘now’.”
Super-short styles are still trending too, if you’re so inclined. Just remember that anything shorter than your wrist when your arm is by your side will get you sent to detention (or was it only at my school that administrators prowled the corridors with rulers, checking the distance between knee and hem?).
If you aren’t sure, give it time. In fashion, if something looks “off”, wait a few months and look again. It can take awhile for the eye to adjust to unfamiliar proportions. Just as barrel-leg jeans probably once looked weird and intimidating, and then became indispensable parts of so many of our jeans collections, the new, longer denim shorts look like they could shape up to be the workhorses of our summer wardrobes. Try a pair. You might like it. Take it from my daughter – even she’s coming around to the idea of jorts.
The Dos and Don’ts of denim shorts for grown-ups
Do
- Consider your favourite jeans and look for shorts with a similar fit
- If you’re between sizes, size up – a little extra slouch is a good thing
- Pay close attention to how they fit on the thigh – your leg should have room to breathe
- Tuck in your T-shirt to keep everything neat
- Wear them with an oversized blazer and heeled sandals for a smarter look
Don’t
- Wear loose shorts with a loose top – balancing proportions is key
- Buy without trying them on first – denim shorts are easier to shop for in person
- Accept shorts that feel tight on the thigh
- Write anything off as “not for me” until you’ve tried it – you might surprise yourself
- Go too short – start with a longer inseam and take it an inch higher at a time
Emily’s blue denim shorts outfit: Shirt, from a selection, Alex Mill; Olive enamelled small gold T-bar necklace, £145, Tilly Sveaas; Long boyfriend denim shorts, £70, Hush; Heeled Shepherdess leather sandals, £129, Penelope Chilvers
Emily’s off-white shorts outfit: Crew-neck T-shirt, £14.90, Uniqlo; Mini chain link earrings, £260, YSSO; Entwine pendant cord necklace, £98, Missoma; The Half-Pipe Bermuda Fray, £210, Mother Denim; Zambia bag, £488, Amanu; Milan sandals in black leather, £265, Larroudé
2025-05-19T09:02:56Z