The long and short of it: nine ways to wear shorts

"Unlike the tighter Y2K styles, 2024’s iterations boast a looser fit with wider leg openings, doing double duty across casual and smarter looks."

Thu, 23 May, 2024 - 02:00

Annmarie O'Connor - @aocdotme

I’ll admit it: comfort drives most of my sartorial decisions. Gone are the days when I’d suffer in too-high heels or fiddle with a fickle hem in the name of fashion.

Admittedly, my bugbear has always been shorts, which never seem long enough on my frame, riding up on the inseam and creating all sorts of iffy situations. It’s not a good look.

However, this season’s redux of Bermuda shorts may provide the solution. Unlike the tighter Y2K styles, 2024’s iterations boast a looser fit with wider leg openings, doing double duty across casual and smarter looks.

The best bit? Some even have elasticated waistbands. It’s as if the style gods heard my prayers.

Whether leather, sequin or denim, I like to keep it simple with a slightly unbuttoned voluminous shirt or a tailored waistcoat, and a pair of kitten heels.

As for labels? Scandi scions like COS and Lovechild 1979 deliver the clean lines I love while still upholding the levity of the season.

Although I rarely wear shorter styles, when I do, I reserve them for outdoor settings like beaches and barbeques.

While linen is breezy and breathable, I’m leaning more towards brighter colours like purple or blue in easy co-ords (thank you, M&S) and considering the trending pyjama stripe with a sweatshirt and Birkenstock clogs.

New to Brown Thomas, Brazilian brand Lenny Niemeyer’s colourful floral board shorts blend the pretty and practical, making them the perfect post-swim cover-up.

Now all I have to do is get the weather to cooperate. Surely that’s the easy part?

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