When it comes time to change out my closet for warm weather season, which basically is the last day of February at this point, I always start to have the same realization: I own a lot of shorts and many I don’t actually wear. Some are too casual, some are the wrong length, and then there are the pairs I bought at the end of last summer when everything was 40%. Of course, when I start to put them in their new warm-weather-season home, I swear I’ll be more intentional and wear the ones that never get chosen, but then I end up standing in front of my closet at 11 am in July, hot and annoyed, wearing the same trusty pair I’ve loved for 3 years.

This summer, there are a few shorts I’ve seen around constantly that have started to grow on me, while others I already own plenty of. I am hoping to be a bit more realistic when it comes to adding shorts to my cart this year, so I’m sharing the style of shorts I’ll be genuinely reaching for between now and whenever the heck it cools down. I chose these not because they are “trendy” or “must-haves” but because they’re good.

Here’s what I’m working with this summer.

Silky & Lingerie Inspired

The lingerie dressing thing has been building for a couple of seasons now, and I feel like I’ve watched it from a comfortable distance. Slip dresses: love. Satin blazers: fine. But I wasn’t sure if I was brave enough for actual silk shorts in the wild. But the more I see these lace shorts in my feed and in every article I read, the more I just keep getting sold on them. So it turns out, I am.

What makes these work as outerwear, and they do work, is that you don’t try to hide what they are. You have to lean into it. Dôen’s Iona short seems to be the crowd favorite right now is a piece that looks like you got dressed on a terrace somewhere in the south of France. It’s deeply pretty without being fussy, and their colorways alone are reason enough. These styles photograph beautifully and also feel good to wear, especially in the heat, which matters more than the photograph, honestly, but you’re going to take the photo. I’d style these with flat sandals and pieces that are competing for attention. The shorts are the ‘fit.

Micro Shorts

I know. Bear with me. Micro shorts had a moment, went away, and then came back, and as if I didn’t love them already, the runway versions this season are making me double down on my position. Dries Van Noten, Simone Rocha, and even Prada went short. Isabel Marant did a bohemian version with appliquéd suede. The key in every case was the proportions: tiny shorts, oversized everything else. Long sleeves, a blazer, or anything that creates more balance rather than competition.

I’m likely not going full hot pants, but a slightly above mid-thigh in a good fabric like Chloé’s pink linen-cotton blend that feels right for pool days and summer trips where I want to look like I tried without trying that hard. There’s a specific kind of casual that only works when the cut is sharp, and the proportions make sense, and this is that. The Helsa washed linen micro short is a practical pick because it’s linen, black, and relaxed, plus it goes with everything.

The Tailored Short

This is the workhorse, and it deserves much more credit than it gets. When it gets too hot for trousers in the desert, which is approximately April to October, tailored shorts are the only version of “dressed” that feels believable and comfortable. A good pleated short in a structured cotton or linen does exactly what a trouser does, but without the heat factor. Ralph Lauren does this beautifully because duh.

What I love about the tailored shorts specifically is that it doesn’t really ask you to choose between being polished and practical. Pair it with a tucked-in blouse and block-heeled mules, and you have a full office-appropriate outfit that also works for drinks after. Add a fitted tank and sneakers on the weekend. The short doesn’t care either way. I have about a million pairs of tailored shorts from Zara in plenty of colors, and they can be a lifesaver in a crunch.

Denim

Jorts feel like a no-brainer. They aren’t even a trend at this point, at least not in my life. The longer lengths have been circulating recently, but aren’t just a compromise between shorts and pants. A blouse with these shorts is one of the combinations that looks effortless in a way that takes a quiet skill to pull off. Agolde’s Dame short is one that anyone can pull off. The washes are perfect and have the right specific shade of faded blue that feels expensive without trying. Mother’s frayed ‘Half Pipe’ style is ideal for beach days and going from the water to lunch without going home to change.

Denim shorts are the ones I don’t think about. I just grab them.

Drawstrings

I originally resisted these because they felt like the chill sweatshorts I lay around in all summer long. There’s just something about the pajama-adjacent silhouette that leans towards that sweatsuit energy naturally. But when I tried a pair and understood immediately why everyone from street style accounts to actual fashion people won’t shut up about them.

The trick is the fabric. A silky or lightweight poplin drawstring short is completely different from, say, a cotton jersey one. Khaite’s Robbie style in a cotton poplin is the version I keep coming back to because it’s structured enough to wear to dinner with a cami and strappy heels, but casual enough that they can be tossed on for a beach day without even thinking twice. I think that versatility is the whole point. Many brands have sets that are vacation-ready, too, which I love. Just add sandals, button up left open, done.

The Bottom Line

The truth about shorts is that the bad ones taught me what the good ones are. I’ve spent years chasing trends that just didn’t feel right or look good. Length, fabric, and proportion: get those right and you can wear them anywhere. Get them wrong, and you’re back in the parking lot, impulse buying cutoffs in August, wondering why nothing feels right. I’ve spent more time on this than I’ll admit, but my closet finally has a shorts situation I can be excited about. And that’s worth something…right?

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