6 Pairs of (Long) Denim Shorts

And how we'll be wearing them this summer

I think we all have a similar conundrum when it comes to longer denim shorts. They make us feel… like our mum? Or perhaps like ourselves as a kid in the 90s? Daggy? Uppity? I can’t confidently put my finger on it but there’s some sort of negative nostalgia attached to them. The ballet flat evokes a similar response for me, I just can’t quite (re)commit. But there are so many reasons why a longer denim short should find their way back into your wardrobe, here are my thoughts:

• Key word; denim

  There’s an ease and effortlessness to denim that we’re often trying to evoke in our everyday looks — this is inbuilt into it’s very stitching so starting an outfit with a denim piece is usually a good first step.

• The second key word; longer

  I fully support a short hem, a short scroll through my personal IG page will give you all the evidence you need here, but there’s something about turning upwards of 30 that makes you want to cover up a little more. I’m hoping it’s not solely societal body ideals though i’m sure this plays a role, but the desire to get em’ out feels less pressing than it once did.

• Comfort

  Granted you’ve purchased well and your shorts aren’t too firm or rigid, denim is comfortable! If in doubt I always size up and alter the waist for ultimate comfort’s sake.

We struggle to revisit them because we don’t know how to wear them in a way that doesn’t evoke this said negative nostalgia. So how can we course correct? How do we wear this classic throw on summer favourite in a way that feels cool again? I’ve kept this super edit tight, only keeping the pairs I think i’d personally actually wear and how i’d wear them.

Onto the shorts…

Sophie xo

The Shorts

1. ALPHA60 / Garcia Denim Short — $199

My personal favourite and the pair I plan to purchase. If I were more organised and a better Substacker i’d have purchased these before the newsletter and shown you how i’d wear them. Alas.

They’re low slung which is a style i’m personally loving again. Not so low you can see your crack, but low enough to give off that ‘i’m cool and relaxed’ vibe despite the hectic mess that actually lies beneath (i’m referring to my head not my nether regions). And TBH i’m getting rather sick of having waistlines sit around my… waistline. Let the tummy breathe!

I see myself wearing these with a tee. An oversized shirt, perhaps a shirt over strapless top when i’m feeling more fruity. A delicate top. But really my mind went straight here to Laurel Pantin.

Laurel Pantin of EARL Substack, queen of making the longer denim short cool

2. FRIENDS WITH FRANK / The Felicity Denim Shorts — $229

The pleated denim short. I think these are the style which cause the most trouble when it comes to styling, it’s the mix of pleats and length that scream 90s. But they can be so chic when the styling is done well. The easiest way to get it right here is to keep it pretty clean and minimal because the style itself is a bit of a moment. Because the pleats create a bit of a blouson, keeping the top fitted will stop you from feeling like you’re actually back in the 90s. Or wear a the top half cropped so that it just skims the top of the short.

3. ELKA COLLECTIVE / Odin Short — $169

The pleats aren’t quite so exaggerated here and the length not so long, so it makes for easier styling. Personally when wearing white denim I can’t help but wear a white top, an all white look just looks cool. However the days of wearing all white with a toddler are limited so i’d most likely be pairing with a pop of colour. I used this mustard baby tee in a commercial recently and haven’t stopped thinking about how i’d wear it. It’s 20 bucks!

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Leandra Medine