It’s that time of year again! We say goodbye to stuffy long pants and say hello to dresses and shorts. This is my favorite time of the year because I used to live in shorts and dresses when I was still living in California. Today we are talking all about the different types of shorts to invest in for this Spring and Summer. If you have these, chances are you’ll be looking more chic than anyone else!
This post is mostly focusing on the shorts styles that are not denim. If you read my post on the different styles of pants that are not denim, then you’ll know that I’m all about expanding outside of denim. Denim is such a staple, but it’s not be-all and end-all for pants. I’m going to go into the types of shorts I am loving and why I think they’re such staples for your Spring/Summer wardrobe. If you’re the type that only loves denim, though, don’t worry! I still got you covered! At the end of this post, I am going into which denim shorts I would recommend and why!
Without me babbling on too much, let’s get into it! Leave me a comment and let me know which style if your personal favorite! Also, how do you like the new hair?! If you follow me on social media, then you’ll know that I have changed up my hair. Definitely check out my Instagram post here where I do a quick life update on why I changed up my hair!
Leave me all of your thoughts below in the comments! I want to hear from you! XOXO
summer stripes? nautrical stripes? I want all of it
I love stripes. A striped shirt, a pair of striped shorts… it doesn’t matter. I want them all! Blue striped clothing is such a summer staple. There is something about it that just screams, “I’m chilling on a boat or at the beach”. What I love about the pair I am wearing is that there is something so classy and elegant about this. They can be dressed up, but they’re also super comfortable!
The contrast of the white top against the dark blue stripes is what I love most about this whole outfit. If you want to go for a more conservative look with this pair of shorts, go for a light and breezy white button down shit. Half-tuck it into your shorts, and roll up the sleeves. Instantly, you’ll look like you should be at the Hamptons chilling by the pool with a cooling drink in your hand.
A note about stripes and how to wear them: choose horizontal or vertical based on what you need. Vertical stripes will make you look taller and horizontal stripes will make you look a wider. For a petite (aka short) girl like me, my first instinct was to go for vertical stripes. I instead chose horizontal stripes to show that they can look just as nice as vertical ones!
I don’t have big hips (unfortunately), even though I have a curvier figure. The horizontal stripes enhances the curves and makes me look curvier around the hips, which was what I was going for. To elongate my legs, I chose to pair a shorter length (an inseam of less than 3″) with some wedges. The combination of the shorter inseam and the heels on the wedges is what makes me look taller.
Audrey Hepburn believes in pink, and so do I
Pink is my favorite color, and I am a firm believer in wearing pink all year round. Of course, not everyone feels the same way I do about pink. If there is ever a time to wear pink, however, it would be now. Pastel pink in the Spring and Summer with flowers everywhere and the sun shining down is my version of Heaven.
What I love about this pair of shorts is that they’re loose and flowy. I am not into having skintight clothing when the weather outside is horrendously hot, and I am always looking for comfort. Loose and flowy shorts are perfect for this season because they give you that light and breezy look without the fear of having a Marilyn Monroe moment. As much as I love my dresses and skirts, these loose, flowy, drapey shorts give you a similar style while having the comfort of pants.
I also love having a big waistband such as the one on these pair because they help accentuate my waist without me needing to reach for a belt. As I mentioned before, I am all about clothing that brings out my curves, and belts are the easiest way for me to do so. Belts in the summer, though, can get tricky. It gets too hot and I honestly just don’t want to deal with something sticking on me when it’s that hot. That’s why accentuated waistbands such as these are perfect!
Look for a piece of clothing that will give you everything you need, so that you can have minimal accessories. It sounds weird to say because accessories are everything, but it’s the truth. The worst thing in the Summer is to have ten accessories on your body when it’s hot and sticky.
all I want to do is sit by the beach next to palm trees
These are the type of shorts that you take to vacation as you sit by the beach somewhere with palm trees. Since that can’t be my life for all of Summer, I settled for these shorts to bring the tropics to me.
You can start to see a trend emerging; I love loose flowy clothing in the summer. What is great about these shorts is how comfy they are with the elastic waistband and the vibrant color of the blue with the palm trees print.
I much prefer to choose shorts such as this with a very gentle and non-judging waistband. This feels like you’re wearing a pair of leggings or sweatpants without looking like you didn’t bother to try to get dressed. Contrast the looseness of the shorts with a more form fitting top. When I say form-fitting, I do not mean tight. I love ribbed textures with stretchy material such as this top because they’re always so much more comfortable. The ribbed texture with stretchy fabric means that your look is immediately elevated. I chose to go with this nude color because I felt like I had too many white tops, and I want to show that your only option in the Summer isn’t to only wear white.
Another awesome feature about these pants is the print. I love to wear printed clothing in the summer. Part of the reason why my favorite brand, Lilly Pulitzer, is always associated with summer and sunshine is because prints inevitably remind us of summer more than winter. As an example, florals are one of the most popular type of clothing to wear for the summer, and this is a print. Prints in the summer are such a staple, and I am a big fan.
utility shorts are the cargo pants of shorts
I need a pair of go-to shorts that I can use for everything: a cover up at the beach, when I’m running errands, brunch… What is great about these all-purpose shorts is that they can be cute, comfortable, and easy to dress up or down.
This look is a super off-duty and casual look that I love because if I’m going to be honest, most of the time in the Summer, this is what I want to wear. I am looking for quick and easy outfits that can allow me to enjoy the most of my time outside. It’s not a look that is ever going to make it to the cover of Vogue. It is, however, real and authentic because we are all looking for pieces that can be versatile.
Here, I have it dressed down with the same top from the last outfit. You can clearly see I am a big fan of this top. I dressed it down to show a look that I would wear if I’m just casually brunching with girlfriends. If I want to wear this out to go somewhere fancier, I would pick a super cute embroidered top or breezy tunic to dress it up.
I am also super into the type of stripes on this pair. The different-spaced stripes almost make up a stripe by itself, contrasting with the white. I love the design of this because it’s a twist on the classic horizontal or vertical stripes we think about. Remember the first outfit? I love how different they are but how they all play into one trend that is super popular for the summer!
I also love that this waistband is not going to make me feel like I’m squeezing into skinny jeans. The tie on these shorts are just small enough to look casual but big enough to look like an accessorizing part of the outfit.
for you denim lovers, here is what I recommend
I have ten million pieces of denim shorts, and I really had to go through my closet to donate the ones I don’t need. I’m super into tossing old clothes to get more updated basics. I also used to live in denim shorts, so I understand why it’s so important to have the perfect pair.
Nowadays, I prefer to go for something that is looser rather than super tight. I grab my denim shorts intended to be worn loosely much more, even though it’s great to have both in your closet.
which one was your favorite?
That is it for this post! I hope that you were able to draw some inspiration for what shorts you’ll be rocking all summer long. I love all them equally, but if I had to choose a personal favorite, I would pick the pink drapey shorts. There’s just something about it that makes me scream “THIS IS SO ME”.
Leave me a comment below on what you are loving because I want to chat with you all!
I love you! XOXO,
Claire
