The denim short is to summer what the denim jean is to winter – a wardrobe essential that opens up so many no-brainer outfit opportunities. If you find a pair of mid-thigh denim shorts to suit your size and shape, then this one wardrobe piece will be one that you reach for time and again.
All those “nice tops”? Pop them with a denim short.
Too hot for jeans? Pop on a denim short.
Want a casual weekend outfit? Denim shorts and a tee will always work.
Want a dressed up weekend outfit? Add a lightweight blazer over a cami and wear a low wedge with your denim shorts.
Like when we talk about swimsuits, often the biggest barrier to our finding a pair of denim shorts that we love is ourselves. The inner critic comes out to put down our legs or our knees (can anyone tell me what the so-called perfect knee looks like anyway?). Suddenly we’re seeing ALL THE CELLULITE (hello, that’s normal too). We let our long-held belief that if our body is less than society’s arbitrary version of perfect then it should be covered up get in the way of actually staying cool when the heat is on.
Oh, and PLEASE, do not come at me telling me that I shouldn’t be wearing mid-thigh denim shorts because I’m over 50. Just don’t. Dress for your attitude not your age has long been my motto. And in summer, that motto extends to dressing to not be a sweltering mess.
Why mid-thigh denim shorts? What I’ve found for my body proportions is that this is the ideal length for me. I’m short waisted – there is not a lot of distance between under my arms to my natural waist and my torso if shorter than my legs. This is why I like to wear mid or low-waisted pants, skirts or shorts. I’m trying to balance out my bottom and top halves.
A denim short that is a mid-rise on my torso but falls to mid thigh works to do that. What doesn’t work are denim shorts that go to the knee or just below the knee. This would stunt my proportions and defeats the purpose of wearing shorts in summer (staying cool). I may as well wear pants.
In the try-on video below I’m sharing six different denim shorts that fit that criteria. Three fall a little longer than the others but you’ll see the difference and why each of them work or don’t work for me.
The other thing to note and listen to in the video is when I talk about the composition of the denim in each short. This is something to look out for when shopping online for any denim. If there isn’t any elastane in the composition of the fabric then they will not stretch and could effect comfort levels on. Yes, denim will give a little but taking note of whether there is any stretch in the denim will help you determine the right size for you. In the video I share all the sizes for each pair of shorts – and they do vary for that reason.
Mid-thigh denim shorts (in order of appearance)
(t-shirt worn throughout: Styling You The Label; slides: FRANKiE4 Footwear)
Levi’s 501 mid-thigh denim shorts
Bird Keeper at Birdsnest 5 pocket denim short
Boho Bird at Birdsnest You’re Always There For Me boyfriend denim shorts (currently sold out)
Spell x Outland Denim high-rise short
Bohemian Traders longline distressed denim shorts
Bohemian Traders denim cut-off shorts in ice blue
I hope that’s a starting point for you in your quest to find a pair of denim shorts to suit your proportions, size and body shape.
And remember, wear the damn shorts. Let your legs be free!
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Comments 4
The photos are too close. I can’t see how they look with your legs visible.
Author
They’re just references to the video – all full looks on there if you’d like to give it a watch.
Love the look of distressed denim mixed with fancier pieces! Gives me the courage to actually wear the fancier things! Living in the tropics it’s important to keep as cool as possible so I have had to expose all the wobbly bits and no-one seems to care – everyone does it
Author
I do love a mix up! Sequins and distressed denim is a fave. And yes, once you’ve experienced that kind of heat you realise that feeling cool is more important than worrying about our bodies!