Short, Shorter, Shortest

Long: to the knee

The Bermuda short. The most tamed member of the family.

To the knee works, but only if the rest of the outfit compensates. A Bermuda in a sharp cut with a good shirt and a loafer is a look. A Bermuda in a limp fabric with a polo your dad would also wear is not a look.

Rick Owens makes one of the strongest long shorts right now: a draped silhouette in a dark, heavy fabric that deliberately looks oversized but is never sloppy. The length is there, and so is the architecture. That's the difference between a Bermuda that's a choice and a Bermuda that's a mistake.

Maison Margiela does the same from another angle: the deconstruction is in the details, not in the shout. An MMM short to the knee in ecru or black looks simple until you look closely. Then you see that thought has gone into every seam.

Styling tip: long and wide calls for something small on top. A fitted tank, a cropped shirt, a close-fitting T-shirt. The "big pants, little top" principle works for shorts too.

Mid-length: above the knee

The most worn, the least thought about. And that's exactly the problem.

A short that ends above the knee but isn't too short sits in a no man's land where most people feel comfortable and look exactly that way too. Comfortable. The middle length requires the most attention to the rest of the outfit, precisely because the short itself makes no statement.

Acne Studios gets this: a clean silhouette, a clear cut, no logo fuss. Their above-the-knee shorts are the kind of piece where the choice lies in what you didn't do to them. That's harder than it sounds.

Jacquemus adds character through colour and texture. An olive-green Jacquemus short above the knee in a woven fabric isn't neutral, it's a choice.

Styling tip: at this length, the shoe matters most. A loafer or leather sandal lifts the look. A chunky white sports sneaker pulls it back toward casual. Both can work but not by accident.

Short: high on the leg

This is where it gets interesting.

The short short is the most self-aware garment of the moment. You can't wear it by accident. It demands something of the person in it, not necessarily a specific body, but definitely a specific attitude. "Once you've understood the freedom of short shorts, you just don't want to give it up.". That's true. But you do have to want to stand in them.

Casablanca turns the short short into a statement through print. Less fabric doesn't mean less attention here, it means every centimetre of fabric does the work. A Casablanca short in a signature print carries itself. The rest of the outfit only has to listen.

Amiri sits in this spectrum too, although its identity has traditionally been built on denim and rock-inflected streetwear. Their shorts carry that DNA along, which works if you want that energy, but is less strong if you want to wear the short short purely as a fashion piece. So choose deliberately.

For the cycling style: Dries Van Noten has pulled the sporty short short out of its athletic context and placed it in a fashion landscape where it stands next to an oversized blazer. That's the reference that keeps coming back everywhere now.

Styling tip: short and tight on top works, but short and wide on top works too, as long as it's a choice. It's about what you wear at the bottom of the short: a polished shoe-and-sock combination, or barefoot in a sandal. That decides the tone.

The rules that matter

Length and shoes move together. The shorter the short, the more attention the shoe demands. A Birkenstock under a short short is a statement. A chunky platform sneaker is too. But they say different things.

Print or colour belongs to the shorter spectrum. A long Bermuda in a wild print is hard to wear. A short Casablanca short, on the other hand, works precisely because the less fabric there is, the more every detail counts.

The waistband is not a detail. An elastic waistband with no structure makes any short look cheaper. A waistband with a button, a tab or a clear cut gives the short character, regardless of length.

Swim shorts are regular shorts. They have been for years. Wearing a swim short from the beach to the sidewalk is no longer a fashion gimmick, it's simply how people dress. With an open white linen shirt and a leather sandal, it works anywhere.

Frequently asked questions

How short can shorts be?

As short as you want to wear them, but the shorter they are, the more deliberate the rest of your outfit has to be. A short inseam calls for a polished shoe, a clear top and the willingness to stand out.

Which short length is the most versatile?

A short that ends just above the knee works in most settings. But versatile isn't the same as interesting: middling length demands the most attention from the rest of the outfit.

What are the best brands for shorts?

Rick Owens and Maison Margiela for long, Acne Studios and Jacquemus for mid-length, Casablanca for short with character. Amiri for anyone who wants to bring the rock-streetwear energy along.

Can you wear shorts to a restaurant or on a terrace?

Yes: if the short has a clear cut and the rest of the outfit compensates. An Acne Studios or Jacquemus short with a linen shirt and a loafer works on any terrace in Europe.

Can swim shorts also be worn as regular shorts?

Yes, and they have been for a while. A Casablanca or Vilebrequin swim short is designed to be worn out of the water. With a leather sandal and an open shirt, it works anywhere.