This summer, I’m vouching for long shorts; the kind that skim your kneecaps and offer a satisfyingly nonchalant slouch. But if there’s one thing I’ve learnt from my quest to find the perfect pair, it’s that the right length is near impossible to pin down. At 5ft1”, hemlines are always a pain point, meaning I approach every purchase (be it trousers, jeans, skirts or dresses), with the knowledge that I will, most likely, need to whip out my sewing machine or get it tailored. The same goes for long shorts.
The good news, however, is that there are plenty of options to choose from. Beyond the vintage Adidas shorts I wear regularly, I’ve got my eye on Agolde’s ’90s shorts, rendered in non-stretch, organic-cotton denim with frayed hemlines (otherwise known as “jorts”) Dries Van Noten’s dark green faux leather shorts and Studio Nicholson’s tailored Cabra shorts.
As for styling, this season I’ll be emulating models at Dries Van Noten spring/summer 2025, where one model wore scarlet long shorts with a fitted shirt and naked shoes; Louther, which exhibited the perfect pair of loose striped shorts, and Burberry, where long shorts were paired with part-unbuttoned shirts, loafers and cropped jackets.
Scroll on for some of the best long shorts I’ve come across this season.
- The leather-look shorts: Dries Van Noten Faux Leather Shorts, £470
- The extra long jorts: Weekday Astro Denim Loose Baggy Shorts, £44
- The tailored shorts: The Row Wool And Silk-Blend Shorts, £1,200
- The trackies-shorts hybrid: Uniqlo Sweat Wide Shorts, £25
- The suede shorts: Marks & Spencer Suede High Waisted Knee Length Shorts, £189
- The cargo shorts: Gramicci Cargo Shorts, £145
