Not Your Daddy’s Jorts

I unapologetically love jean shorts. They elicit images of long summers filled with beaches, backyard barbecues, and bonfires. Although jean shorts have often been pegged as the trashy cousin of conventional denim, they’ve been resurrected in recent seasons by fashion designers and mass market retailers alike.

Plenty of brands like Levi’s and American Eagle offer a variety of fits and washes, but Zara strikes the perfect balance between style and value. Their jean shorts are available in an excellent mix of colors and seem to hit at a good point on the leg. I also like that should I get these shorts on and find they’re more Jim Dangle than anticipated, shipping and returns are free.

And yes, I suppose you could just cut off an old pair of jeans and make your own, but that post would have been shorter and far more anticlimactic.

Top left: Denim bermudas $50; Contrasting chambray shorts $70 Bottom left: Fantasy side strip bermudas $60; Bermudas $60. All images via Zara