Styling Tailored City Shorts

This season sees a revival of longer length shorts. Fashioned after the classic Bermuda shorts, they're more refined (with the exception of their denim counterparts) made with more modish fabrics and cut with a slimmer fit throughout.  As such they're known as tailored or city shorts. 

The smart and revised Bermuda shorts.

Long shorts have never appealed to me even during the Bermuda shorts heyday. Their longer length runs the risk of creating a visually shorter leg, and unless you're blessed with legs forever, they're not a flattering choice! 

Reluctant to invest in a trend that would visually shrink my 5'5" stature, I decided to alter a pair of trousers that I no longer loved, sort of like getting a free ticket to jump on the bandwagon! The trousers were shortened to a couple of inches above the knee turning them into a perfect pair of "tailored" (pun intended) city shorts.

At the risk of telling myself "I told you so", my tailored shorts give me the legs of a dachshund! This is why followers of fashion need to practice immense restraint and recognize that not everything works for everybody! 

Not prepared to give up without putting my best style forward, here is how I recommend anyone under six feet tall wears tailored city shorts! 

Heels tilt the foot adding additional inches to the appearance of the leg.

Let's tackle the dachshund legs first! Heels of course - the easiest way to add height.  Notice the additional three inches added to the leg by way of the elongated foot in a heeled shoe. For this reason, be sure you can see the foot with a sandal or pump (court shoe) and avoid a full cover shoe or bootie which defeats the object.

City shorts are a shortened version of trousers, in the case of mine, they literally are! Therefore, styling them as you might a pair of smart trousers makes perfect sense. Summer tops, blouses, camisoles all work depending on the amount of coverage you desire. 

date night look

The key is to keep the look chic, not boho or beachy! For this look I wore a seersucker black and white gingham off-the-shoulder top with statement sleeves (last year) from H&M, a pearl buckle belt to keep the look slick and not too casual, and of course the sky high black mesh heels with a pink floral design to carry the color theme throughout. Accessorized with pearl hoop earrings and a simple over-sized clutch to finish the ensemble.

urban city look

Taking the city shorts downtown as a shorts suit.  A white pinstripe blazer (also last year from H&M) keeps the pink satin cami modest.  Pink sling-back heels completes a column of color throughout which also aids in lengthening the silhouette. Chunky gold earrings add a touch of glam and a fanny pack bag enables a hands free situation for business on the go!  

City slick street style!

The long and the short of it - the longer the shorts the shorter the legs appear. These tailored city shorts are summers answer to smart trousers, so style them accordingly and they will be 'nothing short' of a chic summer staple! 
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As always, thank you for stopping by

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