A short guide for summer

An Ivy guide to wearing shorts.

I won’t lie, shorts haven’t always been my thing. But after a recent trip to Florida, I think I may be won over.

I used to think, and I believe many people probably think the same, that shorts were just too informal. However, you can actually dress them up more than you realise.

This perception is probably due to my parents dressing me in relatively cheap shorts from sports shops in the summer—no offence, Mum and Dad.

I get it, and I totally understand. Many people are quite reluctant to spend a bit of money on a pair of shorts, especially if, like me, they live in a place that’s more often cold than hot.

There’s also a stereotype: pair your shorts with a T-shirt. We’ve been conditioned to think T-shirts are the only thing that can go with shorts, but you can wear long sleeve shirts too.

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I rarely go out without a jacket. It doesn’t feel right when I’m not wearing one. There are pockets to put my phone, my keys, and anything else I may be carrying. If I’m not wearing a jacket, I usually end up carrying a tote bag.

Now, this doesn’t necessarily solve the problem with pockets—we’ll come to that later—but replace your jacket with a shirt instead.

Roll up the sleeves in the day and roll them down in the evening when it’s cooler, and you’ve got yourself an adaptable jacket that will go over a T-shirt.

I’ve seen lots of examples of this done by loads of different accounts over on Instagram, Pinterest, and especially Popeye magazine.

If you still need something to carry your things in and don’t want to carry a large tote bag, then I really recommend a possibly controversial opinion to some—the infamous Uniqlo round mini shoulder bag.

They are a particularly recent trend and blew up over on social media last year. In theory, I probably shouldn’t like them, but I really do.

Here’s the one I got

I seem to be going through a phase of utilitarian garments, and I think this falls into that category. The one I’ve got has a showerproof repellent coating, making it great for Manchester.

It’s the perfect size when I only want to stick my earphones and phone somewhere without using my pockets. That’s another can of worms for another time.

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If you still don’t like the idea of wearing a shirt open with a T-shirt underneath with a pair of shorts, you can still, by all means, wear a jacket and look great. It’s just about finding the right one that works and doesn’t look like you’re matching two different seasons.

Workwear surprisingly works very well. Take a look at this picture of the styling done by Drake’s.

The model wears an overshirt with a pair of shorts. It’s one of those things that, if you imagined it in your head, would never work, but when you see it, it completely does.

The overshirt is a bit of a hybrid piece. It’s really just thicker shirt that you can put over your regular shirt. It’s not as heavy as a Harrington, which doesn’t always look great with a pair of shorts. I think in this case it really does.

I know a lot of workplaces don’t like people wearing shorts at all, but I think it’s more about stereotype than the actual ability to make them look good.

Shorts can look smart and there are alternative options to the regular sport kind.

If you live somewhere that’s not hot regularly but want a smart pair to wear, Uniqlo is always a good bet. In fact, they even call their smart shorts "smart shorts."

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Speaking of hybrid pieces, revere or Cuban collar shirts pair really well with shorts. When I say hybrid, I mean the Cuban collar shirt can be worn for formal and informal occasions. Here’s a pictures of me wading my way through the Floridian humidity at Cape Canaveral month or so ago.

I hope the examples I’ve shown you prove that shorts can look good even if you’re not the biggest fan, like me.

Joking aside, though, I’ve actually quite enjoyed wearing them and I’m hoping for more warm days where I can give more looks a go.

Thanks for reading!

Tom