Embracing the Trouser Shorts Trend: How to Style for Any Occasion
- Erika Doty
- Sep 3
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 16
At the start of summer I saw trouser shorts everywhere! Long, short, baggy, pleated. And almost every time I was surprised by how these were worn: sneakers, kitten heals, a blazer, a sweatshirt, a blouse... The options seemed endless, and fun, so I had to give it a try.
I purchased 5 pairs of trouser shorts this summer with the intention of mastering this trend. Below are the shorts I purchased and how I've been wearing them all summer. FYI, trouser shorts are comfy! I bought every pair one size larger than normal to get that baggy look, and that paid off in comfort and style! Trouser shorts can be dressed up (belt/blazer/heals), dressed down (sneakers/cardigan), paired with a tank when it's hot or a sweater/sweatshirt/long-sleeve-whatever for the cooler autumn days. Trouser shorts are kind of like a good-looking pair of jeans - you can seriously wear them almost every day for almost any occasion.
I bought these at Nordstrom and definitely feel like they are the most "dressed-up looking" trouser shorts in my collection. But as you can see in the pictures below, I can dress them down easily with some sandals. I love the color and the length. Great quality and versatile - definitely worth the price.
I've been loving Vuori's trouser line for over a year. I have several pairs of their trouser pants and discovered their Villa Trouser shorts this year. These are the shortest trouser shorts in my collection, so they tend to lean more casual. But as you can see in the middle picture below, I was able to dress them up a little on a hot day. I have these in two colors - one was seasonal (which I'm sure they'll bring back, or replace with another fun seasonal color - next spring). These do NOT wrinkle very easily, which makes them great for travel!
I randomly purchased these off Amazon and have been pleasantly surprised. These were the least expensive trouser shorts I got this year. Great quality and fit. I went up one size from normal which gave me the slightly baggier fit I wanted, but I don't need the belt to keep them up (just added it for the look).
These are clearly a favorite in my closet. I took pictures of myself each day that I wore trouser shorts for the past month and these appeared more than any other pair I own. I think it's because the light gray goes with everything, can be dressed up or down easily, and these are so comfortable. I bought these as part of the Nordstrom Annual Sale for $47 - they also come in black for $79 - hence the price range listed above. My only complaint is that, though they are not linen, they have a similar look and feel, which is beautiful, but they do wrinkle a little more than the others.
As the temps get a little cooler, I'm looking forward to pairing all of these with sweaters and sweatshirts until it gets too cold and I have to move to pants for the winter.
Have you tried trouser shorts this summer? What brands/colors/styles are you loving? Let us know! Email me at erika@babblewithbrooke.com.
I am an Amazon Affiliate and can earn commission on certain purchases.
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