Here’s a hot fashion take to start your day: Jorts have always been the black sheep of summer fashion, and it’s about time we change that. Yes, I’m coming out as a jorts fan, and no, I’m not ashamed to admit it.
For those unversed in the high-brow echelons of fashion TikTok hauls, let me enlighten you. The long denim cutoff style of the early aughts has been making its rounds across social media tweens and models-off-duty, setting the stage the a debate that has divided the internet. Jorts, once a fan favorite when worn by rappers like Soulja Boy on red carpets, are now the soup of the day in the denim world. For far too long, Daisy Dukes have reigned summertime supreme thanks to Coachella aesthetics and the iron-clad grip American Apparel had on Tumblr, translating into muscle tees and flower crowns to pair with the style. Now, after the spring-summer 2023 menswear season, jorts have the Louis Vuittonz–monogrammed stamp of approval. And, apparently, your dad’s. So what’s stopping you from going all in?
With a style so controversial, the question is whether or not they’re “in” but rather how to pull it off without looking as if you still use Internet Explorer. Personally, I’d go full absurdity mode. Pair your jorts with colorful cowboy boots, a bikini top, and a blazer three sizes too big, and you’ll have something resembling a bonafide ’fit. Wear your jorts to the grocery or to renew your license in a three-hour-long line at the DMV. Or maybe to some quaint Amalfi Coast beach resembling some otherworldy Pinterest fantasy. At this point, jorts have become an “if you know, you know” status symbol.
Notably, we’re regressing to the early 2000s in more ways than one: Paris Hilton’s “Stars Are Blind” is on my gym playlist, candy-colored Coach handbags are all over Depop, and as of recently, Flavor Flav is my Pinterest fashion icon. To anyone else (including my therapist), wearing denim shorts that extend below the kneecap would be cause for concern. For me, it’s the pinnacle of summer street style.
You may be thinking, Why not linen pants? or Denim miniskirts are fine too. To that I would respond, what isn’t there to like about jorts? You get the same airflow as you would with micro-shorts without sacrificing comfort. Itty-bitty jean shorts haven’t always been my thing thanks to extreme chafing, and I would rather eat broccoli for every year than wear full-length jeans in the New York heat. Luckily, I’m painfully, chronically online and susceptible to paparazzi photos of Gigi Hadid frolicking around SoHo wearing jorts. Thanks to Goodwill, I now own not one, but two pairs in different washes. Sue me.
