Legs Out

Bermuda style suiting from Etro’s Resort 2020 collection (photo courtesy Etro)

Chloe short suit style from its Resort 2020 collection (photo courtesy Chloe)

Spring forth toward a new decade and a new season. In places where seasons hold people captive to more necessary fashion needs, trousers are replaced with lighter options, and shorts see the light of day. I am blessed to live in Hawai‘i, so it’s always short season. I’m a big fan of tailored shorts. My love for casual shorts is starting to wane, but with a little more structure, shorts still work for me. So, when the current 1970s fashion revival started making room for the shorts suit ensemble, I was intrigued. Could this be what the women of Hawai‘i’s corporate workforce have been waiting for?

Maybe you’ve decided to drop baring your pins in public, but designers love to show some leg, especially come the spring shows. Miu Miu’s resort collection was awash with shorts in every conceivable fabrication and style with many in leather in a rainbow of colors. Skip to the ready-to-wear collections, and shorts could be seen across the designer smorgasbord of shows with suiting in the shorts variety emerging as a highly wearable option. Both Etro and Victoria Beckham had some great styles, but for me, it was Givenchy that managed to kick it out of the park and make me seriously consider a shorts suit ensemble. Several renditions in the show included beautifully tailored jackets matched with polished Bermuda shorts: classic light- weight suiting and not a hint of irony.

I felt some research was required, so I hit the mall to see if I could find myself an early rendition of the look. First stop on the trail and—voilà!—Zara came up with a mass-consumer-accessible option (with a very strong nod to Miu Miu) that enabled me to test out the style and see how I felt. The ensemble consisted of soft creamy tweed top with an extra big collar and matching shorts. These were no Daisy Dukes, but rather, a grownup take on a tailored suit for summer, which could easily be seen in the workplace. Wearing a tailored shorts suit when everyone else is wearing a regular suit or dress combo feels fresh, classic— without being stuffy—and modern without being inappropriately informal. Yup, this look is worth a try. I recommend sticking to flats for an office-appropriate look. Save the heels for evening. Hawai‘i and shorts are like peas in a pod, and this style combo has legs.

Kim Smith has been a professional wardrobe stylist in Honolulu since 2004. Born a true Londoner, Smith had a successful career in public relations in the fashion industry in London for more than eight years before moving to Hawai‘i in 2002. Smith’s work spans a vast array of magazines, retailers and television as well as working with individual clients on their specific style needs. See her work at kimsmithstyle.com.