That's It: I Just Discovered the One Spring Trend That's Worth Testing Out
Last summer when every influential dresser began pairing jean shorts with cowboy boots, I had my reservations. After all, combining shorts with boots was always considered a faux pas—what's changed? Eventually, like with most controversial trends, I came around, but something about the duo never quite added up for me. This season, however, a new shorts-and-boots combo is garnering attention. And this time around, I'm 100% game.
Rather than full-on Dukes of Hazzard, 2022's version of the shorts-with-boots trend is a bit tamer, with Bermuda-length shorts subbing in for cutoffs and knee-high riding boots taking the place of Western styles. The result? An extremely wearable combination that allows you to show off this year's biggest footwear trend in an elevated and put-together way. Plus, it looks really (really) cool.
Keep scrolling to see how the shorts-with-boots trend is being done, both on Instagram and the runway, in 2022.
The combination of Bermuda shorts and knee-high boots was really perfected by Maryam Nassir Zadeh in her F/W 21 collection, but this season's take is equally as covetable.
If you're into jean shorts but are not ready to wear super-short cutoffs, a Bermuda pair like this is ideal. For added effect, pair them with rubberized lug-sole boots.
The fall/winter 2022 season has only just begun, kicking off with Copenhagen Fashion Week, and already, this trend has shown its face on the runway at Saks Potts's latest show. Presumably, there will be plenty more where this came from as the shows go on.
You heard it here first: Styling tailored Bermuda shorts with knee-high boots is the new way to wear workwear in the summer. No hot, stuffy suits required.
When trying to determine if a trend is worth testing out, my tip is to see if Peter Do included it in his most recent show. If he did, it is.
When in Paris, pair your Bermuda shorts with knee-high boots.
The only thing better than Bermuda shorts paired with knee-high boots is Bermuda shorts paired with knee-high boots and topped with an an oversize blazer.
At Dior's S/S 22 show, creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri took a sporty approach to this trend, pairing long athletic shorts with space-age-inspired go-go boots, and all I have to say about it is wow.
Platform knee-high boots can do no wrong, especially when they're paired with Bermuda shorts and a hot-pink blouse.
An all-black suit will always be in style. For a fresh take on the classic ensemble, choose a pair of Bermuda shorts instead of trousers and pick heeled knee-high boots rather than loafers.
Next up: By Far, These Are the 10 Most Important Trends for Spring 2022
Eliza Huber is an NYC-based senior fashion editor who specializes in trend reporting, brand discovery, and the intersection of sports and fashion. She joined Who What Wear in 2021 from Refinery29, the job she took after graduating with a business degree from the University of Iowa. She's launched two columns, Let's Get a Room and Ways to Wear; profiled Dakota Fanning, Diane Kruger, Katie Holmes, Gracie Abrams, and Sabrina Carpenter; and reported on everything from the relationship between Formula One and fashion to the top runway trends each season. Eliza lives on the Upper West Side and spends her free time researching F1 fashion imagery for her side Instagram accounts @thepinnacleoffashion and @f1paddockfits, watching WNBA games, and scouring The RealReal for discounted Prada.
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