How I Select My Denim Shorts

Welcome to Dressed for My Day! Ready for a little bit of casual style inspiration? Today I’m simply sharing how I pick my denim shorts. ‘Cause ya know, jean shorts are a staple in my causal summer wardrobe, y’all.

Of course, picking the denim shorts that are right for you is a highly personal thing. Hahaha! We all have different tastes and criteria we want to meet. But I thought I’d simply share what I look for in denim shorts. And if you want to apply my criteria to your shorts, great!

Shopping Tip #1 – I look for denim shorts in a cotton blend that will provide for a little stretch but with no distortion. I want my jean shorts to look more like denim, less like polyester. Know what I mean? I want the genuine article. I think this is especially important as we get older since many people associate knits with “old ladies” anyhow.

Shopping Tip #2 – I always sit down in anything I try on. But especially when selecting denim shorts I think it’s important to move around, sit down, bend over, squat, you name it. These are the shorts we want to feel most comfortable in and be able to really move in.

Shopping Tip #3 – For a more slenderizing look, select denim shorts in a darker wash. I do have some darker wash jean shorts, too, but these girlfriend denim shorts in Miller wash are about as light as I’d want. I also have these same denim shorts in the darker Ryder wash. They’re also available in black for an even more slenderizing effect.

Shopping Tip #4 – These days it’s much easier to find denim shorts with a mid or high rise. I suggest staying away from low-rise shorts since they are notorious for emphasizing a muffin top. Bleh. These girlfriend denim shorts hit slightly below the waist for a very comfortable fit.

Shopping Tip #5 – When it comes to length, I look for a longer Bermuda length (9-11″) to a mid length (say 7″). Why? Because you can absolutely cuff them up or even cut them off if you eventually decide you’d prefer a shorter leg. But you can’t extend shorts that are too short.

These girlfriend denim shorts that I’m wearing have a 9″ rolled cuff or an 11.5″ unrolled leg.

Shopping Tip #6 – Look for a little distressing or discoloration. I know some older women don’t like to wear “ratty jeans.” And I’m not suggesting that you do. But a little bit of distressing or discoloration adds just enough interest to make these shorts look more modern.

Shopping Tip #7 – In contrast, I prefer my denim shorts not have any other embellishments, such as rhinestones or embroidery. I want these particular shorts to look authentic and natural, creating a blank canvas to which I can add all kinds of tops.

I wore this simple denim shorts outfit when we visited our son and daughter-in-law this past week. We had a casual day of eating hot dogs and playing a board game, so my denim shorts were the perfect choice. I simply topped them with this very lightweight striped cotton sweater, added my classic hoop earrings and a dainty gold necklace (similar option) and slipped into my neutral colored sandals.

Yes, my Tory Burch sandals are very pricey and I bought them when they were marked down (and with Nordy notes!). But if you like the style, definitely check out Sam Edelman’s similar alternative, the Circus Canyon Flat Sandal, priced much more reasonably.

But my denim shorts (as well as the darker wash girlfriend shorts) and lightweight striped cotton sweater are part of Talbots’ Summer’s Greatest Hits sale. They’re each less than $30! Same for the solid colored cotton sweaters, the marled solid cotton sweaters and the white denim shorts and black denim shorts.

By the way, I’m wearing an 8 (TTS) in the denim shorts and a small in the sweater. So I’d say the sweater runs on the larger size, but not by much.

Thanks so much for stopping in today. Let me know if you have any questions about what I’ve shared with you today. Have a lovely day!

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Blessed for My Day

It amazes me that we have a God who willingly and graciously reveals Himself to us. He desires for us to know Him intimately, to put our trust in Him and to abide in Him. So yes, He makes Himself known, both through creation and through His Word. I believe He also reveals His character and ways through our experience of Him, but we must always be diligent to check out our understanding of Him through the Bible. The truth of God’s Word must trump our experiential knowledge of God.

Still, even as we get to know our God and continue to grow in understanding of Him through the years, we must acknowledge that we only know a very small portion of Him. I love the way this is worded in Job 26:14. These are “the outer fringe of his works…a whisper we hear of him!” We can never exhaust the depths of God. That’s why Paul wrote in Romans 11:33, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!”

“Behold, these are the fringes of His ways;
And how faint a word we hear of Him!
But His mighty thunder, who can understand?” ~ Job 26:14