The high-rise denim short may be synonymous with music festival style, but in other fabrics, the high-rise short is truly a summer staple, no matter what the venue. The belly button-grazing short (that's super flattering and leg-elongating, to boot) can be worn to nearly any event as long as you style it right—and we'll show you how.
On the Boardwalk
We're not reinventing the wheel with this bathing suit and denim short combo, but this outfit always looks good. Instead of keeping things chill with a dad hat and Adidas slides, opt for a modern straw hat and lace-up espadrilles instead.
Janessa Leone Calla, $181; janessaleone.com
To a Wedding
Anyone who has ever been to an outdoor summer wedding knows the torture of sitting through a ceremony in the blazing sun, wondering why you wore a tea-length floral dress. Try a pair of shorts in a formal textile like duchesse satin and you'll make it to the cocktail hour without passing out from heat exhaustion.
Solace London Violet One-Shoulder Bonded Satin Top, $375; net-a-porter.com
Girls' Day Out
For a summer Saturday afternoon spent drinking two (or four?) glasses of rose with your friends, opt for a sweet pair of floral shorts. If a bra top is a little too outside of your comfort zone, throw on a denim jacket for added modesty (that you'll probably take off after one too many Whispering Angel refills).
Farrow Cate Jacket, $118; needsupply.com
Maryam Nassir Zadeh Sand Paper Pina Bra Top, $181; bonadrag.com
Office-Appropriate
Shorts are typically a no-go at work, but in a business casual environment, a shorts suit can totally pass muster in those unbearably hot days of July and August. Treat it like any other office suit, and you'll actually be able to handle your commute without sweating through your button-up.
Zara Bermuda Shorts, $36; zara.com
Zara Buttoned Blazer, $100; zara.com
Uniqlo Premium Linen Long Sleeve Shirt, $20; uniqlo.com
PB 0110 AB 27, €449; pb0110.de
Church's Burwood, £345; church-footwear.com
For a Backyard BBQ
For a casual event like a summer cookout, style a fun printed short with a simple twist—literally—on the classic white tee.
Rosie Assoulin Light Cotton Poplin One Armed Bandit Top, $595; modaoperandi.com
Samantha Pleet Green Wallpaper Curtain Shorts, $149; bonadrag.com
Little Liffner Tiny Ring Box, $285;
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