Bermudas Might Be In, but the It Girls Make the Case for a Teeny-Tiny Shorts Summer

Of recent, shorts of Brobdingnagian proportions have been taking over. From bermudas to board shorts and jorts—summer dressing has reveled in blown-out shapes and elongated silhouettes, all big and breezy to beat the heat. But for those like Charli XCX, the teen-tiny shorts—hot pants that found a home in both ’50s Americana and mid aughts indie sleaze circles—reign supreme.

Appearing at a pop-up to promote her latest album Music, Fashion, Film in Los Angeles, Charli stepped out in an all-black look: a one cap-sleeved, drapey Paloma Wool top, paired with black buttoned mini-shorts, and styled with a Saint Laurent Niki shopping tote, shield shades, and black patent Studio Alessia mules.

The short-shorts were a signature during Charli’s brat era. On and offstage, she wore R and M Leathers Tammy shorts, a hot pink pair by Fernanda Castro, and ruffly mini bloomers by Kyriacos. She played with proportions by adding a pair of stompy, thick-barreled Fidan Novruzova boots and teensy bikinis and crop tops. It’s a cheeky piece that fits into the Charli XCX school of style (as primed by super-stylist Chris Horan, who is doing similarly good things with Adela right now), and only augments the looks of Music, Fashion, Film: sexy, self-referential, and faithful to the Charli hallmarks.

Others are staying true to the leggy silhouette too, across the style spectrum. Zoe Kravitz, for one, must share a wardrobe of sporty shorts with fiancé Harry Styles: she styles hers with raglan tops and schlubby graphic tees, offsetting the pared back look with ballerina flats and mules. Hailey Bieber (although more often found in a capris), meanwhile, leans into her preppy side, styling her short-shorts with loafers and socks, toughened up with an oversized leather jacket. Kristen Stewart will also subvert the Chanel tweed sets with playful, punked up shorts. Wearing some high-waisted denim mini-shorts, a white longsleeve or broderie top, and a woven basket feels distinctly Jane Birkin, too.

Indie brands are also playing around with the silhouette and shape. London-based intimates brand Fruity Booty (beloved by Alexa Chung, Chloe Sevigny, et al) has embraced a sense of ’60s Greek island summers by pairing gingham swim-shorts with their range of lace-edged, elevated basics tops. (Founder Hattie Tennant and creative director Jazz Mignone have a vision.) From the shores of Sifnos to the subway, some might say. Many Many Clothes is another brand that delights in the aesthetics of retro days at the seaside, with gingham, striped, and frill-edged shorts paired with coordinating bikini tops. While they’re beach-ready, they’re also easily styled with the brand’s pretty pointelle tops or under their flirty mini-dresses.

Then, there’s Nii HAi, a London brand that captures a sensual free-spiritedness with cut-outs and coral shades, and who produce a range of itty-bitty bottoms: thick waistbanded and buckled moto shorts, polka dot booty shorts, foldover waist shorts in acidic yellow and aqua. “I love the proportions that tiny shorts create,” says founder and designer Rosie Williams. “Especially when paired with something heavier on top, the silhouette feels a little unexpected, and that sense of contrast is something we always come back to at Nii HAi. For us, they’re about being playful and sexy while still giving you a feeling of comfort and freedom at the same time.”

While Nii HAi oscillates in Y2K, Oddli taps the romanticism of decades gone by with Birkin-esque boat neck tops and dresses. Cotton mini-shorts come in a range of colors—sage green, butter yellow, burnt orange—with buttoned pockets. They’re effortlessly paired with the aforementioned tops and vintage-style halters from their range of mix-and-match styles and essentials.

Proving that the mini-short can traverse personal style sensibilities and intentions, whether you take retro-gym-short route or opt for high-impact textures and tones, mini-short summer lives on.