Hurrah! Summer is finally here and it’s time for our legs to break free of trusty leggings and loungewear. Despite the fear factor they often invoke, I’ve always thought of shorts as an easy solution for comfy dressing.
My advice as a fashion stylist is to let your body shape be your guide. Look for a high waist and a wide leg if you’re pear-shaped. Paper-bag styles such as Essentiel Antwerp’s (centre) will draw in the waist and flatter legs without constricting them.
If you have a straighter shape with narrow hips then go for a slim-leg, Bermuda style. And if you’re lucky enough to have long, lean legs, flaunt them in 1990s cycling shorts, which are having a resurgence both on and off the catwalk. Mint Velvet’s leopard-print pair (far right) should definitely not be worn just for exercise.
Camilla Ridley-Day shares advice for wearing shorts this summer. Pictured: Top, £165, Rixo at trilogy stores.co.uk; shorts, £79, thewhite company.com; bag, £50, jigsawonline.com; sandals, £59, kurtgeiger.com; earrings, £35, boden.co.uk
Shirt, £150, Rails at trilogy stores.co.uk; shorts, £129, brora.co.uk; wedges, £175, lkbennett. com; earrings, £48, boden.co.uk
Sweatshirt, £90, rae feather. com; shorts, £50, boden.co.uk; wedges, £165, reiss.com; necklace, £39, mintvelvet.co.uk
When your waistline is more midlife muffin top than nipped-in, look for tailored styles with a proper waistband, such as the navy pair from M&S (third from right) — they hang as well as any designer version.
Make sure any pockets are deep enough to keep your keys from falling out if you sit down, and that the back pocket doesn’t sit too low — a perky pocket can do wonders to lift your posterior.
Knit top, £72, jigsaw-online. com; shorts, £130, essentielantwerp.com; sandals, £60, dunelondon.com
Blazer, £295, and shirt, £179, winserlondon.com; shorts, £25, marksandspencer.com; loafers, £225, russellandbromley.co.uk
Blazer, £235, reiss.com; T-shirt, £50, meandem.com; culottes, £85, whistles.com; sandals, £99, kurtgeiger.com
A word on chinos: they look frumpy as trousers but work much better as shorts. A flat-front style can be both smart and casual.
Steer clear of biscuit shades and opt instead for olive and khaki, which flatter all skin tones — even when you haven’t got a tan. I add sparkle to my legs with the aptly named Fairy Godmother Shimmering Body Oil Gel by Sunday Riley (£42, cultbeauty.co.uk). Or try Tan-Luxe’s The Body drops (£42 for 50ml) for a hit of colour.
Still don’t want to show much above the knee? There are plenty of longer options out there, such as Brora’s denim pair (second from left), and Whistles’s soft culottes (second from right), which could almost be mistaken for a skirt. And if, like me, you’re on the shorter side and your legs could do with some elongation, remember that wedges and flatforms are your best friends.
Sweatshirt, £9.99, hm.com; T-shirt, £39, and cycling shorts, £22, mintvelvet.co.uk; sandals, £60, dunelondon.com