My obsession with lace shorts started around the time Zoe Hart started sporting them regularly on Hart of Dixie. It was such an odd concept to me because I hadn’t seen anyone else wear them. Shorts have never been an easy thing for me to wear; they either show too much booty or I feel like my legs look like stuffed sausages. Lace shorts however, come in a variety of styles including some that look like a cross between gym shorts and pajama shorts. That variety makes them easier to wear than regular jean shorts.
Now, how to wear them. You can dress them up or down, which I’ve shown below, but they’re great for showing off your legs when you don’t want to wear a skirt. Loose lace shorts can be worn with tights in fall/winter but keep the sporty or tight versions for spring/summer. And if you want more examples of how to wear business shorts just watch the entire first season of Hart of Dixie. Or check out InStyle’s Hart of Dixie Shop the Show! which covers both season 1 and season 2 of Hart of Dixie style. Anyway, here are three ways to wear lace shorts:
1. Zoe Karssen Born Wild Cotton-Blend Sweatshirt
2. Chuck Taylor Distressed Canvas Sneakers
4. Topshop Knitted Panther Spot Jumper
5. Nicholas Kirkwood Printed Elaphe Flats
The first way to wear lace shorts is to pair them with a sweet sweatshirt. Not just any sweatshirt, a really cool one. A vintage pullover will do, but I wish I had these two panther sweatshirts in my closet, especially the one with polka dots. You can wear any kind of lace short but I couldn’t resist the leather shorts with lace trim. Pair this combo with some sneakers (I like converse because they’re casual), or some pointy toe flats to offset the casual vibe. This outfit is very playful so have fun with it and don’t be afraid to clash.
1. ASOS Clutch Bag With Floral Embroidery
2. Alex Drawstring Lace Shorts
3. Joie A La Plage Nice Contrast Sandals
4. J.Crew Embroidered Gauze Tunic
5. Madewell Nantucket Bingo Bag
6. Mossimo Supply Co. Juniors Lace Short
7. Soludos Classic Stripe Espadrilles
The flowy top with lace shorts combination is perfect for summer, especially vacation. But even if you aren’t lucky enough to take a trip to some beachy resort you can still wear this day-tripping. Tunic tops are so comfortable and usually have some sort of embroidered or embellished detail which is a perfect texture pairing for lace shorts. Go casual with the rest of the outfit – sandals or flat espadrilles, and a fun cloth or leather bag.
2. Alexander Wang Prisma Tote with Rose Gold in Black
5. Topshop Open Back Fishtail Blouse
6. Rebecca Minkoff Date Night Lissa Pouch
7. ModCloth Golden Globetrotter Heel
I wanted to show a way to dress up your lace shorts and fell in love with the idea of a monochromatic outfit. My inspiration included a long sweater which I didn’t show here, but feel free to add one in the same color as your top and shorts if you’re worried about getting chilly. The key here is to wear sleek pieces with your lace shorts: a smooth leather bag and flats or heels in a neutral. Am I calling leopard print and gold neutral? Yep. But really, you can wear tan or beige as well. I just like how the leopard flats and gold heels really add some sexy to the outfit.
– Julia of Style and Cheek
