As soon as June 21 hits, denim shorts are one of the first thing I reach for when getting dressed. The instinct kicked in again this year, except when I went to search for fresh outfit inspiration, I was surprised to see that the warm-weather staple was starting to lose favor this year. It’s not to say that everyone has decided against them, but French women in particular, who are always a source of style inspo, seem to be putting them on the back burner. When i went to scan their recent outfits, I couldn’t help but notice that they were reaching for a number of denim shorts alternatives—six items, to be exact.
Seeing as French style is synonymous with effortlessness and easy polish, it takes a lot for Parisians to set aside something as perennial as denim shorts. And yet the six fresher alts you’re about to see here are definitely fitting the bill. From pajama-inspired linen pants to tailored shorts, here are the items French girls are wearing on repeat this summer (and you might want to, too).
Our editors have been taking note of this rising trend that women across the industry are tapping into, but especially French women. The striped drawstring trousers are reminiscent of pajama pants but paired with quintessentially Parisian items like ballet flats, they’re anything but homebound.
If French women are always polished, it’s because they know to rely on tailored staples that do the work for them. In the warmer months, that means trading in their tailored trousers for above-the-knee iterations that look just as chic.
Boxer shorts are back again this summer and here to stay. They just couldn’t be any easier to wear and French women are fans especially fans of wearing them as a set with a matching button-down shirt. It’s low-key but still put-together.
Retro sportswear has been creeping up everywhere we look from Adidas Sambas to soccer jerseys and now we’re adding track shorts to that fast-growing list.
If French women are masters as keeping it simple, then nothing is as valuable to them as a black mini skirt. They have one in rotation all year-round, but in the summer it’s begun to replace denim shorts for elevated everyday outfits.
Drawstring shorts are gaining ground among this crowd, too, for their zero-effort nature that’s perfect for vacation and beyond.
