The ultimate warm-weather style solution.
Linen Shorts
Summer can get quite hot, so it’s important to stock up on wardrobe workhorses that will keep you cool and looking good, all at the same time. Enter: linen shorts.
Made of a breathable and lightweight weave that will not only keep you cool, but also wick away any unwanted moisture, linen shorts are a great option for those looking to combat the heat.
Style Variety
Linen shorts are available in the same silhouettes as your favorite summer shorts from pleated chino styles to Bermudas.
The waistband of linen shorts is also a fun way to add some flair with coordinating belts, drawstrings, paper bag waists, and more.
Solids like khaki, navy, and whites are summer classics, but we’ve also rounded up retro stripes, pretty florals, and bright solids.
RELATED: 14 Pairs of Bermuda Shorts You Need This Summer
Viva Cabana Pick!
We love this classic linen shorts from Gap! Available in 4 colors and now on sale for $19-45.
Style Tip: wrinkles and linen
Linen in any shape or form doesn’t hold its press, however, so it’s important that you embrace the slightly rumpled feel of the material. It’s meant to be casual, even if you’re wearing a pair of ultra-tailored Bermudas.
How to Wear
While you won’t see linen shorts at a more formal affair, there are plenty of ways to dress up (and down) these summer shorts!
Happy hour: Opt for a more tailored pleated or chino style and pair it with a coordinating button-up or blazer. If you’re feeling bold, leave it open and pair it with a statement top.
Vacation ready: Linen shorts are a great beach-to-dinner option that makes packing light a breeze! Pair a pull-on style or a drawstring waistband with a swimsuit by day and a bodysuit by night.
Picnic in the park: Go with a floral print and a complimentary top, be it a tank or button-down. Add a large sun hat and a straw tote, which you’ll obviously pack full of snacks!
RELATED: 14 Linen Pants to Keep You Cool This Summer
Ahead, shop a wide range of our favorite linen shorts of the season, just in time for summer.
Our Top Picks
Best High-Waisted Style
Why We Love: While some linen shorts can feel quite casual, we love these scalloped linen bottoms for their more tailored appeal.
And, to keep it interesting, the wave of the hem and the paper bag waist make them feel more special than the rest.
Helpful Tip! Style them with a slim top or bodysuit for the easiest wear.
Material: 94% cotton, 6% linen
Sizes: 0-14
Best Retro Linen Shorts
Why We Love: These shorts are absolutely the easiest to wear of the bunch.
We fell particularly in love with the yellow and white striped style (though they come in nearly every color of the solid rainbow), because they feel more retro in design.
Helpful Tip! With a drawstring pull-on-and-go design, they work equally well as a beachside cover-up and T-shirt pairing, all summer long.
Material: 55% linen, 45% tencel lyocell
Sizes: XXXS-3X
Best Bold Print
Why We Love: While these shorts are not for the faint of heart, they are just-right for the print lovers.
Featuring five bright paisley prints, they have an elastic drawstring waist that has them feeling a bit like men’s swim trunks, but with that head-turning cool-girl appeal.
Helpful Tip! With these, all you need is a boxy white T-shirt to complete your bold summertime look.
Material: 100% linen
Sizes: 2-12
Best Classics
Why We Love: Sometimes you just need to embrace the classic tailored shorts. In linen, they will take you through the hottest days of the year with breathable ease.
Crafted in deep navy, neutral khaki, and bright white, these Abercrombie shorts are about to become your warm-weather wardrobe MVP.
Material: 100% linen
Sizes: 24-33
Best Scalloped Silhouette
Why We Love: When it comes to classics with a twist, these sunshiney shorts are the ones.
They feature a crisp, tailored design with its tonal belt, but also boast a scalloped hem to add a little bit of feminine detail.
Helpful Tip!: Wear these with swimsuits and button-downs alike, depending on where you’re headed for the day.
Material: Linen
Sizes: XS-XL
Best Pull-On Shorts
Why We Love: Leave it to Amazon’s The Drop to craft a pair of easy linen shorts that feature an elastic waist with a slim paper bag top, and a slightly longer inseam that sits somewhere between short shorts and Bermudas.
Reviewers mention they run a little large and recommend sizing down.
Helpful Tip! For the perfect everyday look, wear them with a slim bodysuit and slide sandals.
Material: 100% linen
Sizes: XXS-5X
Best Floral Shorts
Why We Love: While classic linen shorts might be crafted of white or khaki, & Other Stories has printed the lightweight weave with a periwinkle floral that’s not only perfect for summer, but also for more dressed-up events.
Helpful Tip! Style these belted bottoms with a silk camisole for drinks out with friends. Slip into either flat or heeled sandals, depending on the event.
Material: 100% linen
Sizes: 0-12
Best Short Shorts
Why We Love: We love a pair of short shorts that feel more beautiful than the rest to off-set the minimal inseam. And these Agua by Agua Bendita shorts fit the bill.
They feature an allover floral print, and not one—but two side ties—for an extra detail that few other lightweight linen shorts have.
Helpful Tip! Balance the shorter inseam with a lightweight cotton long-sleeve T-shirt or blouse.
Material: 100% linen
Sizes: XS-XL
Best Budget Style
Why We Love: While perhaps not the lowest-priced linen shorts on our list, they’re pretty close. We love these Gap bottoms, however, for their balance of low price and high style, with an easeful pull-on design that also manages to feel quite tailored.
Reviewers agree these the ultimate “perfectly dressy yet casual” pair of linen blend shorts, making them a must for all summer.
Material: Linen, rayon
Sizes: XXS-XXL Regular, S-XL Tall, XS-L Petite
Best Pleated Silhouette
Why We Love: A pair of pleated shorts that still feel cool is a hard one to master, especially in linen.
But Paige has done just that, designing a pair of pale pink linen shorts that are tailored, feature a pleated front, and are effortlessly styled with a coordinated blazer or contrasting leather jacket alike.
Material: 58% linen, 42% rayon
Sizes: 00-14
Best Use of Color
Why We Love: For those who love to embrace color (and even those who might be a little bit more wary), Boteh has made the rainbow slightly more accessible to all. You’ll love these subtly pleated-front, high-waisted shorts in a block-print that includes nearly every color of the rainbow.
Helpful Tip! Tuck in a white tee or tank, and you’ve got your new favorite summertime look.
Material: 55% linen, 45% cotton
Sizes: 0-4
Best Vintage Look
Why We Love: Between the embroidered pockets and the scalloped detail along the cuffs and pockets, Ulla Johnson has brought a little bit of Victorian boudoir inspiration to their linen shorts.
With a drawstring waist and short silhouette that is reminiscent of a pair of sporty running shorts, the duality between the two vibes allows for endless styling capabilities.
Material: 60% linen, 40% cotton
Sizes: 0-12
Best Black Shorts
Why We Love: While the color black and the lightweight weave of linen might not seem at first to go together, Reformation has challenged that notion.
This slightly washed out hue makes black a little bit more accessible for the warmer weather, sewn into a pair of ultra-tailored high-waisted linen shorts for all of your more conservative summertime events.
Material: 100% linen
Sizes: 0-12
Best Bermuda Shorts
Why We Love: For those who are looking for a little extra length, these are the linen shorts for you. They’re tailored with a slouchy ‘80s appeal that are best when styled with a more tight-fitting top or bodysuit.
Helpful Tip! Balance out the retro appeal with a cool-girl leather jacket or after-hours silk camisole for a look that will have all eyes on you.
Material: 55% ECOVERO™ viscose, 24% linen, 21% viscose
Sizes: 2-14
Linen Shirts to Match
Add a linen shirt to your enhance the breathability!
What to Look for
Whether 100% linen or a linen blend, linen shorts will offer the utmost breathability when it comes to the hottest days of the year.
Material: The pros of linen are that it’s innately lightweight and breathable, but it does wrinkle quite easily, so you have to embrace the slightly rumpled style.
Fit: Keep it oversized in fit.
Size: Whether micro inseams or longer Bermudas, any length and size goes when it comes to linen shorts.
Pro Tip 😎
Lean into the wrinkle. It’s going to happen with linen shorts so you just have to embrace it.
Stay cool and look good, all summer long. Shop these linen short favorites, just in time for the hottest days of the year.
FAQ
Is linen good for shorts?
Linen is a great material for all aspects of your warm-weather wardrobe, shorts included. That said, they will wrinkle as you sit and stand, walk around town, and go about your day. It’s important that you anticipate it and enjoy it—linen shorts are meant to be casual.
When should you not wear linen?
If the event in question is truly a dressy one, linen might not be the best option. The shorts will, indeed, rumple and wrinkle, so it isn’t the most tailored choice for those events where you are looking to come off as neat as a pin.
Can you put linen shorts in the dryer?
Linen fibers are quite fragile, so it’s recommended that you keep them out of the dryer. Treat them like you would with other delicates. They tend to shrink or break when exposed to high heat, so if you must put them in the dryer at all, limit the time so they only just dry, and keep it on tumble dry low.
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