The New Denim Shorts Edit: Everything You Need to Know Before You Wear Them

There's a reason the denim short has never left the conversation. It's the piece that does it all — grounds a silk blouse, keeps a vacation look effortless, makes a tucked-in tee feel intentional. And right now, the designer denim short is having its most considered, most elevated moment yet.

Whether you've been searching for DKNY shorts or simply chasing that perfect high-rise denim silhouette, one thing is clear: the best version of this summer staple lives in the details. The weight of the wash. The placement of the hem. The way the pocket sits. This season, we're looking beyond the obvious and into what actually makes a denim short worth wearing.

The Case for the High-Rise Fit

The high-rise denim short is the great equaliser. It works across body types, tucks in neatly under cropped layers, and gives the leg a longer, cleaner line. Think of it as the tailored short — it has structure where it counts. Citizens of Humanity have mastered this silhouette, and their Marlow and Abita cuts have become the definitive references for how a jean short should behave.

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When Denim Gets a Designer Upgrade

The appeal of DKNY jean shorts was always the same thing that drives us to great denim at every price point: a sense of city-smart effortlessness. That New York ease — a little undone, a little sharp. At Lola Dré, we curate denim shorts that carry that same energy, only with the added dimension of considered design and exceptional fabrication.

MOTHER Denim is perhaps the closest contemporary equivalent to that spirit. Their Dodger cut — with its frayed hem and lived-in wash — channels exactly the kind of confident, unfussy cool that made DKNY jeans shorts a wardrobe fixture in the first place. Meanwhile, Rabanne's embellished denim short takes the silhouette somewhere entirely its own.

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Beyond Denim: The Shorts Worth Knowing

Once you've identified your denim short of the season, the next question is always: what do you wear alongside it? The answer, this summer, is that the category of women's designer shorts has grown rich with options that sit beautifully in the same wardrobe space — just in different fabrications.

Cara Cara's eyelet and quilted denim styles bring the same tailored ease to brighter, more textured territory. Ulla Johnson's Greta short, in a dreamy Danube blue, is the kind of piece that makes an entire summer trip feel more curated. These are the pieces the editors at Lola Dré reach for when denim calls for a day off.

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The Styling Equation

A great pair of denim shorts — whether DKNY-inspired or straight from the designer floor — rewards investment in what goes above. A frayed hem short like the Marlow or the Dodger asks for something slightly relaxed up top: a woven button-down, a structured tee, or even a slip-style camisole tucked at the front. The Abita's curved hem, on the other hand, pairs naturally with something fitted and clean — a ribbed tank, a knit bralette, a linen blouse.

For the more embellished or textured short — the Rabanne, the Cara Cara eyelet — keep the rest of the look quiet. These shorts are already telling a story. Your job is to let them.

Explore Summer Essentials: Cropped Tops & Shorts →

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