This is an archived article and the information in the story may be outdated. Please check the time stamp on the story to see when it was updated last.
We’re gonna be straight with you: overall shorts may be trendy, but they are pretty darn hard to actually pull off. This coming from a girl who currently owns two pairs of long pants overalls. Even still, I haven’t taken the plunge on a pair of short overalls because they’re kinda scary.
But after some research–i.e. trolling street style blogs–I feel like I have a pretty good handle on how a grown woman could actually make them work. If you’re thinking about trying the trend, be sure to follow these styling rules:
1. Fit is key. If you choose short overalls that are too tight, they’ll look nasty–too baggy and they’ll look childish. You have to find a pair that fit just right. (We’ve compiled some of our fave options in the slideshow below.)
2. Dress them up. Just like with long overalls, a tailored jacket on top works wonders for the overall (ha!) look. We love the way Eat Sleep Denim did it with a white blazer.
3. But don’t go overboard. A blazer is good–strappy stilettos, not so much. Heels work with regular overalls, but they look off with shorts. Instead, try a dressy pair of ballet flats, smoking slippers or flat sandals.
4. Choose the right shirt underneath. This is probably the hardest part of styling overall shorts–finding the perfect top to wear underneath them. From what I’ve seen, casual always works best, be it a plain tee or a loose sweater. Because you’re using a blazer and nice shoes to polish the overalls up a bit, it works to wear a shirt that’s a little less structured.
Okay, feel ready to take short overalls on? Score a pair on the slideshow below.
Want more styling advice? Learn how to wear jogger shorts, how to wear white and how to wear a jumpsuit.
[Photo: Eat Sleep Denim; Miss Pouty; Frankie Hearts Fashion]
