What to Wear with White Shorts
As much as I love white jeans, I love white shorts a tiny bit more, especially in the dead of summer when it’s just too hot to wear jeans. If you are wondering how to put together some stylish white jeans outfits, make sure to check out my post What to Wear with White Jeans: Your Ultimate Guide.
You’re here because you want an answer to the question of what to wear with white shorts and some style tips on putting together a stylish white shorts outfit. How to wear white shorts is a pretty common query, and there is more than one answer, as white shorts are pretty darn versatile. I’ll provide you with some white shorts outfit ideas and styling tips!
Read on to discover how to style white shorts and how you too can put together some cute outfits with white shorts for summer.
How to Wear White Shorts – Color and Style Pairings
White is the perfect summer neutral. It goes with every color under the sun. White also pairs well with prints and patterns, from florals to plaids to ikat prints. You’ll want to stick with colors and patterns that work well with your skin tone and your overall style.
Classic colors that pair well with white shorts are navy blues, reds, vibrant greens. I love blue-and-white stripes, which tends to be slightly nautical, but classic at the same time. Pairing a boatneck short-sleeve tee with white shorts and red boat shoes is a good example. Or maybe a bright green cotton button-down shirt, tied at the waist with the sleeves rolled up and a pair of white sandals, which is semi-casual and classic. A fedora is a great option with any of these outfits.
Shop Shorts
For the Boho vibe, think ikat prints, multicolored stripes, or paisleys, and colors like turquoise, orange, pink or purple. White shorts show off these colors and patterns well. A breezy cotton gauze top in print with some gladiator sandals are perfectly Boho. Add in some colorful bangles and earrings, and you are good to go! (Well, maybe add a floppy hat to keep that sun off your face.)
Do you prefer more of a street style? No problem. A simple cotton boyfriend tee in gray or black, maybe a studded belt and some Converse sneakers. Or a soft halter top with graphics with a lightweight plaid shirt tied around your waist.
You also can’t go wrong with white shorts paired with tanks, t-shirts, polo shirts, button-downs, halter tops, even tunics go well with them. Think cotton and linen, which are breathable and comfortable to wear. And for those slight breeze days, a loose-knit cotton v-neck sweater, denim jacket, or lightweight hoodie can serve as a topper.
To dress up a pair of white shorts, you can add a slightly structured linen blazer and heels or a silk tank, embellished sandals/wedges and a bit of extra jewelry.
White Shorts Outfit Ideas!
Let’s start with a white shorts outfit where I wore white shorts with a chambray tank top. White and chambray blue is a beautiful and bright color combination, perfect for summer and an excellent option for the beach outfits. The white shorts in this outfit are a little loose and made of light cotton, not denim. They have a tan line going down the sides that matches perfectly with the hat. They also have cute cuffed hems which make them a little dressier than denim or cutoffs.
These white shorts have a very relaxed vibe, and they are neither too dressy or too casual. They are perfect for an afternoon of shopping and a seaside lunch or dinner. The chambray tank is a halter style with a pretty crisscross back that also has a relaxed and loose vibe.
I added a summer straw hat and mini crossbody to complete the outfit. Both are for practical purposes: the hat helps to keep the intense sun off my face, and bare shoulders and the purse carries everything I need for a summer day. I also had a blue denim jacket that matches the color of the chambray tank because it was a little cold when we arrived at the beach early in the morning. (You could also pair the outfit with a loosely knit scoop or V-neck sweater or even a white denim jacket!)
The paisley printed boat shoes were the perfect finishing touch. They worked so well because of the significant contrast between them and the white shorts. A colorful pair of beaded sandals would also look great.
In this second cute and casual white shorts outfit, I wore an adorable pair of white crocheted shorts, which can be dressed up or dressed down. I chose to pair them with a white flowy top and then finished it off with a light-wash denim jacket since it was a bit chilly in Santa Monica that day.
Since the outfit was primarily white, I added some colorful beaded sandals and a suede fringe bag, making the outfit slightly Bohemian. This outfit would also work for an art and wine or music festival, and you could swap out the top for a boyfriend tee or switch the crocheted shorts with white lightweight cotton or denim shorts.
In this white shorts outfit I want to share is a decidedly dressed-up white summer outfit. In this outfit, I “cheated” a little. My shorts are not entirely white but have the addition of the floral embellishment but this does count as an all-white shorts outfit. They add a little extra oomph to the look, especially since florals are a favorite summer print. I paired these cute white shorts with a simple form-fitting white cotton t-shirt and a very angular-cut blazer.
To complete this jean shorts outfit I wanted to bring some of the colors in the flowers down to my shoes. To do this, I wore the lovely bright and neutral tangerine sandals. The shoes balance the print on the white shorts and dress the outfit up considerably. The neat aspect about this outfit is that it’s a little more dressed up, but the shorts are denim, I wanted to share that you can create cute outfits with jean shorts.
You can also dress up a pair of white shorts for the summer and pair them with wedges and a brightly colored top – here’s another outfit example. I love how the mustard yellow top looks against the white shorts. This shirt looks fantastic against the white shorts because of the color and the style of the shirt. This white shorts outfit could have come off sexy if the shirt was a spaghetti strap but you know I like to keep it classy.
The outfit above is one of my favorite white shorts outfit because of the color combination and accessories coordination. Blue and yellow is a triadic color scheme. Which means they are colors that are evenly spaced on the color wheel. These two colors are very vibrant so to keep the outfit color balanced I used the bright yellow just on the skinny scarf (if you want more ideas on ways to wear a scarf year-round check out my guide) and the blue as the dominant color. This outfit shows that you can wear bright colors with white shorts and it not look ridiculous. The shirt I wore with these white shorts was a bright white button-down, I specifically selected a white shirt that was longer than the denim jacket and I wanted the cuffs to show as well.
This is a more dressed up way to wear white shorts. This is an outfit you could wear to a summer event, wine tasting, or a Sunday brunch!
Or you could pair your white shorts with a white top with contrasting black lining and bright accessories. A black and white simple color palette will give a chance for your accessories to pop. In this cute outfit, my crossbody and sandals added the color to the look.
There are no hard and fast rules on what to wear with white shorts or what color to wear with white shorts, but there are some guidelines for making sure your outfits are stylish.
Remember to balance your fabrics and patterns. Keep the shorts and tops, lightweight, as summer temperatures soar, and add in slightly heavier pieces like jackets, sweaters, and hoodies for chilly mornings and evenings.
Secondly, mix in a bit of color to make those shorts pop. It can be in your top, a belt, your shoes or even accessories, like a purse, hat, or jewelry.
Let your style dictate which colors, patterns, and accessories you wear. Stick to what you are comfortable with and wear it with confidence! Remember the Your 5 Step Checklist to Look Stylish Everyday.
You’re starting to get the idea of what to wear with white shorts!
Stay Stylish,
-V
