On Aug. 17, Billie Eilish posted a photo to Instagram from her trip to Asia wearing an oversized black sweatshirt and — you guessed it — a pair of ripped denim Bermuda shorts. The 20-year-old pop star paired the look with black platform Converse, black ankle socks, and a black Harley Davidson baseball cap.
While the singer-songwriter’s denim Bermuda shorts look caused ripples on Twitter — with some users saying that denim Bermuda shorts are not it — I have a differing opinion: I’m fully and unapologetically here for the denim Bermuda shorts trend, and I’m not alone.
After POPSUGAR came out calling Eilish’s denim Bermuda shorts “divisive,” users took to Twitter, saying, “when have bermuda shorts been ‘divisive’?” One user even said, “‘Divisive shorts trend’ is a stretch. [‘90s] and [‘80s] fashion had a resurgence even before covid. Nothing against Billie as I think she’s great, but let’s calm down on trying to label every celeb as fashion trailblazers when Jerry at 7-Eleven’s been wearing that for 20 years.” (And Adam Sandler, might I add.)
But the trend has actually been around way longer than 20 years, long before the birth of Eilish, Sandler, and even Jerry from 7-Eleven. Here’s where the denim Bermuda shorts trend came from and how to nail the look yourself.
Where does the denim Bermuda shorts trend originate?
Coined as the cycler shorts’ “older, more sophisticated sister” by Vogue, denim Bermuda shorts have been making a strong comeback in summer 2022 — but the trend’s origins go back centuries.
Bermuda shorts originally came from Bermuda — as suggested by its name — in the 20th century as locals were desperate to adapt to the North Atlantic island’s hot climate. But Bermuda shorts were even controversial then, as western menswear was marked as “inappropriate” and “scandalous” in the early 1900s — and was even banned for women in some countries, according to The Zoe Report. At the time, wearing clothing associated with a gender other than your own was illegal in many parts of the world, according to PBS.
As fashion became bolder throughout the mid- and late-20th century, Bermuda shorts started to be spotted on the streets and fashion runways alike, making a debut appearance in Vogue in the 1940s. The shorts even made their way to the big screen, with actress Mia Sarapochiello’s exaggerated Bermuda shorts in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off popularizing the trend in the ‘80s and ‘90s.
You can make your own pair of denim bermuda shorts yourself.
While fashion brands sell pairs of denim Bermuda shorts for hundreds of dollars, like the AGOLDE Ira Mid Loose Short priced at $148, the easiest and most affordable way to nail the look yourself is with a little DIY action. All you need is scissors and a pair of old jeans from your closet or even the thrift store.
Being uncrafty, I enlisted my sister to help me cut my beloved, worn-in pair of old light wash Levi’s Dad Jeans. Now, that same pair of rugged, ripped jeans have been magically reborn as denim Bermuda shorts — and my all-time favorite pair of shorts that I constantly find myself reaching for in my closet.
If you don’t have a pair of old jeans in your closet, you can also check out the jeans section at your local thrift store to make your very own denim Bermuda shorts. If you’re going for Eilish’s baggier vibe, try buying a looser pair with a straight leg.
With a trend this affordable, stylish, and classic, the denim Bermuda shorts trend are unlikely to go away anytime soon. Sorry, daisy dukes — you’re dead to me now.