Hello and welcome to Dressed for My Day, where my goal is to inspire and help women like you and me to dress beautifully and appropriately for our unique days so we can engage graciously with those around us and influence them well. You’ve come across one of my most popular posts that I update every year when I notice women are beginning to look for shorts alternatives. I’m sharing some great ideas for what to wear instead of shorts this spring and summer.

I get it. You still want to look summer fresh, feel cool and be comfortable, but you just don’t want to wear shorts. Or maybe you just don’t want to wear shorts all the time, every day. Fortunately there are a number of fashionable, comfortable and easy-to-wear alternatives to shorts. And my list may not be exhaustive, but I think every woman will find at least a few choices that suit.

Before we start, let me explain how I selected these styles. I’m not including things like slacks or dressy dresses. Instead, these options are distinctly A few of them are more chic than others, but they’re all appropriate for things like going to a church picnic, running errands, rooting on the home team, entertaining in your backyard or playing with the grandkids. These are truly the non-shorts pieces you can wear when others are wearing shorts. Make sense? Perfect!

This is a popular post that I update every year. Several of the photos are from one, two and three years back. Since I haven’t yet worn or modeled all of these options this year, it serves me best to keep using the old photos in some instances. But I’ve updated all of the links and shopping widgets as of the date above. And the Style Boards are brand new in 2025!

This post contains affiliate links. When you shop through my links I potentially earn a commission on your purchases, but at no additional cost to you. Thank you so much for supporting my work here by shopping my links.

I’ll be posting a wide range of summer outfit ideas in the coming weeks, but in May, 2025, I shared 9 Summer Outfit Ideas. Granted, there is one shorts outfit, but you’ll find 8 other non-shorts outfit formulas that will keep you looking stylish all summer long. Subscribe to my channel, hit the little bell for notifications and watch for more summer style inspiration for the woman over 50 throughout the warm months.

Let’s get jeans out of the way. They’re not my favorite choice because they can be hot. But if you are going out on a cool evening you will look summery fresh in lightweight or ankle length jeans with sandals.

The jeans outfit above is from Talbots. They’re a great source for summer styles for women of any age. They carry a wide range of sizes in misses, petite, plus and plus petite fits.

Remember, the heat is on! So keep your jeans on the cooler side by wearing either light weight options or ankle length. Ideally, ankle length jeans should hit right at the ankle bone or up to an inch above. And wide leg and straight leg silhouettes are more on trend than those that fit too close to the body.

Throughout the post I’m sharing style inspiration boards with additional ideas for how to style my suggested shorts alternatives. You can shop the shorts alternative and the other pieces through the captions under each style board, these items were in stock.

I’ve created shopping widgets for each of my shorts alternatives to wear instead of shorts. These are current as of 6/9/25. I’ve got a wide range of prices and a large assortment of retailers included, and I am indicating those in the shopping widget. But please remember, that sale prices don’t show up in the shopping widget, so click through for the current price.

Of course, I’m a big fan of white jeans in the spring and summer. And right now off white jeans are popular, too. You can dress either up or down.

You can create really sporty looks with your white jeans or go ultra feminine. They’re just so versatile.

This year looser fit jeans are trending and these can be quite comfortable for the warm days since they don’t cling to you like skinny jeans. And of course you can also top those white jeans with a simple tee and wear sneakers.

I’ve gathered a few of my favorite white jeans in the shopping widget below.

Joggers became very popular several years ago when we were all staying home for an extended period of time. But these super comfortable, casual pants are less in vogue now that we are again dressing up just a bit more. And when I do see them, they’re not the tapered, full legs with the band at the bottom.

Instead the trend is to wear a more sleek silhouette or a straight, cropped look. The current trending pants are constructed in moisture-wicking polyester blends (often in recycled polyesters) with Spandex so that they are perfect for travel or active days.

Wondering what shoes to wear with your knit athleisure pants? Really, the sky’s the limit. You can wear feminine sandals and other shoes like these knit upper Mary Janes (shown above). Or opt for more sporty sandals, such as these Tevas or these Birkenstocks (similar for less). But you can of course wear sneakers or flip flops, too. Here are some similar pants to consider.

If you’re wanting more coverage of your legs but still want to keep cool, a midi skirt is a pretty choice. But if you’re just wanting to wear something besides shorts and don’t mind baring your legs, a shorter skirt will be cool and fun. Just add a simple tee and sweet sandals or even sneakers for a casual vibe.

I love a linen skirt this time of year. But this year skirts are so on trend, so you’ll find a wide assortment of selections in cotton, silk and beautiful blends, too. Really all lengths and styles are looking fresh and contemporary this summer, so choose skirts that work best for your body type and lifestyle.

Denim skirts can be a little heavy when it gets really hot, but they are definitely still trending this year. I’m getting this beautiful light wash denim skirt in today and can’t wait to style it with this shirt.

I’ve gathered lots of pretty, fresh skirts for 2025 in the shopping widget below.

If you want even more coverage of your legs, but still want the feminine appeal of a skirt, choose a maxi length skirt or dress. You’ll be cool and stylish. Add sandals or sneakers, depending on the occasion.

There are so many styles of dresses to choose from these days. Look for something in a natural fiber fabric like cotton, linen or even silk. If you just want an option other than shorts, but don’t mind baring your legs, choose a shorter dress for comfort and style.

Make sure you have the right bra to wear with your dress. Many sleeveless dresses look best with a racerback bra like the one shown above.

You can wear pretty sandals or more casual sneakers with your summer dresses. Choose the option that fits the activities of the day.

I’ve gathered a number of dresses in a variety of styles in the shopping widget below.

Check out the video below for tips on How to Look Stylish in Your Summer Dresses.

Personally, I’m loving the new fuller leg silhouettes that are definitely trending right now. And I do believe that every woman can weal a fuller leg pant of some sort. The barrel or lantern silhouette may just be the most friendly option because the tapered calf to ankle is quite flattering.

These slightly cropped pants are very cool and lightweight, so they’re a great option for summer. I’m finding many other similar pants for you to check out. You’ll find some options, like the ones above, that are a little slimmer, and others that are fuller. Select the style that works best for your body type.

Remember, these are all meant to be casual alternatives to shorts, so don’t be afraid to have a little fun with your outfits. Every outfit doesn’t have to be slimming or elongating or chic. Sometimes you just want to be cool and comfortable and casual.

I’ve filled a shopping widget with these and other options. I’d look for lantern or barrel (or cigar or balloon!) pants in lightweight fabrics that will have a nice, casual drape for the summer.

This year I’m seeing so many beautiful silk, flowy drawstring pants in beautiful, exotic prints. These billowy pants look elevated, sophisticated and so classy. They’re the perfect alternative to shorts on your summer beach vacation when you’re going out to dinner. But I also think they’re nice for a date night or entertaining in your home, especially for a patio brunch or girls’ night.

I personally don’t own any silk drawstring pants. But I do have these silky wide leg pull on pants with a black background and ivory daisies. They’re marked down and still available in a wide range of sizes. So your pants don’t have to be genuine silk to still look on trend and gorgeous. But oh my, the silk ones are so beautiful.

I gathered more silk or silky gathered pants here. Keep in mind that, because some of them are in fact silk, prices vary a good bit.

For simple days out shopping, running errands or maybe even meeting a friend for lunch, you can’t beat a simple pair of cotton twill pants with a favorite top in a color that flatters.

To keep this traditional look modern, choose cotton or cotton blend pants in a modern silhouette. So choose straight or wide legs with a mid to high rise. Look for pants in an ankle length for the summer. That means they should hit at the ankle bone or up to one and a half inches above. Wear them with sandals and accessorize for the day.

Here is a wide selection of cotton twill pants from you to choose from. Keep in mind that many of these come in additional color options, so click through for details.

A few summers ago I fell in love with linen. And I plan to live in my wide assortment of linen pants this summer. That’s one of the nice things about linen – it doesn’t go out of style. Even if you purchase linen pants in some of the newer fuller silhouettes, I expect them to look stylish for years. I think that’s simply because linen is its own breed of clothing. It is quite unique.

The linen pants above are slightly dressier than others that I own simply because they have a button and zip fly. But they still have the wonderful casual vibe of soft, breathable linen. Pair them with a basic tee like I did above for a casual look. Or wear them with a silk blouse for the office. Here’s another way to wear more tailored linen pants this summer.

Of course I also love my less structured linen pants. And these are perfect for casual wear.

And my Frank & Eileen Wexford linen pants are favorites, too. I have them in several colors and I wear them very frequently throughout the summer.

Another favorite source for great linen pants is Eileen Fisher. I have these lantern style linen pants in several neutrals and colors. And this year I added this fun chartreuse green wide leg ankle pants to my wardrobe. They also come in a bold sangria pink.

You might want to check out my video 6 Linen Essentials for Spring for more outfit inspiration. I’ll share more videos with linen pants and other pieces throughout the summer, so subscribe to my channel.

What about the wrinkles? Really, you just have to get past that. But I’ve also noticed that linen isn’t wrinkling the way it used to. I think the quality is higher and the technology is better. And many brands produce linen/cotton blends that really hold their shape nicely and don’t even need to be ironed. And the more you wear and launder your linen pieces, they soften and wrinkle even less.

You can find linen pants at a variety of price points. But as someone who purchased a lot of it in the last several years I can tell you that there is indeed a difference in quality. So I suggest buying the best quality you can afford.

I know that some readers do not like the wrinkles that come with linen. In recent years a fun alternative has surfaced: cotton gauze pants. These lightweight, easy-breezy pants have the wrinkles built in, of course. And while I do not find them to be as cool as linen, they are quite comfortable and equally attractive.

You can wear gauze pants very similarly to how you style linen pants, too. Wear a simple tee or button-up shirt and add your favorite sandals.

I realize that if you don’t want to bare your legs, this isn’t really a viable option. But if you’re just looking for a variety of things to wear instead of shorts, a skort is a fun and sporty alternative. And of course they’re especially appropriate for activities such as golf, tennis or hiking.

And right now tennis style skorts especially are on trend. We’re finding skorts suitable for the court and the course, but you can wear them all day long, too,

I collected skorts from a number of favorite retailers in the shopping widget below.

Well there you have it! Eleven alternatives to wear instead of shorts this summer. Which do you enjoy wearing already? And which will you consider adding to your summer line-up?

I hope you’ll take a few moments to look around Dressed for My Day. You might want to…

You might be interested in this video from last summer, too. I’ve got lots of ideas – besides shorts! – for looking chic in the heat!

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xoxo, Kay