Outfit Details: Valentino Shirt, Chan Luu Shorts, Hermes Bag (similar, less expensive here), Miu Miu Flats (sold out, similar here and here), Sherman Field Necklace

Naturally, I reach for shorts on the hottest days, when getting dressed needs to be easy. But this summer I found myself drawn to them differently. The pairs I’m loving are ones I want to wear to dinner, when the light gets lower, and they still make sense with bare legs in August. All it takes is a small shift in fabric, cut, or proportion to change a silhouette everyone has already decided is casual.

I’m excited to keep wearing that idea into September, when the days are still warm and I’m not quite ready to part with my summer tan. A longer line just above the knee, a fuller shape, a little shine, or embroidered trim makes the whole outfit feel considered enough for evening while keeping the ease that makes shorts so good in the first place. It’s a fresh way to look at a true summer staple, one that means I don’t have to say goodbye to the season all at once.