How to Wear Pattern: Striped Shorts

Remember last week when I busted out of my fashion rut with floral camo jeans? I've been feeling so pleased with myself for exploring beyond my solid black comfort zone that I decided to forge the pattern train full steam ahead. Today's experiment is the striped short. Because stripes are generally easy, but shorts are notoriously hard. Can a marriage of the two yield a positive result?

After a quick trip to Target (they gave me this newfound sartorial courage when they asked me to try out summer's top trends), I returned home with a pair of blue and white chambray shorts in a railroad stripe that straddles the line between tailored and relaxed. The key to shorts lies in finding the right fit; I always size up to avoid bunching. I love these in particular for their just-right inseam length and leg openings that neither gape nor hug but rather skim. 

As for the stripes themselves, they're the ideal scale and proportion for making your backside look cute and pert. In other words, they're neither too wide (enlarging!) or too narrow (lots 'o' stripes = lots 'o' butt!). A heathered boat neck sweatshirt, red Tieks, and a navy leather tote kept the look crisp and simple, but these shorts are versatile enough that you could pair them with anything. I took a survey with Harley the Dog and she clearly agrees!

Thank you to Danielle of The Why We Love Photography for shooting these photos! And thanks to Rachel Delahoussaye for doing my makeup. Disclosure: As a Target Inner Circle member, some items were provided by Target. I am not an employee of Target, and all opinions are my own.