Bermuda shorts are the summer 2026 wardrobe essential — here’s how to wear them

Let me make the case for giving Bermuda shorts a chance. For starters, they’re one of the easiest ways to dress for hot weather without feeling overly exposed, particularly if you prefer a little more coverage. The A-line shape feels breezy and relaxed enough for heatwaves, while pleats and tailoring give them a polished, grown-up edge that stops them veering into overly casual territory.

There’s also the fact that the ’90s are back in a major way, and few pieces feel more synonymous with the decade than the Bermuda short. Worn by everyone from Princess Diana to Julia Roberts and Laura Dern (memorably in Jurassic Park), they’ve long occupied that sweet spot between practical and effortlessly cool.

What’s particularly interesting about the current Bermuda shorts revival, though, is that we’ve seen this fashion cycle play out before. Back in the ’90s, while Madonna and Kylie Minogue were championing ultra-short hemlines, there was another trend quietly unfolding alongside them: relaxed, slightly androgynous Bermuda shorts. They appeared on teen TV shows, in paparazzi snaps and in the wardrobes of women who probably never described themselves as fashion-forward. Sound familiar? Much like today, the appeal lay in their ease – stylish, wearable and entirely unfussy.

Here’s how to style Bermuda shorts for summer 2026 inspired by the ’90s muses.

With mules and brown accessories

FRANKFURT AM MAIN, GERMANY – APRIL 21: Yvonne Schuppler-Kammerer is seen wearing a yellow short sleeve crewneck t shirt from Zara; white wide leg cargo bermuda shorts with multiple pockets from Zara; a tan leather belt with a gold tone buckle from Céline; brown leather kitten heel open toe mule sandals from Mango; a red pedicure; a brown leather “Loha Tote Bag” with silver tone hardware from Greenpomme; a “Grace” gold bicolor wristwatch from Kapten and Son; gold hoop earrings and multiple gold rings from H&M and Scandivv; a nude manicure; oversized shield sunglasses with orange tinted lenses from & Other Stories; her blonde straight hair is worn with a side part; with natural make-up on April 21, 2026 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. (Photo by Moritz Scholz/Getty Images)Moritz Scholz

Every summer wardrobe needs a pair of mules. Easy to wear, elegant on the feet and aptly leg-lengthening when paired with shorts that cut off below the knee, pair your mules with Bermuda shorts and you instantly have a summer ensemble perfect for any soirèe.