What to know | Autumn shorts and boots: balancing the lengths of shirts, jackets and footwear

Shorts and boots form an interesting intersection in autumn looks: one retains the summer feel, while the other brings thicker materials and coverage. Recently, different combinations of knitwear with knee-length shorts, leather jackets with shorter bottoms, and long jackets with denim shorts have appeared in street photography. The point is not that everyone should have the same proportion of exposed legs, but how to distribute the length of tops, trousers and boots.

Cover image: Getty Images

Let’s start with the comparison between familiar knitting and Bermuda

Pair a plain knit with knee-length shorts and high boots to make the seasonal differences the focus, without adding a lot of patterns. Between the volume of the upper body, the width of the trouser legs and the boots, you can first observe it with a simpler color to see where the line of sight stops.

If the shorts are close to the boot cuffs, you can also compare the areas exposed when standing, walking, and sitting. Photos often only show a certain angle, and the actual outfit will change all the time; using your own movements to check the proportions is more direct than just calculating the model's height and length.

The more weight the jacket has, the more worthy it is to make other positions clear

Leather jackets and shorts can create differences in materials and coverage, and long wool jackets take the contrast to a larger scale. If the upper body already has broad shoulders, thick fabric or a long hem, the outline of the lower body and shoes can be kept clear first to avoid adding a lot of bulk to each section at the same time.

This doesn’t mean that shorts have to be extremely short or boots have to be very high. You can first use the jacket you already have in your closet, pair it with longer and shorter pants, and then see how much of your lower body can be discerned after the jacket is opened and closed to find the version you are willing to wear on a daily basis.

Depending on the shape of the boots, the feeling of the shorts will also change

The cuffs and lines of cowboy boots, the geometry of square-toe boots, and simpler high boots will all change the center of gravity of the lower body. Wearing the same pair of denim shorts with different boots may move the look from casual to more sophisticated. There is no need to think of shorts and boots as just one fixed pairing.

When actually choosing, you can first look at the space between the boot and leg, the sole and the walking style, and then look at the appearance. The seasonal contrast between boots and shorts in the photo cannot replace the temperature of the day, the length of activity, and the degree of coverage you need.

When the weather is still warm, shirts provide another upper body proportion

This look doesn’t need to be completed with a thick coat every day. Loose shirts, denim shorts and boots can also create layers; the opening and closing of the collar, whether the shirt is tucked in, and whether the sleeves are rolled up can adjust the focus without adding too many items.

If you choose leather shorts, the texture of the upper and lower body will be different from the denim version. You can change it one position at a time. Keep the same shirt and boots first, then compare the shorts. It will be easier to see whether you like the contrast of materials, the length, or the overall color.

This set of autumn dressing methods provides the space to put different seasonal items together again. Try out the three-part relationship between jacket, trousers and boot cuffs from existing clothes, and then add in the actual weather and activity needs. It will be more flexible than changing the whole outfit at once just to chase a certain street style ratio.