\n Leading New Zealand fashion designer Rory William Docherty is out to help solve New Zealand\u2019s common fashion dilemmas. In his first column for Viva, Docherty takes on a staple item in every Kiwi\u2019s wardrobe \u2013 shorts. Easy to wear but easy to get wrong, what are the keys to wearing
\n them well?\n <\/p>\n
We all have a comfort zone when it comes to shorts. But can one style really fit all occasions? <\/p>\n
We know board shorts don\u2019t mean the board room, but with a few easy tips, there\u2019s no reason that a couple of pairs, chosen well, can\u2019t get you from the beach to the BBQ, birthday drinks, a casual client lunch or alfresco dinner. <\/p>\n
But why listen to me? Apart from being a fashion designer, I know when we look good, we feel good, and feel good when we look good.<\/p>\n
New Zealand designer Rory William Docherty. Photo \/ Dean Purcell<\/p>\n
We are confident when we\u2019re comfortable, when we feel like ourselves, at our best. <\/p>\n
So here are a few tips to help you make informed choices about the clothes you wear, to feel like the best version of yourself.<\/p>\n
Long shorts<\/p>\n
If like me, you grew up wearing skate shorts and Dickies, this is our territory. <\/p>\n
They have benefits: Big pockets to carry stuff and longer length to cover my skinny pale legs. The flip side, if you\u2019re still wearing the boardies, NBA shorts or cut offs, they can look juvenile outside of the skate park or beach. However, there are a few options that will have you covered to the knee. <\/p>\n
A knee-length style based on a pleated chino, in a timeless colour offers brilliant versatility. Switching a singlet to a simple T-shirt or button-up shirt, changing between jandals, sandals, trainers or loafers will take you from the beach, backyard barbecue, afternoon drinks to holiday dinners out. <\/p>\n
Alternatively, a tailored Bermuda could work. Imagine a grown-up skate short in linen or a lightweight wool. Longer than the chino short with a wider rather than tapered silhouette. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Sports shorts<\/p>\n
Keep the length, and comfort, that\u2019s important. But let\u2019s lose the branding. Opt for a solid classic colour; black or navy are easy because they never go out of fashion, are always available, and can be bought almost anywhere at any budget. Keep the whole outfit one colour, or within a colour scheme. <\/p>\n
Pair it with a clean, well-cut T-shirt, not too long. It should stop above your crotch so the proportions match the shorts. Select a low-key trainer, and here I think it\u2019s over to you: Socks or no socks. If you\u2019re selecting socks, be intentional, keep them the same colour, no branding. You\u2019re still in your sporty lane, but the whole look is now clean and refined. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Short shorts <\/p>\n
If you\u2019re after the short length with less of an athletic look, you might suit a tailored boxer short style, or short short. This pushes into fashion trend territory, as seen on celebrities Jacob Elordi, Paul Mescal, Harry Styles, Donald Glover and Chris Pine. My advice here is less is more, and I don\u2019t mean shorter-higher-tighter-faster. If the shorts are hovering around mid-thigh or inching upwards, let that be enough of a statement. <\/p>\n
Keep them loose enough so they feel and look relaxed. Pair with an equally loose-fitting short-sleeved shirt for an effortless resort holiday look. Push the boat out, throw on a linen blazer, tuck away your Persol shades and order a cocktail at the bar, Mr Bond.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Cut from a different cloth <\/p>\n
With any of these styles, consider the fabric. Opting for a natural fibre such as cotton, linen and wool that breathes will be more comfortable and less sweaty to wear and is typically easier to wash and care for, but check the care label. <\/p>\n
Fabric informs formality. A light-weight wool (yes again, wool for summer) in a long yet loose tailored Bermuda short, paired with a classic collared shirt and pair of loafers, might be appropriate for those casual corporate\/client work lunches outside the office. <\/p>\n
What\u2019s my impact? <\/p>\n
Every purchase has a price. So take a moment to consider, where do they come from, and how do you feel about that? Transparency is something of a buzzword and ethical shopping can be complex, with much misleading information. <\/p>\n
What\u2019s important to you? Make a choice that closest reflects your values within your budget. Be that something fully traceable from fibre to shop floor, a garment made locally, an item made overseas you can purchase from a local business. Something tailored to last a lifetime, or a secondhand discovery. <\/p>\n
Your purchase, your choice, make it the best one you can. <\/p>\n
Rory William Docherty is one of New Zealand\u2019s most exciting fashion designers, with his self-named label currently making waves around the world. After a September debut at London Fashion Week, he has just shown his new collection, Identity, in Paris and Shanghai.<\/p>\n
More fashion advice & recommendations<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Leading New Zealand fashion designer Rory William Docherty is out to help solve New Zealand\u2019s common fashion dilemmas.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":350201,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[1443,9853,8344,28145,185794,35139,17438,156,14768,1438,1888,5838,1553,58018,194,807,6036,13620,9812,111,139,69,35138,108222,63559,87152,1120,2846,61,159,51645,6925,49370,6436,6923,10744,25152,80,2963],"class_list":["post-350200","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-about","tag-column","tag-common","tag-designer","tag-dilemmas","tag-docherty","tag-easy","tag-entertainment","tag-every","tag-fashion","tag-first","tag-help","tag-item","tag-keys","tag-kiwi","tag-kiwis","tag-know","tag-leading","tag-needs","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-rory","tag-shorts","tag-solve","tag-staple","tag-takes","tag-them","tag-to","tag-viva","tag-wardrobe","tag-wear","tag-wearing","tag-well","tag-what","tag-william","tag-wrong","tag-zealand","tag-zealands"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/350200","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=350200"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/350200\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/350201"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=350200"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=350200"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=350200"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}