Above Knee – Style

Bermuda shorts – or simply Bermuda shorts – have become one of the most popular elements of summer clothing. Initially introduced as a less formal alternative to military uniforms, they quickly migrated first to the men’s and then to the women’s wardrobe. We tell a brief history of perhaps the most popular shorts.

Bermuda, it is easy to guess, are named after the islands of the same name in the Atlantic Ocean. Being a British colony, the islands were one of the hottest places in the empire, so soldiers and workers had to come up with new ways to escape from the sweltering heat. The first to introduce shorts as a uniform was Nathaniel Coxon, the owner of a teahouse in Bermuda. To make life easier for the waiters and bartenders, Coxon dressed them in shorts just above the knee.

British Admiral Mason Berridge often went to Coxon’s tea room, where he saw the new uniform of his workers. Burridge liked the idea of ​​shorts, so he decided to introduce them as part of the uniform for soldiers stationed in Bermuda. Beige shorts ended just above the knee, and they were supposed to be worn with a shirt, tie, tunic and high socks. Later, this element of the wardrobe was adopted by businessmen, bankers and other residents of the islands. In the 1920s, when tourism became a particularly popular business in Bermuda, the Americans and the British took notice of the style of the islanders and soldiers. So Bermuda shorts migrated from military and business uniforms to the casual segment of the civilian population.

In the 1950s, Bermuda shorts gained their mass popularity. Prior to this, shorts were appropriate only for children and as part of the school uniform. However, the “formality” of Bermuda has made them popular with American students, so much so that many Ivy League universities have banned shorts on their campuses. True, by the 1980s, all these bans were lifted, and shorts returned not only to campuses, but began to appear more often on the streets. By that time, Bermuda shorts were still made “strict” – mostly from beige fabric, they were hemmed so that the length was just above the knee, and some models were even accompanied by trouser arrows.

At that time, Bermuda shorts were no longer strictly part of the men’s wardrobe – such shorts began to appear in women’s clothing collections. Today, Bermuda shorts have become a classic casual wardrobe. You can wear them with almost anything: the basic combination with a T-shirt and sneakers is perfect for walking around the city. You can also pay tribute to the marine style – wear Bermuda shorts with light-colored knitwear and boat shoes. The main rule of such shorts is that they should always end just above the knee. Turning the most popular model of shorts into breeches is definitely not worth it.

Ilya Petruk