Six Ways to Wear Lace-Trim Shorts and Skirts This Summer

Funnel-neck jackets

The easiest way to make lace-trim shorts or skirts feel city-ready is to throw a technical layer over them. A funnel-neck jacket, with its stand-up collar and slightly sporty attitude, turns all that frill into something sharper and more deliberate. That is exactly why Who What Wear is treating lace-trim as the chic, elevated alternative to denim shorts this summer: the piece works because it does not try too hard.

Think of this pairing as a reset button for warm-weather dressing. The jacket gives the outfit weight up top, so the lace trim can stay visible without the whole look drifting into costume territory. The result feels modern in the way good street style always does, with one romantic detail doing all the work.

Boxy jackets

If the funnel-neck jacket is about polish, the boxy jacket is about shape. A cropped, squared-off layer brings structure to the softness of lace, and that contrast is what keeps the outfit from reading precious. Who What Wear’s styling note is on point here: offset a romantic lace-trim skirt with something technical, because opposites attract.

This is the combination that makes lace feel current in daylight, not fussy at dusk. A boxy jacket over a skirt or shorts gives the body a clean outline, and the lace trim becomes a flash of texture instead of a theme. It also nods to the broader runway shift that WWD has traced, from Chloé’s “fantasy of summer” to the return of florals, lace and ballooning shapes that feel dreamy but not sugary.

Relaxed tees

A plain tee is the fastest way to make lace-trim bottoms feel effortless. The trick is to keep it relaxed, not styled within an inch of its life: a slightly loose cotton T-shirt, lightly tucked or left to skim the waistband, brings the whole outfit back down to earth. That casual balance is what makes the trend wearable for errands, lunch, or a last-minute dinner plan.

This is also the most democratic way into the look. Lace trim can suggest lingerie or dressing up, but a basic tee strips that away and lets the silhouette lead. It is the kind of styling move that explains why the trend keeps showing up on the coolest celebs, from Hailey Bieber to Zendaya, because it reads as easy rather than theatrical.

Oversize sweaters

An oversize sweater might sound counterintuitive for summer, but that is exactly why it works. When the knit is roomy and slightly slouchy, it dials down the sweetness of lace and gives the outfit that undone, borrowed-from-a-friend feel fashion editors love. The contrast between a soft, enveloping sweater and a delicate hemline makes both pieces look more intentional.

This pairing is especially useful on cooler evenings or in over-air-conditioned rooms, when a bare top would feel too exposed. Let the sweater hang loose over the shorts or a skirt, or half-tuck it just enough to show the trim. The effect is less ingénue, more off-duty cool girl who knows when to leave the look a little imperfect.

Elevated flip-flops and flat sandals

Flat sandals are what keep lace-trim bottoms in the present tense. A refined flip-flop or a pared-back leather sandal cuts the romance with a note of nonchalance, and that matters when the fabric itself already carries a lot of personality. The right shoe makes the whole outfit feel walked-in, not styled for a still life.

This is one of the simplest ways to make the trend work hard in real life. Lace-trim skirts can look overly dressy with heels, but a flat sandal or elevated flip-flop gives them daytime credibility and lets the hemline do the talking. When the rest of the outfit is minimal, that one tactile edge becomes the detail people remember.

With jeans, keep the denim blunt

Denim is the final grounding force, and it is the one that gives lace its most streetwise edge. If the lace trim brings the romance, jeans bring the reality check, whether that means a rigid denim layer nearby or a pair of straight, unfussy jeans anchoring the rest of the look. The point is not to make lace prettier; it is to make it feel less delicate.

That is why this trend has staying power beyond one summer. WWD’s runway coverage pointed to buyers turning toward lace, lingerie, florals and flounce as quiet luxury gave way to something softer and more expressive, and Who What Wear later noted that the lace-trim story was still strong for spring and summer 2026 on runways from Celine, Chloé and Stella McCartney. Lace-trim shorts and skirts are not asking to be treated like occasionwear anymore. They work best when you dress them like the rest of your wardrobe has somewhere else to be.