6 Skort Outfits That Prove The Athletic Staple Is A Versatile Wardrobe Must-Have

These give you the best of both worlds.

Part skirt, part shorts—skorts have long puzzled the fashion world with their hybrid nature. But it’s precisely that in-betweenness that makes skorts true style heroes and a revolutionary piece of fashion history, allowing wearers movement and sartorial joy in one garment.

Much of their functionality is a result of their roots: Skorts were first conceived in the late 19th century as a piece for women to ride bicycles. Since pants were still not acceptable for women to wear, the skort became a go-to piece to give the illusion of a skirt with the comfort and functionality of pants. Still, early skorts looked nothing like their present-day iterations. Instead, they featured long wide-leg pants (that mostly resembled culottes) with a frontal skirt-like flap.

Today, skorts are mostly associated with tennis. While the tradition of tennis skirts started in 1919, when French player Suzanne Lenglen showed up at Wimbledon with a long pleated skirt, it wasn’t until 1931 that the concept of the skort—then known as a “split skirt”—was introduced. Designer Elsa Schiaparelli is credited with creating the first one, worn by Spanish tennis player Lili de Alvarez. Over time, they became ubiquitous with the sport, but their appeal goes beyond the tennis court. During the 2010s, for example, skorts enjoyed a booming popularity, jumping from the court to street style with business-like A-line silhouettes and pleated asymmetric versions.

Over the past year, skorts have started trending again alongside other controversial bottom styles like bloomers and hot pants. And while it may seem like styling a skort is just as simple as wearing a traditional skirt, its athletic crossover and asymmetric silhouettes make it hard to incorporate in everyday outfits. Ahead are six ways to wear a skort this summer.

With a Graphic T-Shirt

Asymmetrical skorts (like the one pictured above) are hard to style, especially because the imbalance in hem length makes them edgier than your average version. That’s why going for a graphic T-Shirt is a go-to sartorial move in this case, adding a canvas to your outfit that lets the skort’s unique silhouette shine.

With a Basic Tank Top

The chances you're wearing a skort to battle the heat are high. And the white tank top trend—a major runway phenomenon that turned basic sleeveless tank tops into fashion-forward must-haves since 2022—is here to help. To add some contrast, choose a skort in a dark color with pleats or an asymmetrical hemline.

Over Pants

If you don't own a skort, you can still make one for yourself—no sewing needed. A pleated skirt over wide-leg trousers is one way to make a skort moment happen. The sleek pairing is best styled with pointy pumps and an oversized tote bag.

InStyle Tip

The key here is to keep the outfit in the same color family, helping the pleated skirt-pants combo blend seamlessly.

With Socks and Loafers

The preppy aesthetic of tennis is a perfect match for styling a skort. To lean into it more, pair a mini skort with loafers and socks. The buttoned-up feel of the loafer-socks combo provides an ideal contrast to the outfit, taking the skort out of the athletic arena without sacrificing its comfort level. To top it all off, add a T-shirt and sunglasses.

With Pumps

This outfit idea proves the “Wrong Shoe Theory,” coined by stylist Allison Bornstein in 2023. The concept entails that we pair an outfit with a shoe that’s either out of context or otherwise “wrong” for the look or occasion, making for a more interesting formula. A sporty pleated skort then becomes a nighttime-ready piece by just adding a pair of pumps.

With Sneakers

Sometimes, the easiest thing to do is wear a skort as the sartorial gods intended: with sneakers. The athleisure combo is a good opportunity to invest in a matching jacket-skort set, which can be styled to play sports or run errands. If the latter is your choice, add an oversized top-handle bag for an on-the-go look.

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