The Silk Short

The silk tap short is the cool-girl short of summer 2026 — the dainty, high-cut, lingerie-inspired pair that has slipped out of the boudoir and onto the street. After seasons of tailored Bermudas, fashion wants ease and a little sensuality: a fluid, lustrous short you throw on with an oversized tee and flat sandals and look instantly, effortlessly expensive. Dôen leads with its cult Iona pair — perpetually sold out — while Éterne, Nili Lotan and Ginia offer the barely-there silk versions the fashion set is living in. It is the shortest, chicest thing you can wear all summer.

Add a whisper of lace at the hem and the silk short turns from easy to devastating. The lace-trimmed pair is the most romantic take on the trend — the trim edge that reads as pure lingerie-dressing, done with enough restraint to wear out. Nina Ricci and Carine Gilson bring the couture-level delicacy, while Eres, Reformation and Frame offer the softer, more wearable versions. Styled with nothing but a fine knit or a slouchy shirt, it is the short that makes the simplest outfit feel considered.

When the short does the talking, the outfit is finished before you add a thing. The printed silk short is the maximalist end of the trend — painterly florals, foulard motifs and resort prints on lustrous silk twill that carry a plain tee or camisole entirely. Pucci brings its psychedelic heritage, Zimmermann its romance, Eres its polish. It is the piece that turns getting dressed into one decision: put on the short, and stop.

For the days you want a little more length, the satin Bermuda is the elevated answer — the longer, fluid cut that reads polished rather than sporty, worn with a heel or a flat alike. Toteme leads with its embroidered silk pairs, La DoubleJ brings the print, and Reformation keeps it easy in ivory. It is the short that takes you from a long lunch to the evening without a second thought — proof that covering a little more can look like the most expensive choice of all.

Every silk short ends the same way: at the flip-flop. The elevated thong sandal is the shoe the fashion set has chosen to finish the look — flat, minimal, quietly expensive, the antidote to the sneaker. The Row leads the movement with its cult leather pair (and the platform Ginza), Saint Laurent brings the polish, while A.Emery, Aeyde and St. Agni keep it easy. Bare, tanned, and effortless — it is the shoe that makes the whole thing look accidental, which is exactly the point.