by taylordavies, Source: EatSleepDenim

To me, the perfect pair of cutoff denim shorts is nearly as illusive as the perfect pair of skinny jeans. With so much bare skin on the line, they have to be really good. Like, you pull them on, look down at your thighs and go: “Yeah baby!” That good.

Finding such a pair of shorts is no short order (Ha, get it?). There’s inseam to consider, pockets, cuffs, whiskering – all these factors coupled with the fact that 80% of your leg is available for public consumption.

As a lover of J Brand full-length jeans, I felt I owed it to myself to see how their shorts measured up. With a rather hefty price tag for such a small amount of fabric (around $150), you want to be sure you’re getting your money’s worth, right? I opted for a simple cut in a bold color: the cutoff in faded neon pink.

I found that as with all my J Brand jeans, I sized up to a 28, and got just the right fit. The 2 inch inseam is yes, aggressive, but not offensive. These are sexy little shorts and there’s no getting around it. I appreciate that the pockets don’t hang below the seam (kind of trashy on short-shorts) and that the leg opening was big enough to give my thighs some breathing room. The whiskering gives them a feeling like they’ve already been worn 100 times, and the hard work is already done.

There are tons and tons of colored denim shorts available this season, so sticking with a brand you know and love will always be a good option, and J Brand is that for me. These shorts are easily paired with chambray, but will also be amazing with dressier tops and flats for dinners out on hot summer nights in the city.