How to Wear Bermuda Shorts

BY JO PIAZZA • ILLUSTRATIONS BY PEGGY PANOSH • NOVEMBER 5, 2019

The island’s national uniform is surprisingly flexible. Here are five ways to make them work—and where to buy them.

I didn’t discover my husband’s packing error until we arrived in Bermuda for our five-day babymoon. He had brought an entire suitcase of clothing… and not a single pair of Bermuda shorts.

“They might kick you off the island,” I said, only half-kidding.

“I have no idea how to wear them,” he admitted of the delightfully bright above-the-knee shorts trousers seen on Bermudan men (and women) from about age two to 92.

He shouldn’t have been concerned. The well-tailored Bermuda short was originally created by the British Army during World War II for officers stationed on the warm-weather island. We soon learned, while navigating the country in our tiny electric Twizy, that today’s version can be worn anywhere—and with nearly anything. They’re a ubiquitous part of island life from beach to bar, fine dining to football field.

Any traditional sartorial standards are only rules meant to be broken these days. Bermuda shorts can be pleated or not; worn one to two inches above the knee, or higher; with high socks or without. Here are five styles to try, whether you’re on-island or bringing a bit of Bermuda home:

Where to Buy Bermuda Shorts

You can hardly walk into a clothing store on the island and not find a multihued stack of Bermuda shorts. But some shops stand out above the rest. • In 2017, TABS (The Authentic Bermuda Shorts) was chosen as the official licensee for the 35th America’s Cup, hence solidifying its place at the top of the shorts stack. The flagship store on Reid Street, in Hamilton, sells shorts in a range of colors, plus quick-drying “performance” versions . • Founded by two former finance guys from Bermuda, Coral Coast, on Front Street in Hamilton, offers classic Bermuda shorts in nearly every color of the rainbow, as well as modern and stylish dress shirts. • Also on Front Street, former general store turned fine fashion boutique A.S. Cooper has been outfitting Bermudians for over a century, as has The English Sports Shop, an ideal place for picking out your shorts-blazer-tie get-up.

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THE DETAILS

TABS Bermuda: 12 Reid Street, Hamilton; +1 441-704-8227
Coral Coast Clothing: 15 Front Street, Hamilton; +1 441-400-5030
A.S. Cooper: 29 Front Street, Hamilton; +1 441-295-3961
The English Sports Shop: 49 Front Street, Hamilton; +1 441-295-2672