The Shorts Every It Girl Is Wearing This Summer

Summer 2025 is all about shorts that flirt with volume in the most sophisticated way. Enter the bubble short—a playful, elevated take on the classic summer staple. Think bubble hem, thigh-high, foaming out at the bottom, airy, and puffy just enough to feel effortlessly chic. The bubble hem is the detail everyone’s obsessing over, and it’s no surprise these shorts are the season’s It item.

Fashion is nothing if not cyclical. What feels new today often had its moment a decade or three decades ago. The same is true for the bubble hem. First imagined by Yves Saint Laurent during his time at Christian Dior in 1959, revived in the 1980s and again in the 2000s, and now, in 2025, it’s making its return with the same energy and impact as its debut.

Tibi autumn/winter ’24/’25 (right) | Tory Burch spring/summer 2024 (middle) | The Garment autumn/winter ’24/’25 (left)

In 2024, the bubble hem made a decisive comeback as the bubble skirt. On the runways at Louis Vuitton, Miu Miu, and Bally, it re-entered the mainstream stripped of its past hyperbole and recast in a streamlined, modern silhouette. Some were paired with tailored blazers and belted jackets; others were lengthened to the knee, softened with kitten heels and ballet flats. These were bubble skirts remade for the modern woman—powerful, polished, and practical.

And now, in 2025, the bubble hem returns again, this time expanding into minimalist bubble shorts. Sharper and sleeker than their predecessors, they trade nostalgia for a kind of architectural elegance, proving once more that fashion’s cycles aren’t about repetition, but reinvention.

Chloé spring/summer 2025 | Patou spring/summer 2025

Chloé’s Spring/Summer 2025 and Patou Spring 2025 runways were a masterclass in the art of bubble shorts. Models floated down the runway in airy, sculptural shapes that felt at once relaxed and impeccably refined. The key? Movement. Every step emphasized the lightweight fabrics and soft, pleated volume, giving the shorts a wearable, editorial energy.

Since then, designers have taken note, translating these fluid shapes into pleated versions that feel structured without losing their playful energy. The result is a shorts silhouette that’s equal parts modernist chic and summer-ready ease, perfect for everything from daytime brunches to city strolls with a statement top and barely-there sandals.

And so, the bubble shorts formula to follow for your own summer wardrobe: think clean, high-rise cuts with subtle volume and pleated details that elevate even the simplest tops. Stick to block colours (cream, soft beige, classic black, or muted pastels) for a look that feels modern but timeless. You can style them with a simple tee or a button-up knit and kitten heel mule sandals, something effortless that lets the shape speak for itself. For a more polished look, pair them with a vest or matching top for lunch or dinner out.