Track Shorts Have Gone High Fashion This Summer

Not to point out the obvious, but activewear is no longer confined to workouts. These days, your outfit for an early-morning Barry’s class is just as appropriate for a midday coffee with friends. Take the track shorts trend, for instance. This summer, the fashion set is making a compelling case for styling the athletic bottoms beyond the gym, solidifying them as a bona fide cool-girl staple. In many ways, the look is the warm-weather counterpart to the track pants trend that’s dominated street style in recent seasons.

Elizabeth Cardinal Tamkin, a stylist, writer, and track shorts enthusiast, believes the bottoms aren’t just ideal for the heat — they also bring a sense of ease and nostalgia that people are eager to personalize through “genre-mixing,” a term she coined to describe fusing different sartorial genres to create something especially interesting and unexpected. “Track shorts are almost the perfect canvas for that,” explains Cardinal Tamkin. “They’re unmistakably sporty, which makes them especially fun to pair with pieces that traditionally have nothing to do with sports.”

As for styling track shorts? Cardinal Tamkin practices what she preaches, pairing hers with something that feels like it “belongs to a completely different wardrobe,” as she puts it. “I love them with a lace-trimmed blouse, an oversized striped button-down, a crisp poplin shirt, or even a lightweight blazer,” she shares. Feminine ballet flats or kitten heels, too, create an intriguing contrast.

Ahead, discover five fresh ways to wear your track shorts this summer.

A Bit Dainty

Follow Cardinal Tamkin’s lead and pair your track shorts with a dainty tank, whether it’s trimmed with lace, embroidery, or crochet. Then, finish the look with a beaded necklace and woven flats. “My favorite outfits are the ones where the shorts are the only overtly athletic piece, while everything else feels pulled from a completely different style world,” the stylist adds.

So Sporty

For those who favor a sporty look, don’t be afraid to go full throttle with your athletic pieces. Pair your track shorts with a soccer jersey — a piece that’s gone viral this summer thanks to the World Cup. The trick is to offset the sporty staples with ladylike accents, such as heels and a structured bag.

Pop Of Red

You can never quite go wrong with a summer look centered on neutrals like white and beige. That said, a pop of color can go a long way, as seen above. Case in point: the contrast of white track shorts against red mesh flats.

Go Wild

Much like a bright pop of color, an animal print piece is the perfect foil to sporty track shorts. If the weather allows, layer a lightweight leopard print jacket over a graphic tee and track shorts. Prefer something lighter? A patterned blouse works just as well.

Menswear Inspired

Do your track shorts need a belt? No. But does the accessory breathe new life into the sporty bottoms? Absolutely. Finish the look with an oversized plaid button-down for a menswear-inspired take on track shorts.