Are Jorts Fashion's Most Divisive Piece of Clothing

This weekend, thousands of concert-goers will descend upon the California desert for the 2017 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, bringing with them crop-tops, sensible shoes, and lots and lots of jorts. A portmanteau of "jeans" and "shorts," jorts are a staple of any festival setting, as well as a summer favorite for men and women alike. The most traditional kind come mid-length and medium wash, though longer versions have been making a comeback lately thanks to the likes of Kim Kardashian and Gigi Hadid, and, of course, there will always be the case for Daisy Dukes (in the appropriate setting, of course). But it begs the question: Are jorts chic? Do they belong in the fashion vernacular? And what's more: should they be celebrated? The results may not be a straightforward as you think. Here, eight writers attempt to answer an immortal sartorial question.

Let me paint the scene. It was a Monday afternoon, and I was in the midst of a long weekend in Florida to celebrate a friend's birthday and do my most sensible recreation of Spring Breakers (Hi, Mom). We were sitting on the beach, contemplating second margaritas, when my phone pinged with a message from W's Slack: “Thoughts on doing a jorts roundtable?” The idea had stemmed from an image of Kim Kardashian West (a personal favorite of mine—another think-piece for another day) wearing a pair of knee-length Bermuda jean shorts.

I was ecstatic. I love jorts. Let me say that again: I loooooooove jorts. To quote Woody Allen, love is too weak a word for my feelings towards jorts. For as long as I can remember, they have been a major part of my life. Unlike other fashion items I’ve loved, I cannot pinpoint exactly when they came into my life—there's no "Rosebud" moment, if you will, no one celebrity paparazzi shot or runway look. And perhaps that’s why unlike, say, maxi skirts or cargo pants, jorts have been a constant in my wardrobe for well over decade. They are not trend, but rather, timeless. In my mind, jorts are a classic fashion item beloved by all—no woman’s closet is complete without.

This all came crashing down when the first follow-up to the roundtable proposition came through. It read, simply, “Ew.” It was as if the world had stopped. Suddenly, everything I knew to be true and sacred was gone. Was I to understand that jorts were not universally renowned as oh-so-chic? As the subsequent opinions filtered in, the answer was clear: jorts are, in fact, a very controversial topic.

I was shook. I cycled through the stages of grief: denial (“You guys must be confused—are we talking about the same thing?”); anger (“You are all wrong and stupid.”); bargaining (“Okay, but what about when Kate Moss wears them to Glastonbury?”); depression (“My whole life is a lie and my summer wardrobe is garbage.") Finally, I have now arrived at acceptance. Not everyone needs to love jorts as much I as do; in fact it’s probably for the best. And I can live with the fact that not everyone thinks my summer wardrobe of a t-shirt, jorts, and ankle-boots isn’t the pinnacle of high fashion—it’s not! But it makes me happier than any designer item du jour, with memories of sun, sitting in Central Park, going to Governor’s Ball, dancing in hidden basement bars. And that’s good enough for me.

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