I feel like people either LOVE shorts…or truly don't like wearing them at all. I used to wear shorts ALL THE TIME in high school because I played tennis, and it was part of the culture. Plus, I always liked my legs and never minded showing them off. However, I've noticed in the last couple years, I have been wearing longer skirts and dresses and pants and covering up my legs. Maybe it's cause I am getting older (almost 39!) and felt like I had to cover up for some reason? Well, recently my friend Morgan at BURU asked me to style some pieces from her shop, and I challenged myself to wear shorts in a way that I felt was age-appropriate and chic. So I thought I'd share with you what I learned…

1. Add a jacket. There's something about layering your outfit with a short or long jacket that takes it out of the casual gym shorts department and into the "I'm a chic power woman" department. Just make sure you wear the jacket open so it doesn't look like you are wearing a jacket with no pants on underneath ;P

2. Add a fancy top. Since shorts basically all have the same shape, adding a top with some flourish, texture, shine, or just anything that is not a basic tee, takes it up a notch. This ruffled sleeve tee really makes this look casual but special.

3. Heels make everything better. Ok, not everything in the whole world. But they do make your legs look longer, and they make short looks more chic and perfectly appropriate for a date night, girls night, or even for work (depending on where you work).

In conclusion, shorts are GREAT. For those of you who are anti-shorts (you know who you are), I hope you'll try out some of these simple ways to wear shorts outside of the gym. And for those of you who already love shorts, high five! Let's show off those lovely legs, yes?!

{Photos by Lily Glass for BURU. All clothing from BURU. Location: The Goods Mart}