Reese Witherspoon just proved why a pair of white shorts should be your new casual summer staple

Reese Witherspoon has proved why white shorts should be your casual summer staple as she wore hers with a gorgeous navy cardigan.

Reese Witherspoon has just showcased one of our favourite summer pieces and they’re perfect for the warmer weather right now in the UK. If you’re putting together a summer capsule wardrobe then you might have already looked into the biggest denim trends for 2024. However, when it comes to shorts for sunny days, you don’t always have to reach for a blue denim pair. Taking to Instagram the star shared a fun video showing her realising she was wrong about some of the lyrics to Sabrina Carpenter’s song, Espresso. 

At the beginning she’s seen sitting happily on the grass wearing gorgeous white shorts, showing that simple outfits can often be hard to beat. Her shorts appear to be a soft, lightweight fabric rather than a more stiff denim, though the look is equally chic. Instead of baring the majority of her legs in very short shorts, Reese’s pair are a flattering thigh length.

This is such a lovely length for summer heatwaves and the bright white shade immediately draws the eye. White jeans outfits are never easy and you might be tempted to feel the same way about styling white shorts, but Reese has proved otherwise. She wore hers with a cosy navy knitted cardigan that had plenty of texture to the fabric in an almost broderie-anglaise pattern.

Shop White Shorts For Summer

The contrasting lengths creates a sense of balance and helps to give a look more coverage if you’re not comfortable baring so much skin in the summer. This is also how Reese Witherspoon wears white jeans and her choice of cardigan introduced another tone into her look. The bold navy blue stood out against the white shorts but because both were very neutral shades, the overall effect wasn’t too overpowering.

White shorts like Reese’s would work just as well with any other colours and provide a plain base of an outfit, making them very versatile during a time of year where vibrant colours and patterns tend to rule supreme. Alternatively if you want to keep things monochrome then white shorts with a black cardigan, t-shirt or cami top would create instant impact.

Perfect for cooler summer days or when there’s a chilly breeze, long sleeved light cardigans or tops can look stunning with white shorts. Reese Witherspoon finished off her outfit with a pair of simple white trainers with a minimal pop of bright pink on them. 

They transformed her look into something a little more casual and this is a great tip to avoid white tailored shorts looking too formal or work-wear appropriate, although you could just as easily lean into this for a hot summer’s day in the office and wear them with a shirt.

Alternatively, white denim and white linen shorts are also fabulous, relaxed options. However you want to wear white shorts, they are always handy to have in your wardrobe and Reese Witherspoon’s sophisticated summer style is something we’re eager to replicate. Her recent post came just a month after the Big Little Lies star shared a picture of herself wearing white jeans on board a boat, styled with a white v-neck jumper.

"Don’t worry about a thing... except going overboard!" she wrote, alongside the snap of her in a beautiful all-white outfit.