Next time you’re in a vintage clothing store sliding your way through a pole of superb denim shorts, ponder this: many of them might have started life as an everyday pair of jeans, but some of them might have had even more exotic origins, such as being a denim jacket or a pair of dungarees. And by the same reckoning, they might end their lives as a pocket or a button … but that’s probably too distressing to think about.

Making a pair of shorts out of an old pair of jeans is a tradition that is probably about six months younger than that of jeans, such is the irrepressible urge to take scissors to your trusty legwear once the knees have gone through. Whether or not a hem is attempted is down to individual choice or the amount of time the maker has on his or her hands, but since most hand-crafted jean shorts are something of an ad-hoc affair, the frayed edge is not considered much of a problem; indeed it’s a feature that is now part of some purpose-made denim shorts, in reference to this laid-back look.

Whether you’re hand-cutting or buying off the hanger, length is the key choice when considering a pair of denims. And not surprisingly, there are no rules here (even though there perhaps should be). The ravers of the 1990s like their jean shorts almost knee-length, but the bootylicious generation are not too shy to take them rather high. Queen of denim shorts must be Daisy Duke, whose parents must have known she was going to really suit them when they named her after a particular style, in exactly the same way as Messrs Wellington, Raglan and Stetson were named. Probably. Whether you’re from the Catherine Bach or Jessica Simpson generation, you’ll have to admit it’s a breathtaking look, if you can pull it off. For some reason it’s particularly suited to sponging down cars, preferably in full public view, so that’s a good proving ground for your new shorts.

It’s also worth pointing out that the Daisy Duke length is probably about as short as you can decently go. There are examples of thong style cut-downs that are virtually guaranteed never to have a second life as something smaller. You’ll probably already know when is and is not a decent time to pull these on; they are worn exclusively by those with an unwavering faith in the art of sewing.

A hem edges a very casual garment into something ever so slightly more formal, smoothing off the ragged edge and improving the life expectancy of the shorts. And halfway there’s a simple turn-up, using denim’s natural stiffness to keep everything in place. The beauty of this look is that you don’t need to cut your jeans down at all; you can roll up a full length pair of jeans as long as you don’t plan to walk, sit down or stand up in them. If you’re fussy about such things, a cut just above the knees should give you enough material for a triple rollover and the ability to get around. Denim shorts. Because good jeans deserve a second chance.

Nigel Cooper is a fashion watcher working with Rokit, a source of vintage denim shorts for men and also of womens denim shorts which are always amazingly popular.

Nigel Cooper is a fashion watcher working with http://www.rokit.co.uk/ a great source of vintage denim shorts for men and also of women\’s denim shorts which are always amazingly popular

Author Bio: Nigel Cooper is a fashion watcher working with Rokit, a source of vintage denim shorts for men and also of womens denim shorts which are always amazingly popular.

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