How to Make Daisy Duke Short Shorts
Posted by kahlees on June 22, 2007
To the unnecessary eeeeks of many women, it really is true that short shorts are back this summer, and they are shorter than ever. After a small revival early in the century, the trend spiked and then was cut short when Jessica Simpson pranced around in a pair of denim cutoffs worth their weight in gold.
I do all my own nude scenes
But, that’s not really the way they do short shorts in the American South, which, despite all the cool micro short shorts coming out on the runways, really has perfected the hippest homegrown shorts. And there is no way they can be properly manufactured in a factory. Every single pair of daisy dukes is as unique as a set of fingerprints.
As simple as it may seem, a lot of girls aren’t real great at cutting a pair of daisy dukes. My sister and I perfected the art as rebellious guerilla tailoring. Our parents weren’t real thrilled with their daughters looking like they belonged on a street corner. Accordingly, to avoid parental nagging, we would gradually shorten our creations as the summer wore on. And believe it or not they never noticed. I knew I had it made the day Mom told me to quit dragging my hands in the front pockets–I was stretching them out:)
First, you should pick out an already distressed pair of jeans. Some of you may be able to distress denim–but I have never been able to get it natural looking. If there is not a well-worn pair around, the next best thing is to buy a pair of distressed denim shorts and cut them off.
Don’t pick a pair that is too dark.
Despite this year’s retro-eighties sub-trend of going back to high waist shorts, I think they look terrible.
Well, usually.
But there is no doubt they are uncomfortable, which is contrary to the spirit of daisy dukes.
So as a rule use a pair that sits low on your hips.
Get someone to help you and use chalk and safety pins. Arc up over your hip and around the derrier.
The rule is don’t show any cheek. However, some girls have an anatomical gift that lets them tease with a hint of cheek without it all hanging out. If you can do that, there are places where it is appropriate and appreciated–like a barbecue in my backyard:
So you should leave them slightly longer in back then in front. This makes legs look longer, and avoids the butt problem. However, don’t overdo it. The extra length should not be perceptible. If it is, it can really look dorky.
Don’t initially cut them too short. It’s not like a bad haircut–which, after all the tears, does grow back. You can always cut more later. But don’t ever leave them too long. I like Bermudas, cargos, board shorts and other longer shorts too–but it doesn’t work with cutoff denim. Actually daisy dukes should be as short as you dare, don’t look trampy, and won’t get you arrested.
Wash and tumble dry. Repeat until properly frayed. You will probably have to trim the frays. But don’t make it an even trim, like a well-manicured lawn. The key to daisy dukes is that they look natural.
There is a degree of controversy over front pockets. Some women think if they show it looks trashy.
I obviously disagree:I do all my own nude scenes
This year Lindsay Lohan and Misha Barton wore designer shorts with the fronts sticking out:
And Kate Moss looks good:
But if you don’t like the look, cut them off and stitch. Don’t make the front longer just to avoid showing the inner front pocket.
Accessorizing with a big Western Belt and Buckle looks great.
Or use one that uniquely expresses your personality:
As far as tops, there are endless options–short, or long T-shirt, peasant, or tied up Daisy Duke style.
Where appropriate, a bikini top works. With some girls a denim jacket looks cool–but usually I think it is too much denim. In the evening or on a cooler day a leather jacket or just a sweatshirt can look great.
Cowgirl boots are, of course, the quintessential foot wear–but sexy wedges, low heels, sneakers or flip flops are fine.
Of course, when you can– barefoot gets back to the roots of the whole fashion.
After all, the point is to find your inner daisy duke.
I do all my own nude scenes
Tasha said
Shame shame-you do need spanked
traci said
What a great piece on one of my favorite styles — cutoffs. I like them and like seeing them on good looking guys too. (Guys are so into long pants and long board shorts and other leg covering styles that I sometimes forget that guys have thighs unless they are wearing cutoffs! he he.)
I seem to be the person everyone asks to help them cut off their jeans for the summer, so I would like to add a few points to your post. The first issue is length. There is no “right” or “wrong” length for a pair of cutoffs. I know, you are promoting Daisy Dukes, and that is my style of choice, but while some of us like them supper skimpy and pushing the limits on decency, others (especially the majority of guys) want them longer. Just because “everyone” is wearing a 2 inch inseam doesn’t mean you must too. You might be more comfortable with a 4 inch inseam, or just a single inch. The choice is yours and should be based on you body, the style of jeans you are cutting off, and where you intend to wear them. Cutoffs to wear over your bikini bottom as a coverup at the beach might be shorter than ones you would wear to your grandmother’s house. Regardless of how skimpy you think you might want to wear them, do like the author suggest and start long and if you feel comfortable, snip away and make them shorter. You can simulate a shorter cutoff by folding the legs up an inch or two and seeing how they feel and how people react to the new length before actually taking the sissors to them. But I suggest you wear them (I mean really wear them a whole day, not just for a minute in front of a mirror) to see how they really feel and look after a bit of wear. As everyone knows, denim stretchs as it is worn and shrinks again when washed. The cut-offs that look one way out of the dryer will look another after a few hours of wear. Taking your time in getting them to the right length and wearing them a few times along the way lets you judge peoples reactions as you go.
The exposed pocket issue is a true debate in some areas. Some people see an exposed pocket and think “trailer trash” while others don’t see any issues with it. Pictures from the 1960’s and 1970’s when cutoffs first became popular show both men and women wearing them short enough to expose their pockets while others wore their cutoffs longer. Personnally, I don’t see an issue if not too much pocket is exposed. In fact a pair of very short cutoffs without some pocket exposure to me looks sort of goofy. Exposing pockets will occur as shorts get shorter, so why try to hide them?
A topic not covered was additional holes and rips. These are okay in my mind as long as they are not too extensive or exposing ones underwear (or where one’s underwear should be!). The same goes for ripping out the outer seam an inch or too. A little can be sexy, too much can just look stupid. If you choose to rip the outer seam out a couple of inches, the front and back of the legs can be slightly different lengths which can look pretty cool.
And a word for the guys. Do wear your cutoffs short if you want. There is nothing “gay” about letting people seeing your legs. But please wear an appropriate undergarment if you choose to wear your shorts on the skimpy side. I don’t really want to see your manhood or his pals hanging out, or get a glimpse of them up a loose fitting leg. And wearing a pair of super skimpy cutoffs over a pair of boxers, leaving the boxers hanging out at the waist and boxer legs hanging down below the short legs is not sexy, it is just plain stupid looking!
The idea of cutoffs is that they are suppose to look home-made, so things shouldn’t be too perfect. There should be some variations between the two legs. One might be a little longer, have different fringing, or cut at a slightly different angle. To achieve this variation I do not fold the jeans and cut everything at once, but cut each leg all the way around as a single thickness layer of cloth. Also when marking the cut line, I just mark a few places around the leg and decide the path of the cut between these marks as I start snipping. Remember that the denim will fray and get shorter after the fringe develops, but this usually slows way down after between 1/2 and 1 inch of fringe develop. Also realize that sometimes the legs will constantly fold themselves over at the same places again and again, and this might expose more than you first intended. Don’t worry, this helps the random look. Repeated washing and drying are very important. The fabric will eventually almost stop fraying. If you want an area a lot shorter, just cut the denim above the fringe and new fringe will develop along the new cut. This usually will result in the denim being about 1 inch shorter. If you just want the denim a little shorter, trim the frayed area to a quarter inch or so and use a pencil or other pointy object to “comb” the fringe before washings. The more completely tangle free the fringe is, the more successfull the shortening will be.
You can help your shorts get a more distressed look if you throw your shorts into every possible wash load until they are fringed and frayed the way you like. If your family washes towels and sheets or other items with bleach, throw your cutoffs in after the aggitator has run a minute or so. (This will give the bleach a chance to mix up with the water and you won’t wind up with white stains, just a natural bleaching.) The bleach will fade them so slightly that you won’t perceive the change from wash to wash, but the overall effect is wonderfull. If you are a teen, offer to help with laundry and you will be able to sneak your cutoffs through several times a week. Another way to put some distressed look on your jeans that I learned from my Dad, is to tie them with a heavy rope to the back of a motor boat and go boating. (Obviously, this can only be done if you have access to a motor boat!) Pull the shorts or jeans in fairly often since the tossing around in the water distresses the jeans quickly and it doesn’t take too long to wind up with your shorts being too distressed.
kahlees said
Thank you for such a well written comment:)