I’m convinced nothing proves the generational divide quite like when Gen Z discovers a trend millennials once loved... and just decides to call it something else entirely. (Still cringing over “flare leggings.” They’re just yoga pants, people.)
Listen, as a Big Age Millennial, I crave Gen Z validation. No demographic can make me feel instantly cool — or immediately cheugy — with a single TikTok. When they decided side parts were no longer uncool? Thank God. When they gave peplums another chance? I gave them one, too. So imagine my excitement when my FYP became a nonstop stream of videos on how to style jorts.
Like all the other 2010s trends making a comeback, jean shorts had me in a chokehold. The tinier, the better. But before I unearthed the vintage denims hiding in the back of my closet, I realized FashionTok creators were talking about something else entirely. Their videos featured long, baggy shorts of *all* fabrics: denim, linen, cotton, and even literal sweatpants fleece. Since when are all long shorts jorts?
The Case Of The Missing Denim
Originally, the word was a strict portmanteau for jean shorts, and it was basically the official millennial uniform for decades. The lengths change — from mid-thighs in the grunge-era ‘90s, to minimalist dad-inspired knee-grazing ones in the same decade, to those itty-bitty pairs from the 2010s — but the name has always been the same. Until now.
Now that we’re living through the Year of Shorts, with it girls trading their summer sundresses for Bermudas, the TikTok crowd can’t stop wearing long shorts — and calling them “jorts.” Tailored pants? Camo cargos? Knee-length sweats? All lumped under the same denim-specific name.
In the comments sections of these videos, people are fighting about the terminology. Purists are quick to correct creators referring to non-denim styles, but the internet has already run with it. The word has been co-opted to mean all knee-length, baggy shorts.
The Fashion World Enters The Chat
Stylist Michelle Addison, who has spent nearly two decades dressing luxury retail clients and styling everyday wardrobes, isn’t losing any sleep over the word choice. She says, “People mix the [term], and it’s no big deal.” For the fashion crowd, the actual label matters way less than the silhouette.
According to Addison, the rise of the long short has been a long time coming, too. She credits Hailey Bieber’s history of wearing the style for its popularity, which has since been embraced by street style stars in Copenhagen, New York, and Asia.
Other major names like Zendaya, Sabrina Carpenter, and Milly Alcock are all in on the look. Jennifer Lopez even rocked a pair of tailored black Bermuda shorts with a massive white feather coat to Paris’ Haute Couture Fall/Winter Fashion Week just a couple of weeks ago.
Blame It On The Algorithm
For a generation that names every single trend a “core” or a “— girl summer,” maybe it’s difficult for Gen Z to operate without an umbrella term. Every aesthetic needs a catchy, potentially viral label, and “jorts” is monosyllabic and punches up a caption. But will I ever get behind it? Respectfully no, if there's zero denim involved. My millennial brain can’t unlearn what it already knows.
That said, I’m all for the rise of long shorts, especially since they offer a welcome break from the ultra-restrictive styles of the past. Let’s be real — wearing baggy shorts that actually feature functional pockets is an absolute dream.
Addison agrees, pointing out that the style represents a massive win for effortless dressing. “To be comfortable, be a bit edgy, and not worry about the male gaze is so refreshing,” she says. Plus, they’re super practical and can go from casual to dressy with the addition of a heel.
So yes, Gen Z, you should wear all the long shorts your heart desires. Just one quick fashion PSA from a millennial: It’s totally OK to say “cargo shorts” or “Bermuda shorts” depending on the fabric type. Or, bear with me now, how about... “lorts”?
