How the Bermuda Short Became the Quintessential Island Uniform

Online discourse would have you believe that the summer of 2024 is when men finally embraced the short-short, as evidenced by the many memes around “inseam length.” But there’s one corner of the world where the very online penchant for micro-shorts has yet to take hold: Bermuda.  

Perhaps this shouldn’t surprise, as the British Island territory—where knee-grazing shorts paired with over-the-calf socks pass as business attire—is thought to have originated the truncated trouser alternative in the first place. As Gina Steede, an administrative assistant at the 106-year-old island Institution the English Sports Shop, recounts, the style can be credited to a Bermudian businessman named Nathaniel Coxon. 

Around the time of the First World War, Coxon operated a tea shop staffed by servers in navy blazers and long cotton pants. But the cumulative heat from many steaming teapots turned the shop into a furnace, threatening a staff revolt. As a compromise, Coxon decided to shear said trousers above the knee, rather than dishing out on entirely new uniforms. 

“Although the employees found the style a little silly looking, it was much more comfortable in the environment they were working in,” Steede says.

The distinctive look would soon be appreciated by customers, too. One such patron was British Rear Admiral Mason Berridge, who famously found the get-up to be “a bit of old Oxford and a bit of the Khyber Pass,” and commissioned a pair himself. With such a blessing from the stiff upper lip-set, the Bermuda short took off, and remains a vital part of the island dress code today. According to Steede, the English Sports Shop continues to enjoy a brisk Bermuda short business, trading in a casual cotton-poly version affectionately known as the “Bermie,” and a more tailored linen-poly blend favored for more formal occasions. While a veritable rainbow of colors is offered for sale, Steede has a firm view on what makes for a proper Bermuda short—an inseam that ends two inches above the knee. 

More than a century after its debut, the style continues to court fans far from its native shores—and inspire iterations that would scarcely be recognizable to Coxon or Berridge. This summer alone has brought with it luxe versions from Loro Piana and Brunello Cucinelli, plus mold-breaking iterations by Todd Snyder cut from the likes of stretch seersucker or a pinstriped wool-linen blend. 

“The longer length, structure, and shape can elevate any outfit, whether paired with a simple tucked-in tee or layered with a relaxed sweater polo,” says Todd Snyder’s chief product officer Alejandro Rhett of the extended short’s versatility. “Consider adding a tailored third piece, too, like an unstructured pique blazer or linen chore coat, to maintain a refined and polished appearance.”  

Another designer remix has come from Luca Faloni, whose luxe Italian-made take is cut from either pure linen or a linen-cotton blend, and made with an adjustable inner waistband rather than belt loops for a cleaner look. 

“First and foremost, I love the comfort of Bermuda shorts,” Faloni tells Robb Report. “The traditional inseam length sitting just above the knee means that they have a more formal appeal than classic shorts that sit halfway up the thigh. Bermuda shorts are versatile and work for any summer occasion, elevated or casual.”  

The ability for the style to serve a more formal role in a more casual age is echoed by Paul Stuart creative director Ralph Auriemma, whose label has offered a cotton-and-cashmere Bermuda for this season, while its sister brand Phineas Cole has stocked a version made from summer-weight suede. 

“In general, I like Bermuda shorts as they are a little bit longer and it’s a sartorial type of short – meaning you can wear it with a blazer, shirt and tie and it has a very elegant dress up look while also being comfortable and casual at the same time,” says Auriemma.  

Just don’t think that the Bermuda short must always play the elevated role. It remains, after all, a short, and was adopted for the sake of ease in the first place. 

“We believe that the Bermuda short does not compromise on comfort,” says Rafa Gomez, CEO and founder of the Spanish menswear brand Unfeigned, whose drawstring-waistband Bermudas are made from casual fabrics including recycled technical fabric, organic cotton, or velour. 

“Wearers can move around at ease for work or travel, but also relax at home with family or friends,” Gomez continues.” It’s the perfect short to show up looking sharp and has those finer details that elevate them to be versatile for any daily occasion.”  

And that’s about as long as we’re willing to go on the annals of this most favored short.