33 Comments

Does anyone (Erin?) know which company makes the off-white shorts worn with the long-sleeved top in the photos at the top of this? I'm searching the links trying to find them!

Expand full comment
author

Do you mean the 2nd picture from the top on the right-hand side? Those are the Aliya Wanek shorts. Her website is updated since this newsletter went out, but these are the shorts https://aliyawanek.com/products/priya-shorts-oatmeal

Expand full comment
Jun 11Liked by Erin Boyle

Oh my goodness, yes! Yours was a much better way of describing which ones, haha! In the picture they look a little whiter and more like a cotton knit/sweatshirt material! Thank you SO much for replying!

Expand full comment
author

Oh, they might be! I’d poke around her site to see if she has other fabrics/colors!

Expand full comment

Have you checked out Save Khaki’s new line for women, Boyville? Seems like these shorts would fit the brief.

https://www.savekhaki.com/collections/womens-new-arrivals/products/wsk628-spf?variant=40582046744599

Expand full comment

I have the Jungmaven cotton shorts and can confirm that they are outstanding hangout shorts.

Expand full comment

Appreciated this post! I’m trying to do better for my own purchasing, but I’ve got two daughters who’ve recently entered adult sizing and that makes it tough. I want to teach them not to seek out fast fashion but I can’t pay $300 for us each to have one pair of shorts (and the thrift stores around us are full of overpriced fast fashion - $10 for a pair of worn Old Navy shorts we could buy cheaper in the store 🥴). It’s a tough world out there for clothing and I’m constantly looking around for sustainable (in all the ways) solutions.

Expand full comment

These aren't exactly lounge-- they've got a zipper but also a stretchy waist-- but the Jungmaven Venice shorts have held up for years of daily wear for me. I have two pairs and alternate through our 6 months of hot weather. Great inseam length, great pockets, I put them in the dryer/never do anything special to them. The look is very Laura Dern in Jurassic Park!

Expand full comment

Everlane is a company that sources materials and labor responsibly. They have a pair of comfy, organic cotton elastic waist shorts for about $60.

Expand full comment

So glad to see you here, Erin, and appreciated your exploration of the bummer that is fast fashion linen shorts.

Expand full comment
Jun 30, 2023Liked by Erin Boyle

I’ve been eyeing the shorts from Harvest & Mill because I have an old and much-loved pair of their joggers, and I applaud the longer inseam because I just don’t find anything less than 5” comfy. https://harvestandmill.com/products/womens-organic-shorts-in-natural

But at the moment I’m planning to build out my summer lounge wardrobe by sewing (shorts are a great use of scraps!): the Weekend chore shorts by matchy matchy sewing club have cute pockets and a high rise; the Agnes pjs shorts from Paper Theory look excellent for hanging out; and the city gym shorts from purl soho are a free pattern that has lots of rave reviews and kind of looks like that Beaton pair.

Expand full comment

Wow, i saw the Beaton shorts and wanted to make my own so I’m very appreciative of having this research provided for me in this comment!

Expand full comment
author

Nice! Spotted those ones too, but ended up not including because the sizing seemed so limited. Cheers to all your sewing and thank you for the recs! Might need to get brave!

Expand full comment
Jun 30, 2023·edited Jun 30, 2023Liked by Erin Boyle

Another long-time follower here, too! I love your minimalist wardrobe posts, mostly because they remind me to turn away from the noise and the sparkle of new (cheap) must-haves. LAUDE the Label is a fantastic ethical clothing company based just down the road from me in Fort Worth, TX. These shorts look comfy!

https://laudethelabel.com/products/everyday-short-terracotta-ticking-stripe

Also: I was at a thrift store just yesterday and couldn’t bring myself to buy the (many many) Shein pieces that were on the racks. UGH!

Expand full comment

This is awesome, Erin - thank you for sharing this list! (Longtime follower here too. Appreciate you!)

Expand full comment

i have twoooo pairs of the jungmaven shorts, same color, but two different sizes for varying levels of hanging out. highly recommend.

Expand full comment

I can attest that the Beaton Linen Running Shorts are indeed amazing. They're the only pair of shorts I've owned for the past 3 years, and I just bought a backup pair on Poshmark. Totally worth paying full price for though!

Expand full comment

Why do you assume that buying something from Old Navy means I will only wear it once or twice (part 2 of Fast Fashion)? I have clothes from Old Navy (yes, specifically Old Navy) that I've worn for over 10 years. Not everyone can be a fashion blogger who gets eye-wateringly priced clothing for free because they linked to them in a post. There are a lot of people who needed that article recommending a pair of shorts that cost "fourteen American dollars" because for some people, fourteen American dollars is all they can spend on a pair of shorts.

Expand full comment
author

For sure didn’t mean to imply that everyone buying fast fashion treats the goods as disposable and the onus should definitely be on the manufacturers to ensure that everyone along their supply line is paid fairly and that the goods they produce are high enough quality to last through many wears. Unfortunately that’s rarely the case and we’ve become accustomed to prices that don’t reflect the actual labor or materials being used. That said, my critique here was specifically regarding folks who *could* be paying a fairer wage for goods produced but who aren’t. There’s something misaligned when folks who can afford European vacations shirk the responsibility to pay fair wages for ethically made clothes.

Expand full comment

this response is so thoughtful, Erin - thank you. as someone who mostly lives in the economic realm of $14 shorts as the only financially viable option, I find it valuable to be clear-sighted about what those shorts cost the world, even if I will ultimately still choose to buy them. our bending over backwards to not know or face the truth does far more damage than sitting with the uncomfortable, painful, but real aspects of our choices.

Expand full comment

She’s back!!!! Yay for minimalist wardrobe tea notes!!!!

Expand full comment
author

🥳🥳🥳

Expand full comment
founding

Longtime follower, SO excited for the Erin Boyle Tea Leaves Extended Universe to come to Substack!

Expand full comment
author

🤗🤗🤗

Expand full comment

I found a pair of very soft, elastic waist denim shorts at a local consignment store and super love them; I wore them almost every day on a week-long bike trip after the biking was done, for both lounging and walking around exploring. I hadn’t heard of the brand before (SBJ Austin) but was pleased to learn after buying that the clothes are designed/made in the US. I think the shorts are these: https://www.sbjaustin.com/products/bethany-short-denim. Highly recommend! I wouldn’t be able to afford these clothes regularly full price, but now I have an eye out and can look for sales. Love a good thrift/consignment store find!

Expand full comment
author

the dream!

Expand full comment