Women's Shorts & Skorts From Indie Makers

Two numbers do most of the work: rise and inseam. High-rise pairs (10-12" rise) sit at the natural waist and read dressier; mid-rise sits lower and more casual. Inseam tells you coverage — 2-3" is a short short, 5-7" is a relaxed Bermuda, and 9"+ runs long. Skorts settle the modesty question: they look like a skirt but hide built-in shorties or a compression liner underneath, which is why tennis, golf, and pickleball players reach for them. For fabric, linen and cotton gauze breathe for summer and travel; nylon-spandex and moisture-wicking knits suit the court; French terry makes a soft lounge short. Expect about $20-$45 for cotton or linen shorts, $35-$70 for a performance skort with pockets, and $50-$90 for hand-embroidered or made-to-measure pairs. Many makers ship stock pieces in 3-7 business days; embroidered or custom-cut orders usually take 1-2 weeks.

Use the filters for size, inseam, rise, and fabric, and the related searches below to jump straight to plain Shorts or athletic Skorts.