Elle UK has huge trend news for you: Everyone is wearing denim shorts right now! Umm, yeah, because it’s summer. And people wear denim shorts pretty much every summer. Know what else people do with denim shorts on an annual basis? Look terrible in them. Too often, the styling is off and they’re either too wannabe sexy (with pointy pumps and a corset, for example, blech) or the thought process seems to be “Hell, this is denim, who cares if I look homeless?” Well, we care. So we’re going to help you get denim shorts right.

Oh holy hell. First Lady Michelle Obama has caught some flack for daring to wear shorts while on vacation with her family at the Grand Canyon in 100+ degree heat. (Emphasis all mine because I cannot fathom the absurdity.) This morning on “The Today Show,” The Washington Post‘s Robin Givhan and Mary Tomer, author of the upcoming book Mrs. O: The Face Of Fashion Democracy, discussed the brouhaha over Mrs. O wearing above-the-knee (GASP!) shorts. Apparently, some see this as her, I dunno, giving the middle finger to propriety and tradition since the look is so casual. The whole thing made me mega-stabby, especially since Lauer can’t help but acknowledge how ridiculous it is that they are even discussing the topic. If Obama had been wearing, say, a khaki skirt, would people have cared to comment? If the shorts had been below the knee, would that have been OK, or would the chatter then be about her looking frumpy? Also, isn’t there, like, a health-care debate going on?

Is edgy, New York City designer Alexander Wang secretly pulling his inspiration from suburban malls? First he produced this leather sleeved jean jacket, which reeks of an Aeropostale catalog knockoff, and now we’ve spotted a pair of his biker shorts for sale on Shopbop.com. The spandex shorts, which were prominently featured during his Fall 2009 show, look remarkably similar to ones we’ve seen everywhere from Sears to Walmart. Except, what would cost you $30 at these department stores will run you a couple of hundred—$365 to be exact. We get it, Wang is chic and modern and all the celebs and socialites love him. But no amount of buzz in the world justifies this price point! [The Cut]

Annika has challenged us all to wear shorts (and look nice doing so) this spring, and Katy here proves that it’s possible! Along with her nude lace-up flats, high-waisted shorts, and bangle bracelets, we love how the long necklace ads a little oomph to her outfit. [Weardrobe]

1. Hanging Bullet Flake Necklace, $80, Boticelli’s Niece
2. Hayden Necklace, $12.50, Alloy
3. Playful Beaded Rope Necklace, $40, Topshop

We don’t usually wear shorts, even when it gets to be 90 degrees and hotter, because we’re afraid they’ll ride up our bums and create that awful V-shape we’ve seen campers unknowingly sport. But we don’t want to live in fear any longer. This year we’re going to challenge ourselves to wear shorts. Our first step is to find a great pair that will get our fashion juices flowing. Click through for three shorts outfits we’re going to try out once it warms up.

Today’s New York Times Style Section article “Shorts Crack the Code” says it’s okay and increasingly common for men to wear shorts to work. We don’t support this fad because:

1. Forests of leg hair.
2. Dangling bits.
3. The existence of air conditioning.
4. Shorts + loafers = douche.
5. Even Chuck Bass can’t pull them off.

Men have many options when it comes to showing some skin this summer: board shorts, classic speedos, spandex hot pants, banana hammocks, and now the mankini. While Borat and John Mayer have made the mankini a laughing stock in lime green, at the recent Alexander McQueen menswear show in Milan, the tan and black is so cutting edge it looks like the future, like something one of the guys on Star Trek would wear.  Maybe not Captain Jean-Luc Piccard, he’s totally a sporty shorty kinda guy.  However, a guy like Geordi LaForge would definitely make the mankini swoon. But is this look realistically rockable for the modern mman?  [Wake Up America]

Are shorts up for debate? We think they may be, but even still, we think this summer wear can be quite cute, if you buy the right cut for your “body type” or whatever it is the women’s mags always tell you. This time around, we’ve picked out 10 pairs of shorts that are on the teeny side.

It seemed like it was never gonna happen, but spring is finally in the air! While some celebrate by partaking in any possible outdoor activity—long walks, picnics, sitting outside and reveling in the fact that such an act is no longer torturous—others, like yours truly, reach for their favorite warm-weather appropriate ensembles. Mine is comprised of a formula that is quite basic and yields solid results. Ready? Super short shorts, a cute top, and killer heels. This look is all about the legs, hence, all other areas of skin aside from your face should go into hiding—you gotta leave something to the imagination. I tend t think the top should also be relatively subdued, so no crazy patterns, embellishments, ruffles, and so on. The key here to keep it effortlessly sexy. A thin top, floaty blouse, or even a mildly sexy cami topped with a thin cardigan are all great ways to keep it mellow on top. My suggestions, after the jump!