When you’re shopping for a pair of board shorts one of the main questions you’ll ask yourself is what colors work best for board shorts?
A lot of it depends on personal preference of course, but there are other factors that you might not take into account before settling on the perfect pair of board shorts.
Here are some questions you should probably ask yourself before deciding on board shorts of a certain color:
Where are you going to be wearing these board shorts? Are you wearing them only to the beach or the pool?
What colors work best with your skin tone? Do these shorts need to be versatile and appropriate in multiple social settings?
There’s nothing worse than showing up to a restaurant or social gathering that’s a little more sophisticated than you expected and you’re wearing board shorts with palm tree graphics on it.
Or maybe that’s your style, do your thing then.
In this post, I will show you the best board short colors for many different situations or occasions.
What Are the Most Versatile Board Short Colors?
Board shorts are a very popular choice for everyday wear in the summertime. With their increased popularity and acceptance in different social settings, the demand for board shorts with versatility has skyrocketed.
You will now find board shorts being worn to casual restaurants and events. This style trend and social acceptance is a fairly recent phenomenon.
One of the biggest factors playing into board shorts’ mainstream acceptance is their ability to mimic casual shorts in style and color.
Board shorts with neutral or muted colors such as light-grey, navy blue, beige, khaki, black, and white are the most versatile and will match many shirt styles and social occasions.
Hybrid board shorts in neutral colors are the most versatile type of board shorts, in and out of the water. You can wear them to the beach or any outdoor gathering in the summertime.
I like to buy clothes that are functional for more than just one specific occasion. I will leave any of the more extreme colors such as neon green or pink at the beach.
And you don’t necessarily have to wear hybrid board shorts if you’re looking for a pair of shorts that can match your shirt and shoes color-wise. There are many neutral and muted color board shorts that are excellent for surfing that also pair seamlessly with most shirts.
What Colors of Board Shorts Work Best for Different Skin Tones?
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to one’s own personal style and preference. At the end of the day, you should wear what makes you happy and most comfortable.
With that being said, there’s still a portion of society that fancy themselves the fashion police. They have rules such as not wearing white after labor day and other nonsense.
Fashionistas also have rules for finding the right colors of clothing for your skin tone. I don’t necessarily subscribe to this, but I thought I’d mention it.
The color of board shorts that look best for people with pale skin is neutral or muted in color. Colors such as beige, grey, black, olive green, and navy work best with paler skin.
For example, if you have a pale complexion, you could wear a pair of neutral color board shorts rather than a loud, brightly-colored pair of shorts.
If you have a darker skin tone then you can wear pretty much any color of board shorts you want, with brighter colors such as bright yellow, sky blue, pastels, reds, and bright greens working well for you.
A lot of people like the clean and classic look of white board shorts. The biggest advantage of wearing white board shorts is that they pair with pretty much any color.
White board shorts also show stains particularly well so you’ll need to be careful when wearing them.
What Color of Board Shorts Are Best for Bodybuilding?
If you’re shopping for a pair of board shorts for a men’s physique competition I am going to assume that there will be bronzer involved.
If that is the case then you’ll want a board short color that will pop on stage but not take too much away from the main attraction.
Blues and aqua colors seem to work well and are very popular in physique forums.
Again, you will want to wear a color that most defines your style and makes you most comfortable on stage.
The Bottom Line
What colors work best for board shorts depends on what makes you feel good and most comfortable. Yes, there are certain fashion guidelines that some people like to adhere to, but that doesn’t mean that you should as well.
If you want a pair of board shorts that are versatile enough to wear for different occasions then you’ll want to stick to neutral colors that will work well with most shirts and shoes.
If you’re a person that likes to wear colors that match their personality, literally, then definitely show it with a flamboyant color.
There are no rules other than: wear what makes you happy.
Board shorts are casual and easy-going by nature. If you don’t overthink it you’ll find the perfect pair for you.
