Board shorts were originally designed for surfers but these days they’re worn by everyone from grannies to toddlers. Even if you’re not a surfer and hate to go into the sea a pair of board shorts are beach wear essentials. With summer only a few short months away I thought that a little inspiration to make your own pair of custom board shorts.

The most basic and simple way to make a pair of custom board shorts is to take an old pair of jeans and simply cut the legs off above the knee.To make these really simply you don’t really need to hem the legs. Let them fray as this just adds to their character.

Unfortunately wet denim can be quite heavy and abrasive so this style of homemade board shorts is not likely to be suitable for surfing or other water sports. But they look really cool with a vest or t-shirt, a pair of flip flops and a cool pair of sunglasses.

If you are good with a needle and thread you will probablyhave fun customising your shorts with a few cool embellishments. One of my favourite modifications is to remove the rear pockets and add some nice, brightly colored summer material. I will often embroider my home made shorts, add a few custom patches and maybe replace the pockets. I then wear the shorts with a long silk scarf threaded through the waist band as a belt. My boyfriend tells me that these are the sexiest shorts I wear.

Rather than cut down a pair of jeans you might like to remodel a pair of suit trousers. These can look really cool when cut down into board shorts, with a few embellishments. You will normall have to hem a cut down pair of suit trousers to stop them from falling apart. Like my denim board shorts, I always like to add a few personal custom features. You might like to add a few custom patches, some cool side pockets or a nifty new waist band.

If you don’t have any old suit trousers why not pay a visit to a nearby charity shop. You will find plenty of old trousers to choose from, ideal for recycling into a fresh and funky pair of board shorts.