A little history of costume lesson for all my readers out there:

The name ‘tap shorts’ or ‘tap pants’ originates from shorts worn by tap dancers while practicing their routines.  Tap shorts are a form a lingerie worn by women and are most commonly manufactured using silk, satin, cotton voile or lace.  Throughout the past couple decades, designers have translated the concept of tap shorts into outerwear.

I designed two different pairs so far.  The fit and fabric are just a little different on each pair.

The first pair I made, was cut from a vintage dress (see picture below).  There is a 1.5″ waistband with elastic, which creates a nice flowiness to the garment.  Styled here with a You Babes sweater and brown braided belt.

It was hard to choose just one look for these shorts, so I tried a couple blouses as well.  The tap shorts can also be worn more casually with a t-shirt or tank top.

To purchase these tap shorts click here.

This is the vintage dress that I cut the shorts from.  They didn’t take up much fabric, so I  have enough of this dress to make a few more pairs.  I might incorporate it into a new dress design instead, though.  I guess you’ll have to wait and see!!

The other pair I made a little wider to form more loose gathers.  The waistband is about 2″ wide and instead of using elastic, I used a top made out of a heart printed cotton stretch.  The actual shorts are made from a paisley print remaindered fabric.  Styled here with a vintage black dancer tank (also for sale on our etsy shop)  The colors of these shorts are great for Fall, so I would suggest pairing them with a simple sweater and some brown boots for late summer/early Fall.

To purchase these tap shorts click here.

What do you all think of tap shorts?  How would you style them?

<3 Michelle