The suitcase is open, a favorite top is already inside, and there is room for one pair of shorts. For an imagined warm-weather October getaway, make the next decision at the waistband: do you want a buttoned outfit you can style with a belt, or a drawstring you can adjust without packing one?
Autumn does not arrive everywhere at once. The National Park Service's Natchez Trace report for the week of September 27 described persistent heat in the southern district while cooler days reached Tennessee. Use that as a reminder to check your destination's current forecast, not as a forecast for your own trip. These outfit ideas are for conditions in which you already find shorts appropriate.
Put a belt beside the twill shorts
The 5-inch stretch twill chino shorts have a zip fly, button closure and belt loops. Lay them beside the top you plan to wear and decide whether you like the waist visible. A tucked or shorter top can leave room for a belt as part of the outfit; an untucked top may make that extra accessory unnecessary.
The listing also specifies two front zippered pockets and two back patch pockets. Check the actual pocket openings with whatever small item you intend to carry; the description does not provide dimensions or guarantee that your phone fits. The 5-inch inseam describes the inner leg seam, rather than the entire length from waistband to hem.
Before the shorts go into the bag, sit in the complete outfit and see how the waistband and any belt feel together. A belt can change the look, but it is not a reason to buy the wrong chart size. Our two-chart example explains why even the same letter size needs a fresh check.
Leave the belt out with the floral drawstring pair
The 4-inch linen-blend drawstring shorts offer a different packing choice: a high-rise waist with an adjustable drawstring, two front slash pockets and a 4-inch inseam. The Blue Floral catalog image shows the tie at center front. Try your chosen top over it before deciding how much of the waist to show.
If you want the print to be the main visual detail, a plain top you already own is an easy styling experiment. Tie the drawstring comfortably, then check whether the knot sits where you want it beneath that top. The adjustment is for fine-tuning the selected size, not replacing the size chart.
Close the bag after one complete outfit check
Choose the pair whose waist works with your planned top, closures and accessories. Keep a different outfit available if the forecast or your activities call for more coverage. Neither a linen-blend description nor a twill label establishes weather protection.
Explore Women's Shorts, consult the exact garment chart with our measurement guidance, and review the return policy before washing new clothing.
Product details and actual catalog photographs checked October 11, 2026, US Eastern time. NPS seasonal report dated week of September 27; page updated October 8. Outfit and packing examples are hypothetical.