Shorts for women?

Janet,, it will likely be a bit cool for shorts on the ocean and coastal areas of England and Scotland unless you hit it lucky... so capris are a great compromise!
In Paris it can be warmer, or even hot, but it is hit and miss( I have been cold in August and hot in May, so no promises) . Capris are still probaly a better bet,, shorts are worn, but mostly by young girls,, and get this, they often wear them with leggings or nylons( ew) ... ( I guess I am too old to appreciate the fashion) .. Other tourists will wear shorts, but if you choose to do so I suggest a longer walking short as opposed to anything that looks too beachy.. its not that everyone in Paris is fashionalbe.. they are not, but it is a big city and most people find beach wear less appropriate in an inland city( as opposed to say Honolulu or Miami) .. Also suggest darker colors for bottoms in general, not a fashion judgement just because white or light colored shorts or skirts will get grubby so quickly ,, sitting on metros , public buses, or park benches!

Capris are seen quite often. You may want to look into a pair of skorts too. Some of the golfing skorts are quite dressy looking and comfortable.

I was all about the capris until I visited Amsterdam 2 years ago this summer in a heat wave. I was dutifully wearing the capris when my Dutch friends showed up at the train station in shorts! I changed. ; ) In Scotland you'll likely need long pants, although I have gotten a Scottish sun burn. Pam

You might want to delete your duplicate post of this question. To satisfy the regular Helpline contributors who get their panties in a big wad each time the shorts question starts cropping up and the subsequent tirades over how people answer, I will preface my response by saying that you can dress however you want and feel most comfortable because no one really expects a tourist to look like the local who is on her way to the office or out to some posh dinner. That being said: Each and every summer I have packed 1 pair of capris when visiting the relatives in Ireland and the UK, and I think I maybe get to break them out 1 or 2 days at most when I think it feels warm. My Irish relatives think when the temps hit 55 that's balmy & they will break out the capri pants and mini skirts (with leggings underneath). I get cold if the temp is not at least 65-70 degrees, so my capris don't get much use over there. Not sure what your cold tolerance level is as you are from Texas. You can still get a huge range of temps in the summer months in Ireland/UK (often in the same day when it may start out warm and turn cold, rainy or windy). In Paris: capris - yes, absolutely. Shorts - not so much on middle aged women - teens and women in their 20s do the shorts worn over leggings or tights combo. Given it looks as though most of your time is being spent in Ireland, England and Scotland with limited time in Paris, if it was me, I'd pack no shorts, 1-2 pairs of black or dark navy capri pants (Pat's right about shows less dirt if you end up sitting on a park bench or grass), long & short sleeve shirts and either a sweater or Polartec for when the wind starts kicking up near the coastal areas of Ireland/UK. I've worn my Polartec jacket in June, July and August over there and been really glad I packed it.