From left: A look from Erin Wasson's fall 2009 RVCA collection, Rihanna in New York earlier this week, and Nicky Hilton in L.A. yesterday.Photo: Getty Images, Newscom, FilmMagic

The warm weather brings with it a flood of cutoff shorts to our fair streets. The perfect pair of cutoffs is that rare thing — distressed and faded just enough in just the right places. You could purchase the perfect pair, like Current/Elliott’s rolled, stretch-denim cutoffs, for $187. But then you'd be that girl who paid $187 for shorts that look more fit for rubbing Pine-Sol on floorboards than serving as bottoms. Style.com thinks paying $187 for those shorts is "nuts," too (way to go, Style.com!). Also, the ideal pair of cutoffs is not bought, but salvaged from ugly old jeans one no longer wears. However it's difficult to fashion the perfect pair of cutoffs all on one's own. But perhaps the bigger question of this most pertinent matter is why we are still trying to cut off our shorts? This was the big trend in bottoms last summer. Shouldn't we move on and latch onto a different trend? Like no bottoms? We kid, obviously. But rolling up one's cutoffs is a half-assed progression of the trend. What say you? Cutoffs for the win? A free pair of new shorts in these recessionary times? Or are you moving on and wiping the floor with yours?

The Great Cutoff Debate [Style.com]