Consider checking on the shorts every few hours. Bleach is caustic, and it can eat away at the fabric of your shorts. To prevent over-bleaching or ruining your shorts, plan on checking on them every four hours, if possible. The longer you leave your shorts in the bleach solution, the weaker the fibers will become.
For a more dramatic ombre effect, consider using darker denim. A pants hanger is not necessary, but it could help weigh the shorts down as you are dipping them into the bleach.
Consider folding the shorts in half and clipping them onto a pants hanger. This will allow you to pull them out of the bleach solution more easily. The weight of the hanger will also prevent the shorts from falling into the bleach solution. [6] X Research source
If you wish to make dip-dyed shorts, do not take them out of the bleach solution. Simply leave them in the bleach solution until you have achieved the lightness you want. Dip-dyed shorts have a more defined line than ombre shorts.
If you do not own a pair of denim shorts, you can make your own by cutting the legs off of a pair of jeans.
Keep in mind that the dyed item will be a little darker when it is wet than when it is dry. Fabric dye is translucent, so the original color of the shorts will affect the new color. For example, if you choose to dye a pair of ombre shorts pink, the white part will end up pink, but the blue denim part will end up purple.
You can also use this technique to draw designs on unbleached shorts instead.
