Meaning of "quite bring off wearing shorts"

[Gabi]

English Language Tests, Intermediate level

ESL/EFL Test #143 "Idioms with the phrasal verb bring", question 1

Englishmen can't always quite ......... wearing shorts.

(a) bring off
(b) bring on
(c) bring up
(d) bring over

English Language Tests, Intermediate level

ESL/EFL Test #143 "Idioms with the phrasal verb bring", answer 1

Englishmen can't always quite bring off wearing shorts.

Correct answer: (a) bring off

Your answer was: incorrect
Englishmen can't always quite bring up wearing shorts.
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I don't get the meaning of the phrase.

Gabi

[Alan]

Hi Gabi,

Bring off as a phrasal verb means achieve in the sense of doing something successfully. In the sentence bring off wearing shorts means not really wear shorts and at the same time look right. In other words if you try to wear something that is not suitable for you or doesn't suit your personality, you don't quite bring off wearing it.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
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