I have several different shorts/knickers/liners for different purposes.
For my roadie riding, which is mostly what I do, I have Terry Bellas or Shebeest S Pros. I have a pair of Terry knickers (lycra, just long shorts), too, and also chamois-less tights to wear over my shorts.
But, I also do the kind of 6-20 mile rides around town to do errands, just like you describe, on a flat bar road bike, similar to a hybrid. I wear skorts, baggies, or urban style cycling capris with liners underneath. The only place I ride to without at least a liner, is my neighborhood pond, which is .99 miles away! It just hurts me too much to go without a chamois, although I have ridden the 4 miles to the center of town chamois-less. Maybe I am overly sensitive, but I can use the liner with my regular shorts or capris, too and no one knows. I see all of my different things as a way to express my different cycling styles.