Miniskirts for men? Short shorts are back but not for the fainthearted
From Dior to Tom Ford and Jacquemus to Prada, prepare for legs to be bared as short pants make a comeback
Think of five men you know, ranging from young to old. Now imagine each of them in extra-short shorts. Sorry. I just had to share what I went through when I read they have been deemed the must-have shorts style for summer 2019.
Prada, Jacquemus, Dries Van Noten, Tom Ford, Dior, you name a fashion house and it’s got them.
Most men I know wouldn’t be caught dead in tie-dyed leather shorts, even if they were sanctioned by Louis Vuitton. So how did we get here?
A few generations ago, it would have been laughable for men to wear short pants, which were reserved for young boys who could only graduate to trousers around puberty.
Find the shorts that fit the occasion. Are you on your way to play basketball? Well, then you have your answer. The same should apply to board shorts, bike shorts and any other type of athletic wear.
Then, around the 19th century, war and sports began to change the way men dressed.
We all know that fashion appropriated camouflage, cargo pants, peacoats and bomber jackets from military uniforms, but we don’t often make a connection between shorts and war.
British Army officers, for example, cut their trousers short to cope with the sweltering climate in tropical colonies.
They are said to have been inspired by the uniforms of Gurkhas during the Anglo-Nepalese war (1814-1816).
Legends abound regarding the origin of Bermuda shorts, but their global popularity can be attributed to the British military.
Athleisure goes as far back, too, thanks to hunting, golf and, later, tennis.
Knickerbockers for sport date back to the 1860s. In the 1920s, Edward, Prince of Wales popularised plus fours, which extended about four inches below the knee.
Fast-forward to today and one of the biggest shorts trends is basketball-style shorts.
The bizarre style is cut with 13-inch inseams and comes in eccentric combinations, such as Gucci’s colour-block, velvet version this season.
So how’s a man to choose?
Find the shorts that fit the occasion. Are you on your way to play basketball? Well, then you have your answer. The same should apply to board shorts, bike shorts and any other type of athletic wear.
It may seem boring, but a classic, tailored chino short is your best friend. It will help you avoid the pitfalls of choices available to you.
Yes, cargo shorts are everywhere, but please don’t wear them. They look sloppy and you will never, ever need all those pockets.
Similarly, there is no good argument for denim shorts. Whether cut-off and frayed or neatly hemmed, they are always egregious.
Fabric is key. I’ve never seen anyone pull off a madras check, for example, with dignity. Some feel a seersucker should be exclusively the domain of Southern gentlemen in the United States, though I disagree.
There is a lot of faux preppy out there, and the worst is anything embroidered with sailing boats, anchors or lobsters. Linen can be a wonderfully cool fabric in the heat, but be prepared to wrinkle.
So, when plain old beige or navy seems too boring, I suggest tailored shorts in solid colours, preferably muted, like they have been bleached by the sun.
A wise man will choose length over trend. While we are seeing a lot of five-inch inseams at the moment, a safe length for most would be seven to 10 inches.
Men with muscular legs and glutes will be more comfortable and look better in a wider cut, while a slimmer man could look like he has chicken legs in anything wider than a skinny cut.
Finally, let’s leave shorts firmly in the casual category. Unless you are Pharrell Williams, or from Bermuda, don’t wear shorts with jackets for formal occasions.
