Think summer wardrobe and the first thing that comes to mind is shorts. The garment has always been a staple of the season, traversing a sea of styles across the years. In 2024, we’re realising that when it comes to what shorts to wear, the net is wide. And not just for women.
Menswear, too, has taken its shorts game up a notch this year. While OGs bermudas and basketball shorts return, new players like knee-length jorts and short shorts have also entered the field. But runway chic doesn’t always translate fluently to daily wear in real life. We got the experts to help you choose from Mescal-esque boxers, Ronaldo-approved swim shorts, and Efron-endorsed safari shorts and make them work for you.
Read the room
“I wouldn’t style my clients in shorts for formal occasions, necessarily,” says celebrity stylist Divyak D’Souza. “They don’t quite make the red-carpet cut. But I look to them a lot for vacation wardrobes.” Designers Pranav Misra of HUEMN and Kanika Goyal of Kanika Goyal Label have a counter view. “I think shorts could work very well for a formal occasion; it just depends on the style and pairing,” says Misra. “A well-tailored pair of shorts with a crisp shirt and blazer can look great at a summer garden party or a sophisticated beach wedding,” Goyal offers. “The key is to make sure the overall look is balanced in terms of the proportions.”
Content creator Tejeshwar Sandhoo, a self-proclaimed shorts aficionado, is also confident of their versatility. “I actually like to wear shorts to a lot of unusual places like meetings and events. I often pair them with a button-down [or I’ll do] oversize shorts with an extra-large shirt and a pair of high-tops, or perhaps a t-shirt and a slightly shorter hemline.”
Get Mescal’s look: Cartier Tank Must watch, Mr P pinstripe shirt, H&M socks, Prada shoes, Zara shorts
Of fabrics and styles
The season would naturally indicate gravitating to certain fabrics, like linen and cotton blends. But the lightness of seersucker, easy-cool of denim shorts (jorts) and the movement that nylon and polyester afford all make for solid VPs in the line-up. “I think Aditya Roy Kapur can really rock a pair of basketball shorts; it’s very ‘Bandra-boy cool’. I’d definitely stay away from fabrics like leather, in our climate,” says D’Souza, adding that he loves a good linen-cargo number. “They really create a resort-wear mood.”
As for silhouettes, tried-and-tested is good (knee-length jorts, tailored Bermudas, sports-casual), but bold is better! “I loved how Paul Mescal paired those teensy pinstriped boxers with a partially buttoned blue shirt, white socks and black loafers at Sabato De Sarno’s spring 2025 menswear show,” says Goyal. “He essentially proved that men can ace the exposed underwear trend, too! It’s the attention to fit and proportion, and the choice of accessories that play a big role in getting it right.”
Fit comes first
All of them have the same answer when the question of a shorts faux pas comes up—a bad fit. “Ill-fitting shorts can really throw off your look,” says Goyal. “As for grooming, it’s a personal preference, but what matters most is feeling comfortable and confident in what you’re wearing.” Misra mentions it is, in fact, the only thing that comes into how HUEMN makes shorts at all. “We’re gender inclusive, and when we design shorts, the primary factor we’re keeping in mind is comfort.”
“Really tight shorts that hug your legs uncomfortably are a nightmare,” says Sandhoo, with a soft shudder. “I’d stay away from those.” “Have fun with the length and fabrics, but please; pick the rise, or the fork of the shorts very carefully. Nobody wants to see your 007s; at least, not when you’re fully clothed,” D’Souza chuckles. “Make sure they fit you well and you’re comfortable in the crotch area, and you’re golden.”
Sandhoo delicately suggests that shorts might not always look as good if your legs are perhaps inordinately thin compared to the rest of your body. “I don’t believe there are any rules or any appropriate age when it comes to wearing shorts. But they can make you look a little disproportionate if your legs are on the skinnier side.”
D’Souza is a fan of shorter hemlines on well worked-out legs. “Short shorts on men are super-hot, especially if you work out and have great legs! Please show them off; just make sure the shorts fit.”
