Over the weekend, the weather here in San Francisco started warming up a bit. Similarly, the discussion heated up amongst my friends about the warrants of men and shorts. See, especially in the Bay Area, where the weather never really gets all that hot, shorts are never a "necessity" for men, and for that very reason, most of us in this part of the country can get away with never wearing shorts if you don't really want to. Still, despite having lived here my entire life, I realize that there are many areas across our fair land where wearing short pants is pretty much unavoidable.
So in the spirit of warming weather, I'm going to try to help you out with a few "do"s and a couple of very avoidable "don't"s.
"Do"s
Try to find shorts that really fit more like short pants. This means that the fit in the waist and thigh should be pretty similar to whatever you're used to in your favorite pair of pants, and they should ideally hit right around your knee or maybe somewhat higher. There should be enough room to move freely, but no so much room that you can fit both of your legs into one leg of the shorts. Take for instance these
Cadet Shorts from
Gap; they fall right at the knee, have a nice classic style, and good clean lines. At
$39.50 they won't break the bank, and during our birthday week they'll net you
11.0% Cash Back. They're even available up to a size 46, so even someone of my more "ample build" can find a pair that will look cool this summer.
Cargo shorts are okay, if they're kept in check. Generally speaking, it is my knee-jerk reaction to dismiss cargo shorts and pants, but I think this is a byproduct of a number of people who just don't really understand the proper way to wear them. The problem is that almost no man in his everyday life needs six pockets to carry everything; really we shouldn't need four, but that's another blog. Still, if you want to wear cargo shorts, keep the cargo pockets empty, and avoid shorts that tie at the bottom - you will probably never tie your shorts shut, so it's just needless adornment. Get a nice pair like the
Versatek Ripstop Cargo Shorts from
Eddie Bauer and you'll be looking good with
3.0% Cash Back.
"Don't"s
Jorts. Yup, sorry guys, jeans shorts are pretty much not ever okay. Least of all when they're gigantic. Stick with cotton, khaki, or something simple like Dickies.
Cutoffs. I know distressed denim is still popular, and that there are some folks who will argue until they're blue in the face that cutoffs are back in as long as they're long enough and they fit properly, but the people who can actually pull off that look are very few and far between. Unless you are absolutely fearless in your confidence that you can pull off this look don't try. When it goes wrong, it goes really wrong.
Shorts with length issues. As I said earlier, shorts should be in the general region of your knee. If you have more than about two inches too much or too little in either direction, you kind of look terrible. Nobody wants to see a guy in hot pants. Similarly, you look like a ten year old wearing your dad's shorts if you have a pair that stop two inches above your socks. If you're that concerned about showing off your legs, just wear long pants.
Man-pris. I hope I don't need to explain this one.
Find a good looking pair of shorts and earn some
cash back in the Ebates
Clothing category!
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