Looming summer months suggest we’ll be seeing the menfolk walking around in a pair of fashionable shorts and even short suits! Gone are the days when the shorts were plain and simple, here is our take on the ‘short’ revolution.
Lengths, hems, shapes, occasions and even hairless legs; no, it’s not just the women who fret over this and that. As the sun gets ready to play its part in our town we witness the menfolk discussing these salient fashion points. The men are prepping for the summer and on their wish list is at least one pair of shorts. One can’t debate the comfort quotient of a pair of shorts. Easy to slip in, men over the generations have expressed their love for this hassle-free garment. However, what has got them worried is the increasing fashionable expectation of wearing shorts the right way.
One of the earliest memories and images of men wearing shorts is that of young boys wearing plain cotton ones to school and playing with their socks pulled up to their knees. And while the trend is still alive on many streets, the runway experts suggest that shorts look best sans socks, and when worn with flip flops or slip-on and open shoes. The kickers and yanked up socks look is for children. If men wish to experiment with socks then they should roll them down and finish the look with Lace-Ups and Oxfords.
Next, remember that length is crucial. Fishing trips, football matches, road trips and left-over pizza get-togethers are an invite to slip into ‘short’ shorts. Unexpected work lunches on a weekend or trips to the shopping malls would require a few more extra inches. Take your pick from Bermuda, track and cargo shorts. If your work place supports liberal fashion then you could walk in wearing single pleated black shorts or classic suiting shorts with a button-down collar shirt. Think Andrew Rannells, the popular Elijah from the American televisions series, Girls. Andrew was spotted in dressy shorts and sockless ankles on the season finale of the show. And yes, the length is also detrimental when it comes to fuzzy legs. You’ve got to be comfortable (more importantly the people who sit next to you have to be fine with it too) either flaunting the hair or shaving it off, unless you are one of the lucky boys who have no hair trouble. A few choices would be from Dolce & Gabbana and Marc Jacobs range of drawstring Bermuda shorts, Paul Smith’s tailored shorts and Gucci’s deck shorts.
Before you think of accessorizing the look with a bold dial watch or a funky chain/link bracelet you have to pay attention to what you team up the shorts with. A gunjee with beach shorts, a collar neck tee with cargoes and a double-breasted blazer with the classic shorts. And for those looking at having fun with this outfit choice, bring on the floral-printed and graphic printed shorts teamed up with tees in solid colors. As for those who are still hesitant to go the short way, there is always the pair you wear to the gym and game.
So here’s looking forward to the streets full of men sporting the beach, city, cargo, denim, chino and deck shorts. And what a sight it would be to walk into an office with the men wearing short suits. Wouldn’t it be?