A meaningful reconsideration of where and when shorts are appropriate is long overdue. They have long been positioned as overly casual (see beachwear) or youthful (perhaps because, for a long time, they were known as “knickerbockers”— the go to attire of 19th century children). The very wise Tom Ford once said, “A man should never wear shorts in the city. Shorts should only be worn on the tennis court or on the beach.” But the limitations on shorts in Very Important Situations is not entirely practical for menswear wearers, especially when sun dresses and breezy skirts are more than perfectly acceptable. As my colleague Christian Allaire once wrote, “The problem is, men baring their legs in a professional setting has become a total taboo. Wearing shorts to the office? Forget it Human Resources would personally escort me out of the building.”
Increasingly, however, fashion is elevating shorts. No one has quite mastered their fancified iteration better than Euphoria actor Jacob Elordi last week. The internet heartthrob attended Valentino’s spring 2024 show in a pair of expertly (and strategically) pleated shorts. The Pierpaolo Piccioli designed trousers achieved, what I like to call, the golden ratio of thigh to leg on Elordi. The look felt flirty and sleek, versus—as short wearers can often fall victim to—casual, slouchy, or juvenile. Paired with a leather blazer, a skinny black tie, and wide frame sunglasses, Elordi provided a mature and hard edged spin on a garment and fit otherwise associated with studious pupils. The pièce de résistance? The actor’s exposed Nike branded socks.
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