Do Shorts Have A Place In A Man’s Wardrobe?

I have a pretty rigid view of wearing shorts. I hardly ever wear them, even in the summer.

My view on shorts isn’t dogmatic, however. I simply don’t see the point in wearing them.

I wasn’t always this way, even after I seriously got into menswear. Back then, I would wear shorts every so often, especially in July and August.

But as I got older, I wore shorts less and less. It wasn’t really a conscious decision or any sort of particular aversion to them. They just gradually fell out of my warm-weather rotation.

Why was that?

I think it was because shorts are never the best choice.

I never found myself NEEDING to wear shorts, even on days when the temperature was in the 90s. Now, full disclosure, I live in the Northeast of the United States. If the thermometer reaches 95 degrees, it’s an anomaly. It doesn’t get nearly as hot (or humid) in my neck of the (literal) woods as it does in places like Florida or Texas or Arizona. So, I get that there are considerations that need to be taken into account when talking about clothing choices in different parts of the country and world.

But I think that if I lived in one of those places, I still wouldn’t opt for wearing shorts.

I just don’t think shorts offer much benefit over regular pants. Not enough of a benefit to overcome their stylistic deficiencies, anyway.

I used to wear shorts in certain circumstances because I felt like I NEEDED to, like if I was doing anything in the summer. But once I started wearing pants all the time, I realized I didn’t need shorts like I thought I did.

I realized that a pair of lightweight, cotton or linen pants was actually MORE practical than shorts for a handful of reasons.

The first reason was the most obvious… if I was wearing pants instead of shorts, I felt more comfortable, from a propriety standpoint, in a wider range of scenarios. I felt like wearing pants had me covered (sorry) no matter what I ended up doing on any given day. I could take the boys to a playground and then drop into a little restaurant for lunch, or bring the boys to the zoo and then have my in-laws babysit them for a few hours while my wife and I grabbed a cocktail at a local outdoor bar.

I mean, realistically, you’re never going to be turned away for wearing shorts, unless you’re going to the 21 Club or something. Will anyone bat an eye if you wear shorts everywhere? No. Just like no one will care if you wear a baseball cap everywhere you go.

But if you’re reading this site (thank you!) then you’re more than marginally interested in menswear and you’re more than likely thinking more in-depth about how you present yourself than the normal guy.

So, you already know that wearing a pair of full-length trousers is more effective from an “I’m a guy who cares about how I look” perspective than wearing shorts because you’ll feel more “dressed”.

But what about feeling too hot? Sure, not having the bottom half of your legs covered must have some benefit when it’s the middle of the summer, right?

I’m not entirely sure. Again, I live in an area of the country where I more so have to worry about getting four feet of snow than staying as cool as possible in the blazing August sun, but I have never worn my linen pants and thought to myself, “Oh my god, I wish I wore shorts”.

Also, and this doesn’t apply to everyone, my skin is very fair. I don’t even really get tan, I just get more freckles. In the dog days of summer, it’s prudent for me to cover up as much skin as possible. I like not having to worry about applying sunblock to my legs (and yes, I HAVE gotten a sunburn on my lower legs before!).

Over the years, I have found that wearing very lightweight, cotton or linen pants with no socks is a perfectly adequate alternative to wearing shorts.

I also get fewer bug bites.

“OK”, I hear you saying, “I get why I wouldn’t want to wear shorts if I knew I was heading to dinner with my lady”, but what about if I’m just bumming around with my kids on the weekends, playing in the backyard, or hiking, or something like that?

I find regular pants are better in those situations, too!

My wife and I take the boys hiking pretty regularly. We love being outside. I always wear a pair of sturdy boots and some cotton pants. I like having my legs protected from bugs, brambles, and poison ivy. I’ve pulled enough ticks off of me in my lifetime to appreciate adequate skin coverage when out-and-about with children.

So, from a purely practical point of view, I believe that shorts are not nearly as good as full-length pants. But what about from a style point of view?

Well, my issue with shorts in that sense is that they just don’t look as good as pants. They don’t flatter a man’s physique the way pants do.

Shorts make you look short, since they visually chop you off at the knees. You don’t have that elongating effect of pants where the eye travels from your face all the way down your body to your shoes. In a casual setting (meaning not in a suit), you’re already chopped in half from the break between your shirt and pants anyway so don’t exacerbate the effect by wearing shorts.

Pants help make a man’s legs look longer and stronger. Shorts do the opposite.

Honestly, unless you’re working out, shorts are just never the best choice. It’s like how I feel about white sneakers, or casual sport coats. You’re always going to be trying to “make them work” when a pair of regular pants would look much better.

This all makes me think of a couple I saw last summer. I was walking behind them and they were clearly headed out to dinner or drinks or something. They were young and attractive and both of them had obviously put effort into what they were wearing. She had on a nice dress and strappy heels of some sort. Hair, makeup, jewelry, the works. He had on a knit polo, khaki chino shorts, and white, minimalistic sneakers.

They both looked very good and put-together. To this gentleman’s credit, he absolutely put in the effort to match his lady-friend’s level of “going out niceness” and I am sure she was pleased with how good her man looked.

But even though this guy was young and handsome and took pride in his appearance, I couldn’t help but notice that he would have looked even better if he had worn pants instead of shorts. No other change to his outfit needed to be made! But if he had worn pants, his outfit would have been elevated to “elegant summertime date night” instead of just the “valiant effort” it was.

So, IS there a place in a man’s wardrobe for shorts? Yes, of course. I have a few pairs of mesh gym shorts I wear for working out or sleeping when it’s hot. I don’t really wear shorts any other time, as odd as it may sound, because I always feel like there is something better.

Even though I, personally, don’t wear shorts, I certainly don’t look down on others for wearing them. Take that young couple I just mentioned… sure, maybe I wouldn’t have chosen that outfit to wear for myself but I still think that guy looked good.

Yes, you CAN make shorts “work” and I think that guy is a good example of that. But it’s difficult with shorts. And while I think he looked good, I can still pinpoint things I would have done differently.

In conclusion, I don’t think you need to burn all your shorts. But recognize that there’s always a better, easier option out there.

And don’t forget your sunblock.