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.”