The new fashion thirst trap? Short shorts for men

Once considered a sartorial component of tennis courts, Bollywood musical montages set in obscure European locations, and certain corners of the queer club scene, men’s shorts are staging a thigh-baring takeover. Short shorts are bold, cheeky, and everywhere—from Paris Fashion Week to Mumbai red carpets, from your Instagram crush’s preppy vacation fit to Paul Mescal’s off-duty latte run. The new erogenous zone isn’t the bicep or the chest. It’s mid-thigh. But make no mistake: this isn’t just about flashing some skin. This is a quietly radical shift in menswear codes. We’re talking about a wardrobe essential with deep roots in sportswear and queer subcultures, now remixed for a generation that’s turning masculinity into something softer, more self-assured, and much more fun to look at.

You can’t spell legacy without leg

Before they became the unofficial uniform of Gen Z’s coastal boyfriends, tiny shorts had a rich fashion lineage. In the 1980s, 1990s, and early aughts, they were athletic essentials—tight, tailored, and worn by everyone from Olympic sprinters to Bollywood heartthrobs. Tennis players like Björn Borg gave them a sporty sex appeal. Meanwhile, actors in India were wearing them both on and off-screen. Think Shah Rukh Khan shaking a leg in tiny denim cut-offs in Baazigar (1993), or Jackie Shroff’s beachside frolickings in his ultra-tight shorties, styled with everything from oversize T-shirts to retro puffer jackets. And who can forget Aamir Khan cycling through Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992) in tiny white shorts?

Fast forward to the present day: Jonathan Anderson’s much-hyped debut at Dior included striped boxers paired with matching shirts. Meanwhile 41 out of 46 looks in Gucci’s spring/summer 2025 menswear collection featured teeny-tiny iterations of the garment. The Saint Laurent spring/summer 2026 show at Paris Fashion Week opened with a pair of brown tailored shorts, while Prada recently went for a more bloomer-adjacent approach. It has been two years since Pedro Pascal famously wore a red-hot look by Valentino to the Met Gala in 2023, still seared into our subconscious. Jacob Elordi—all 6 feet, 5 inches of him—followed suit at the maison’s spring/summer 2024 runway presentation, pairing thigh-baring shorts with a tie and leather blazer.

Closer to home, actor Sahil Salathia followed suit. “I wore short shorts on the Filmfare awards red carpet last year,” he says. “When it comes to my fashion choices, I want people to know I’m having fun.” For Salathia, fashion is personal and unapologetic. “My favourite pair of shorts belongs to my dad. He is a retired police officer and loved playing tennis as a young man. This particular pair is black and tailored—no fuss. I still wear them. I also wear Muay Thai shorts to the gym, to the movies. I think they’ve got that spunk and structure. Sportswear has always influenced this silhouette. It’s nostalgic, and it’s sexy.”

The shifting of the gaze

No offence to Paul Mescal’s 4-inch inseams but queer men were here first. Gay culture has long embraced the short short as a form of playful provocation and celebration. From Tom of Finland’s drawings of virile, leather-wearing men to the tiny beach shorts worn at Fire Island, a haven for the queer community, this hemline has been loaded with both flirtation and power. Today, it has crossed into mainstream menswear with a wink and a smirk.

Stylist and founder of Moment Bombay, Aesha Shah, agrees. “Short shorts on men? They’re the new grey sweatpants,” she says. “It’s that same energy. The moment a man picks a pair, he’s signalling ease—and that, in itself, is sexy.” She also sees a quiet subversion in the gaze being returned. “Women finally get to admire. We’ve spent ages being watched—now it’s our turn. Men aren’t just dressing to blend in anymore; they’re dressing to be seen.”

The designers are dialling in

On the fashion business front, brands are making shorts with more intention than ever. “It’s a celebration of confident minimalism,” says Narresh Kukreja, founder and creative director, Shivan & Narresh, a label known for its body-positive representation. “We love the thigh-baring look—it allows for freedom of movement and is the perfect canvas for our signature prints.”

Founder and head designer Shivan Bhatiya elaborates: “It’s all in the architecture. A sculpted cut that elongates the leg, precise tailoring that hugs just right, and fabrics that move with the body. A little hardware, a little textural play—it takes a short from casual to irresistibly sensual.” The duo agree there’s a clear shift toward bold, body-confident designs in menswear and the demand for shorter, tailored styles has grown immensely.

Beyond the binary

The hemline of your shorts is also wrapped up in a wider cultural unlearning—of gender binaries, of restrictive dress codes, of the idea that masculinity must be armored and severe. “I don’t buy into this idea of masculine versus feminine fashion,” says Salathia. “Clothes have no gender. You could kill it in a skirt or a pair of hot pants—fashion is art, not a rulebook,” he adds.

That spirit feels especially potent in India, where male actors have often been expected to project a very specific kind of machismo. “We were told to be the angry, silent type,” he says. “But Gen Z is changing that. They’re fun, they’re free, they don’t care about unnecessary boundaries.” This new fashion language is expressive, vulnerable, and refreshingly unserious.

Wardrobe chameleon

How does one wear short shorts without looking like they just left gym class? Salathia has some ideas: “Pair them with a tank top and socks if you’re feeling confident. Or balance it out with an oversized tee if you want something more low-key. I’ve even worn them with blazers on red carpets. There’s no wrong way if you own it.”

Whether it’s the European summer boyfriend aesthetic or the 1980s jock look, the short short is surprisingly versatile. They’re being styled with mesh tanks, embroidered shirts, oversized jackets, even sarongs. Let’s just say that they are no longer just a summer fling or a retro reference—short shorts are here to stay.