Men’s shorts: Out of the taboo zone!

How short is too short? This summer, the question is pressing, as hemlines are clearly rising in men’s fashion. At the fashion shows in Paris and Milan, shorts were so short that you would have thought the designers had run out of fabric. At Zegna, the models wore colorful Bermuda shorts, at Thome Browne, they wore elegant suit shorts, and at Gucci, creative director Sabato De Sarno designed pants that could definitely be described as hot pants.

What kind of man should wear that? Sabato De Sarno seemed to be well prepared for this question, because before the male world could get worked up about his pants, he had already created a hype. Paul Mescal, Irish actor and new face of Gucci, helped him when he appeared at the show in boxer shorts-like pants that only covered the upper half of his thighs. “I’m a big fan of men wearing shorter shorts,” said the 28-year-old.

He didn’t seem to be alone in this, because instead of receiving a shitstorm, his picture was shared millions of times on TikTok and Instagram within seconds – and “short shorts”, the catchy name of the little pants, became a trend. A look that other stars are now copying and showing off their well-trained legs on the red carpet. Like Chris Pine, who recently appeared at the premiere of his film “Poolman” in short, blue pants. Hollywood’s It-Boys Jacob Elordi and Timothée Chalamet have also been spotted in shorts, which they casually wore with a suit. So it’s no surprise that fashion magazines are conjuring up “Thigh Guy Summer”, the summer of bare men’s thighs.

Men in shorts – you can’t really avoid them right now. During the European Football Championship, they flicker across the screen in colorful boxes almost every day. They even appear in cinemas and on streaming services. Films like “Saltburn” and “Call Me By Your Name” play with the nostalgia of past decades, which was greatly supported by the costume design. And what embodies the feeling of carefreeness and a seemingly never-ending summer better than the shorts that you once wore as a teenager in the 70s and 80s.

Tom Ford has already railed against men’s shorts

Will men who have been wearing long trousers to the office for years now be sitting around in shorts as wide as their belts? Not really. Nevertheless, the hype surrounding super-short trousers is an ideal moment to finally lift the male leg out of its taboo zone. For years, shorts were considered taboo for men. Often because style watchdogs told them not to wear them in the office, but only for sport, mowing the lawn or on the beach. Tom Ford was also one of those warning. “Shorts are not appropriate in the city,” said the star designer, who once revitalized women’s fashion at Gucci with his Sex Sells method, but preferred to keep his legs buttoned up when it came to men’s legs.

This led to many men preferring to hide their legs under thick fabric rather than showing them on the street or in the office. If skin did show, people immediately joked about hairy legs, even about the “flesh zone” between short pants and socks. It’s logical that many men have thought that the pants will stay long. Better to sweat than be ashamed!

Enough of that! In times when men’s and women’s fashion is becoming more and more similar, we should finally do away with boring rules. After all, even the German national football team now plays in pink away jerseys. A color that was long considered taboo for men.

It is undisputed that women also love to look at sporty men in shorts. Some people’s pulses will certainly race, but revealing clothes rarely have the same effect on men as they do on women. If they show skin, it is quickly interpreted as a sexual provocation. When men wear shorts, however, many people think of someone who wants to do away with gender boundaries.

Like Paul Mescal. With his appearance at the men’s shows, he has ensured that the discussion about short men’s trousers has been re-started. Of course, no one has to follow his example and wear one of his hot five-inch trousers. That is the official size for short shorts, which are about 13 centimeters long from the crotch to the hem. Men who prefer to keep their thighs a little more covered are best off with good old Bermuda shorts. They usually end a hand’s width above the knee.

You can wear it not only for digging in the garden, but also for going to the office. And if, contrary to expectations, someone looks at you strangely, fashion-conscious men now know that with this look they are one step ahead!