This is but one installment of 37 Things a Man’s Gotta Do This Summer, our annual compendium of everything worth seeing, doing, eating, drinking and generally making time for in your neck of the woods between now and September. Stay tuned all month for more.
Last weekend, not three hours after buying the token pair of white shorts I pick up each summer, I noticed something: grill grease, right thigh, approximately two-and-a-half inches in length.
Once again, my hopes of keeping them pristine until September had been foiled, and in record time. I don’t know why I expected any different: summer is a season for spontaneity, and it behooves you to dress accordingly.
That means a couple things when you’re restocking the ol’ shorts drawer:
- You want shorts that are adaptable to many situations: lawn party, volleyball game, bike repairs, a quick dip in the pool.
- Avoid light colors like the plague.
Luckily, every name in menswear has also realized these tenets, as evidenced by a new school of short that goes by many names (“All Day”; “365”; “Everyday”) that essentially denote the same qualities: flexibility, quick drying and the ability to take a beating.
By all means, pick up that annual pair of pressed whites and keep them under glass that says “break in case of yacht party.” But every other day between now and pants season, reach for one of these 10 options instead.
The Deck Short by Buck Mason, $65
Stretch cotton with a drawstring and a faded wash. Pool friendly.
The Bo Short by Alex Crane, $75
Washed linen with an elastic waistband, with matching shirts available in every color.
The 365 Short by Flint and Tinder, $78
A tailored option with just enough Lycra to make sure you don’t suffer any beach-bum blowouts.
The Warrior Short by Kozm, $78
A hemp/cotton blend designed for yoga. Which means it’s also designed for any activity that requires you to be limber.
The Myles Everyday Short by Taylor Stitch, $58
Four-way stretch and water-repellent, with a nice pop of color on the drawstrings and pocket seams.
The Nomadic Hybrid Short by Outerknown, $65
Sustainably made swim trunks in a classic, tailored cut from Kelly Slater. Safe to say he knows a thing or two about transitioning from beach to bar.
The All Day Short by Faherty Brand, $83
Partially mesh-lined (though not with one of those restrictive brief-shaped jobbies) and sporting a slightly longer (but still above-the-knee) 9” inseam.
The Heron Short by Jed and Marne, $74
Unapologetically comfortable, whimsically patterned and made in Guatemala. They also offer their styles in two lengths to satisfy all levels of thigh flasher.
The Midweight Drawstring Short by Everlane, $55
Like a chino short, but stretchier.
The Capital Short by Olivers, $108
Like a stretchy short, but chino-ier.
Nota bene: If you buy through these links, InsideHook may earn a small share of the profits.
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