14 DAY TRIAL // A few weeks ago, I was telling you that shorts are among the leading summer trends in women - they're comfortable, form-flattering and there's a style and cut to fit most body shapes and sizes. The time has come to talk a little about the male counterpart of this trend - you guessed it, the male shorts. It's been said before, but we ladies still find it very funny: put simply, "shorts are the single most intimidating item that a guy can shop for" says Michael Macko, former men's fashion director at Saks Fifth Avenue quoted by the NY magazine. Should they be worn at work? Only when embarking on a fishing expedition? Here's a little inside perspective on men's shorts - the dos and the don'ts.
The two major male dilemmas when it comes to shorts are "what style" and "what should I wear them with". In other words, where do we draw the line between sporty, geeky and the downright ridiculous? As far as style is concerned, one valuable piece of advice is to "treat your shorts the way you treat your pants". In other words, if you usually wear baggy pants, then opt for baggy shorts, and if fitted is your style, then pick a trimmer short style. However, don't allow yourself to swoon over the way shorts look on models - unless you have muscular legs, you risk looking like you're walking on a pair of toothpicks.
As far as length is concerned, a longer look is a safe choice for most men - however, short shorts are not a very good choice, either: an inch or two above the knee is more than enough. As for the second dilemma - what to wear them with - a foolproof choice is the white dress shirt with rolled-up sleeves. As for footwear, tailored short pants go with anything from dress shoes to traditional wingtips and desert shoes. "A black pair of desert boots with a thin cotton black sock could be kind of nice", says Humberto Leon, owner of Opening Ceremony. As far as wearing them at work, just go with the company policy: if your colleagues do it, jump on the bandwagon. If nobody else is wearing shorts, this is definitely not the time to start a workplace fashion trend.