THE JOURNAL

The debate over whether itās acceptable for a grown man to wearĀ shorts, and if so in which context, has never felt very consequential in the grand scheme of things. With each passing year, it seems to have faded further into irrelevance. This change in attitudes can be attributed to a couple of factors: first, the loosening of sartorial standards that has taken place over the past decade, and second, the dawning realisation that global warming will soon render the planet so uncomfortably warm that shorts will be all but compulsory attire. A sad truth.
Old habits die hard and itās only natural that men still approach wearing shorts with a degree of trepidation. Thatās why MR PORTER has compiled this illustrative guide, which highlights five of our favourite pairs and how to wear them well. Theyāve been chosen to suit a variety of tastes and occasions, in the hope that whoever you are, you might be encouraged to liberate your legs this season. Go on⦠you know you want to.
Wide boy


These generously tailored shorts come courtesy of the ProvenƧal designer Mr Simon Porte Jacquemus, who released his debut menswear collection to much acclaim earlier this year. With an approach to style thatās indebted to his upbringing in the sunny south of France, it should come as little surprise that easy-going summer staples are his forte. Wider shorts are great for warmer weather, their extra material lending them a breezy quality, and the longer cut of these ones ā theyāre designed to finish at the knee āĀ ensures that theyāre more formal in appearance than most. It makes them a sensible choice for a summer garden party, or even a casual wedding (dress code permitting, of course). To complement the military feel, which comes through from the olive colour and virgin-wool twill material, weāve picked out a pistachio-greenĀ shirt fromĀ Auralee with field jacket-style pockets and a camo-printĀ tote bag by Porter-Yoshida & Co. A hand-embroidered cotton-canvas chore jacket from the sustainably-minded London brandĀ Story Mfg. completes the look up top, while a pair of suedeĀ sandalsĀ byĀ Dries Van Noten offers proof that you can still look smart with your toes exposed.
The Italian way


It was the tailoring house of Mr GennaroĀ Rubinacci that first pioneered the lightweight Neapolitan jacket back in the 1930s. That was in response to the needs of its aristocratic clients, who were accustomed to sweltering through the torrid Italian summers in stiff Savile Row-style suits. Eight decades later, the brand has not lost its knack for smart summer attire. These Manny pleated shorts are amply tailored in light, breathable linen, the excess of which is gathered around the waist by a neat double-pleated construction. (Linenās inclination to crease means that pleats are a necessity on shorts with excess fabric.) A refined choice for summer, theyāre a natural fit with other traditional warm-weather staples. Weāve paired them here with a linen grandad shirt fromĀ Boglioli worn over a white T-shirt fromĀ Loro Piana and a pair of suedeĀ espadrilles from TOM FORD. TheĀ watch is also provided by TOM FORD, while theĀ sunglasses come courtesy of New YorkāsĀ Moscot and complete an outfit worthy of high summer in the Gulf of Naples.
Get technical


Swedish cult favouriteĀ Acne Studios takes a function-first approach to summer style with these Romeo shorts. Cut from ripstop nylon, a lightweight material reinforced by cross-stitched thread thatās commonly found in workwear and outdoor gear, theyāre sturdy enough to withstand the stress of everyday life and smart enough for running errands around town without looking like youāre on your way to the beach, making them the obvious choice for those days when itās stiflingly hot, but youāve also got things to do. (Thatās most of summer, then.) Keeping the utility theme running through the rest of this outfit, weāve paired these shorts with a rugby shirt from Carhartt WIP, the American workwear brandās sought-after streetwear diffusion line, a pair of smart utility sandals fromĀ Hender Scheme and a fluorescent orange cross-body bag from Maison Margiela.
Fresh prints


The shorts suit ā which, as the name would suggest, is an outfit comprised of shorts and a blazer in matching fabric ā has always been open to some degree of scorn. The trick is to avoid the overgrown-schoolboy look ā dress it down and avoid drab, institutional colours such as navy and grey. Take this example from the New York brand Engineered Garments, which is covered in a vibrant Hawaiian print, palm trees and all, and is panelled on the top half with seersucker and canvas. It goes without saying that you wouldnāt show up to school looking like this. As for the rest of the outfit, the trick here is to keep it simple. Thereās nothing wrong with dressing to make a statement, but from our experience, itās best to make just one at a time. Weāve completed this look with a striped tee from Loewe, a breezy linen grandad-collar shirt fromĀ Presidentās and white slip-on sneakers from Vans, sticking with lighter colours to complement the tone set by the shorts and jacket. The single contrasting element here comes from the optional addition of a navy bucket hat.
Strings attached


Everybody needs an everyday pair of shorts: the sort that you reach for on lazy Sundays, or any day of the week, really, when itās your prerogative to just kick back and do nothing. Weāve picked out this drawstring pair from our own label, Mr P., which combines pyjama-like comfort with a smart, tailored fit. And theyāre cut from breathable linen, too, which makes them perfect for sultry weekends spent in the park (assuming, of course, that you take measures to avoid those pesky grass stains). A short-sleeved printed shirt ā this oneās fromĀ J.Crew ā adds a stylish point of difference to what is an otherwise straightforward, shorts-and-tee kind of outfit, and weāve finished it all off with hoop socks from Mr P. andĀ sneakers from everybodyās favourite eco-friendly footwear brand of the moment, Veja.