Hot pants have made it to men’s fashion

Many men still hesitate to bare their calves, let alone their knees, in the sweaty summer sun. But the men's fashion industry is already a few centimetres ahead. Ultra-short shorts that show off the thighs are currently all the rage, the perfect length for the inner hem being just under 13 centimetres.

Italian fashion house Gucci sent 41 male models in hot pants down the catwalk at its latest fashion show. In the front row was none other than Paul Mescal: probably the most idolised acting star of the time– and poster boy behind the airy trend.

The 28-year-old Irishman went viral four years ago thanks to a paparazzi photo. It showed Mescal in tight sports shorts buying canned gin and shrimp crisps. Since then, he’s been repeatedly photographed in the much-discussed garment, making the five-inch shorts his trademark. «I’m a big advocate for men wearing shorter shorts,» the front-row guest – in his ultra-short pair, of course – told GQ at the Gucci show.

Skimpy shorts – originally a trend from the 80s

He’s no longer the only celebrity fan of this look either. Fellow actors Chris Pine and Donald Glover, also known by his artist name Childish Gambino, appear in the so-called short shorts from time to time. As the trend emerged a few seasons ago, it’s now becoming more and more mainstream. As with pretty much all trends, this, of course, isn’t a new release. In the free-spirited 1970s and the fitness-obsessed 1980s, skimpy shorts were all the rage.

In an interview with E! News, Chris Pine recently shared his nostalgic sentiment for short shorts. «It’s a vibe. It’s the best vibe,» said the 43-year-old, citing actor Tom Selleck as the inspiration for his thigh-revealing looks. He rose to fame as private detective Magnum in the 80s series Magnum. Chris also referred to retro basketball shorts as an example of the superiority of super-short shorts. He believes they’d look far better than the knee-length styles of today.

Athleisure wear normalised short shorts

The fact that sports and functional clothing is now part of everyday life is likely to have significantly contributed to the boom in short shorts. But we’re not talking about any short shorts, training shorts particularly dominate this trend. This is probably because shorter hem lengths aren’t uncommon in sportswear, making the look less disconcerting. Feeling comfortable when you wear them also plays a decisive role. And short sports shorts offer just that – maximum ventilation and freedom to move.

Another factor influencing the trend is the crossover in menswear and womenswear. It encourages experimentation on both sides – even when it comes to trouser length. Hot pants have long been an integral part of women’s fashion. While 5-inch shorts are only just establishing themselves (again) in men’s fashion, even tinier micro shorts are becoming increasingly common in the women’s range.

But this doesn’t mean that longer shorts have gone out of fashion. «Jorts», wide jeans in knee or three-quarter length, are currently among the most popular warm-weather pants, regardless of gender. So shorter shorts definitely aren’t replacing longer ones, rather different lengths are also becoming more accepted in men’s fashion.

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