I was sitting on my roof deck last Sunday reading The New York Times and after anticipatory reading, I finally made it to the Style section.
When I pulled it (the Style section) out and unfolded it I couldn’t help but simultaneously laugh and think, “You have to be kidding me.” Why? Because of an article titled, “Shorts Have Men Showing a Little Leg.”
The article essentially highlights that fashion influencers say men shouldn’t wear shorts, but that people are starting to see more men wearing shorts. Here’s one section of the article,
“It’s a sentiment echoed by many style arbiters: men of a certain age and distinction, the thinking goes, cannot wear shorts and be taken seriously. This applies not only to the workplace, but also in social settings.
Much of the fashion establishment seems to agree. “I avoid them,” said Glenn O’Brien, the fashion editor and writer of GQ magazine’s “Style Guy.” “If it’s like 100 degrees, or if I’m just going to Whole Foods, I will break down and wear shorts, but I try to avoid them for business.”
Tom Ford put it this way, in a guide on “how to be a modern gentleman” in AnOther Magazine: “Rule No. 5: A man should never wear shorts in the city.””
I’m not sure what world the people that think guys shouldn’t wear shorts live in, but it’s not reality. But guys, I’m telling you, it’s OK to wear shorts. Seriously, it is.
Here’s my thinking. When it’s 95 degrees in NYC the average female has on short shorts or a skirt, and a loose fitting top. Why in the world should a guy be forced to wear pants? That is, unless women now have a new appreciation for men showing sweat stains through their clothing. Yeah, not so much. Now, I’m not saying you need to start wearing long wonky looking shorts, but they can most certainly be worn in a gentlemanly kinda way.
What’s ironic about seeing this article last Sunday is that I’d already planned on doing a post about seersucker shorts and how amazing they are for warm temperatures. If you’d like to see that post, click here to check it out.
Some people will continue to preach that men shouldn’t wear shorts, but I live in the real world, and in true Fashables tradition… that’s my “normal’ish” point of view.
About Ryan
