Knees up: colourful men’s shorts aren’t just for summer

Jun 12, 2024

Smart or sporty, a decent pair of shorts will see you through the day, into the evening and into the pool too. We select 10 of the best

Our two-day British summer means we’ve not seen a lot of sunny shorts weather on home shores, but with the bank holiday on the horizon we live in hope! (And let’s not forget the perma-shorts wearers who don’t need a heatwave to enjoy the freedom of bare legs.)

A few key styles will serve you well for years. First up, at the smarter end of the spectrum, is the tailored Bermuda short. Style Arket’s black pair with a light jacket and matching T-shirt for a less casual monotone look (3, below). Follow a lead from Hermès and style with a sweater, or go for a tonal outfit with leather accessories for an elevated look. Mr Marvis have shorts covered, in fabrics from seersucker to linen. We love their cord style (£99). Dial up the smartness further with a shorts suit. See the ever stylish Nick Wooster (left) at Pitti Uomo earlier this year.

Sporty shorts are another useful staple. Head to Adidas and Nike for the best selection at affordable prices. Wear them outside the gym with the other hero piece of this summer, a vest. Add an open shirt and trainers for an easy weekend look, or keep it comfy by adding an oversized hoodie or sweatshirt.

Your swim shorts should be multi-tasking as actual shorts. Colourful Standard offer a rainbow of options from orange to pale pink (£59, endclothing.com) that work as well with T-shirts as in the pool. Ditto Uniqlo’s simple block colour style. Hurry though, as high street swimwear is still, frustratingly, only really available in summer months and these are already on sale (4, below). Top tip – this time of year is the ideal time to bag designer swim shorts as stores start marking down prices by up to 70%

1. Blue, £26, Nike Swim, urbanoutfitters.com

2. Tiger print, £115, oascompany.com

3. Linen mix, £55, arket.com

4. Swim, £14.90, uniqlo.com

5. Bermuda, £49.99, mango.com

6. Poplin, £39, cos.com

7. Drawstring, £70, gant.co.uk

8. Terry knit, £295, nanushka.com

9. Demin, £75, dickieslife.com

10. Striped, £29.99, zara.com