Jeans are the undisputed kings of men’s fashion all around. They are the most popular type of pants in the world, and it is easy to see why. It’s not easy to find outfits or situations that do not work with a pair of classic blue jeans.
However, despite their undisputed greatness, they are not the be-all and end-all of men’s legwear fashion. This is especially true when it comes to summer, as men’s shorts rule that territory and shorts summer outfits become the gold standard of fashion.
What To Expect In This Article?
Men’s Shorts Fashion
Men’s summer fashion is quite a bit more challenging than the rest of the year. You cannot just layer your outfit with a fancy leather jacket and call it a day. There are a lot more factors that need to be considered before crafting the right outfit for summer, and comfort is the most important one. In other words, your summer outfit needs to be breathable, lightweight, and easy to move in before you can even think about making it stylish.
Luckily, men’s shorts follow this criteria to a T. They are the key to being comfortable in summer without compromising style. Plus, thanks to their tens of unique types, there is a pair of shorts for most situations you might find yourself in.
Shorts Outfit Ideas
Shorts work with almost everything you can wear on top of them. However, not all of these men’s shorts outfits are created equal. Some of them are a clear step above the rest. You can experiment with different men’s summer shorts outfits on your own and hope to stumble upon these proven greats. Or, you can get inspired by our curated list of the best men’s summer short’s outfits.
Take a look.
Shorts and Polo
Polo t-shirts and shorts go together like peanut butter and jelly; effortless and fantastic. A pair of khaki shorts topped with a plain polo t-shirt is an outfit that every man should have in his arsenal. The best part about this fit is that it works in so many situations.
Despite the casual nature of shorts, wearing them under polo makes the outfit look mature. As for the polo shirt color, light colors like white, light blue, and light pink are recommended.
A more stylistic variation of this outfit is with dual-colored striped polo shirts. You will have to pay more attention to color matching in this outfit, but the end results are worth the added effort.
Blazer Over Shorts
So, it’s summer, and your regular office outfit is starting to get uncomfortable. What can you do to combat the heat? Well, look through your workplace’s dress code as it might allow you to wear a shorts work outfit in the summer, as long as it’s styled professionally. This professional shorts style can be a bit challenging to nail down, but you can make it easy by including a black blazer into the mix.
Gray or brown men’s dress shorts outfits are the right choice of shorts for this look, and you have multiple options for the shirt. If you want to go smart casual, then a white polo is the ideal choice. On the other hand, a white or light-colored button-up will appear sharper. Lastly, black leather shoes with white ankle socks are the correct footwear option.
Smart Street Style
Shorts have more stylistic potential than you might think, and this street-style outfit is the best example of that. The style starts with the selection of shorts, and navy-blue trilby shorts are fantastic here. A white short-sleeved button-up combined with a matching white fedora hat is pretty much the best pairing for this outfit. The last piece of the puzzle is the footwear, and brown leather loafers fill this role with style.
Another example of this style would consist of charcoal shorts paired with a white short-sleeved V-neck, a pair of black low-top sneakers, and a colorful bandana. The key behind this particular outfit is the color gradient from top to bottom. So, something like a white V-neck with light blue shorts and navy blue sneakers is also just as effective.
Jeans Shorts and T-shirt
This is one of, if not the most basic summer outfits with shorts for guys out there, but it is also one of the most effective ones. All you need for it is a pair of blue jean shorts, and a plain mono-colored t-shirt. You don’t even have to pick a color for the shirt as plain white is more than enough. But you are free to express your own sense of fashion by picking something more striking.
The finishing touch on this combo would be a pair of white low-top sneakers, and you’re dressed to impress. You can also gain additional style points, however, by utilizing accessories like sports wristwatches and men’s summer hats.
Shorts with Leather
Shorts under a black leather jacket is not an outfit that many people know about. This lack of popularity is a good thing, however, as it makes it much more memorable and attention-grabbing. But before we get into the specifics of these summer men’s shorts outfits, you have to pick a type of leather jacket as that will change the other elements.
If you’re looking for something that can be considered polished, then a brown café racer jacket is the way to go. Pair it with a light-blue button-up or a pair of tan shorts, and you’ve got yourself an outfit that is stylish without sacrificing maturity.
The other jacket you can choose is the motorcycle jacket. The reason to pick this one is its spontaneous flamboyance and sense of adventure. A shiny black moto jacket paired with a pair of black shorts and a white t-shirt can be considered the peak of baddie summer fashion. Make sure to include accessories such as black aviators to bring a personal touch to the ensemble.
Athletic Shorts
Athletic activities require clothes that do not restrict movement, and shorts are the obvious choice for legwear. But, wearing shorts for a workout session is one thing; making those workout shorts look stylish is another. Luckily, it is not only possible but quite simple once you understand the basics, and there are two main types of shorts to master.
First are the tight-fitting biker shorts that are designed to be as functional as possible with zero regard to their style. So, outfitting them means surrounding these mundane sports shorts with stuff like vibrant hoodies, oversized sweatshirts, and colorful sports boots.
On the other side of this coin are the sweat shorts with their loose-fitting and soft fabric. Compared to biker shorts, styling these is a piece of cake. Something as simple as a matching hoodie with a pair of white leather sneakers will do the trick. That said, you can take things a step further by layering plain t-shirts with colored button-ups.
Modern Overall Shorts Outfits
Overall shorts are the most underrated type of shorts out there. An outfit consisting of black overall shorts, a dark Hawaiian shirt, and white sneakers is a sight to behold. Similarly, blue jeans overall shorts with a printed white tee allow you to get a country look with a modern twist.
How to Style Shorts?
The men’s summer outfits with shorts we listed above are more than enough to get your shorts journey started. You can just follow them one-to-one and enjoy. However, these are just the tip of what is possible with men’s shorts, and the only way to unlock this potential is by putting in the work yourself. Extermination of the clothing items in your closet is a surefire way of discovering a shorts outfit that fits your sense of style perfectly.
However, before you get started on that, there are a few guidelines for wearing shorts that you have to understand.
Choose the Right Length
The first rule of styling shorts is to pick the right length of shorts, as it is just as important as picking a design or material. For most men, this ideal length is just above the knee. Any pair of shorts that’s too long will make you look like a skating teenager in the 90s, and anything too short will look straight out of an 80s fitness video.
Focus on Fitting
The next step of styling shorts is getting the fitting right. The “right” fitting varies a bit from one type of shorts to the other. But, as a rule of thumb, the shorts should not be tight enough to restrict movement or loose enough that they make your upper leg look bulky and disproportionate to the rest of your physique.
No Cargo Shorts
Cargo shorts are quite practical and convenient for holding a bunch of stuff. However, they are not the right choice if you care about your style. The only reason to wear cargo shorts is if you’re going trekking through a jungle or something similar. Even in that situation, you can swap them out for cotton khaki or camel shorts to improve your look.
Vary Your Colors
Do not wear shorts and shirts that are the exact same color. It does not look stylish or trendy and just ends up being childish at best. The only shorts outfit that works with matching colors is a pair of sweat shorts with a sweatshirt, but even that looks better with a varied color scheme. If you’re not sure about the color of your shirt, just wear white.
Don’t Forget the Footwear
The last guideline to styling shorts is to remember your footwear. Unlike full-sized pants, shorts put a lot of emphasis on your shoes, so wearing the right pair is crucial. Unfortunately, we cannot recommend a single pair of casual shoes that will work with all types of shorts in all outfits. That said, low-top sneakers, leather loafers, sports boots, and sandals are all fantastic options in their respective style.
FAQs – Shorts Summer Outfits
Men wear shorts in summer with t-shirts, sweatshirts, plain button-ups, Hawaiian shirts, and leather jackets. As for footwear, sneakers, sports shoes, leather loafers, sandals, and flip-flops are all quite popular.
Yes, it is OK to wear shorts in summer. In fact, shorts are some of the most popular men’s legwear for summer and for good reasons. They keep the legs cool, provide ultimate maneuverability, and look stylish in the process.
Yes, you can wear a shirt over shorts. Khaki shorts are great for rocking everything from button-ups to polo shirts. Jeans shorts are also a strong contender for this position as they look quite fancy with plain white shirts in particular.
No, it is not. As long as the weather allows it, you can wear jackets with shorts. Leather jackets are a fine choice for this style of outfit, but you can also look into fabric jackets like the ones made with denim.
The best types of socks for shorts are invisible socks. They stay inside the shoe and are not visible outside. But, if you don’t have them, low-height white socks are also acceptable.
The coolest summer outfits in terms of style include slightly loose-fit button-ups over a white t-shirt and a pair of dress pants. On the other hand, coolest in terms of temperature is definitely a men’s shorts outfit with short-sleeved t-shirts.
White shorts look incredible with colorful shirts. The simplest option here are plain crew neck t-shirts with one solid color. On the other end of the spectrum are Hawaiian shirts with their multi-colored designs and patterns.
First things first, leather shorts are not a good idea in the middle of summer when it’s the hottest. They work well at the start and tail end of summer with loose-fit t-shirts and tank tops. Also black leather shorts are the way to go for the best versatility and ease of styling.
Final Words
Men’s shorts are wildly popular during the hotter days of the year. However, they are still far from as popular as they should be. A big reason behind that is most men don’t know how to style them. The good thing is that crafting shorts summer outfits is not as challenging as they might initially think. All they have to do is follow this complete guide to get started, and they will become a master of summer shorts in no time.
