10 Golden Rules To Rocking Shorts In Summer [0:00:00]
So, do you remember that Seinfeld episode, the one about the guy from California that
always wear shorts? One of Elaine’s strange boyfriends. This guy even in the middle of
winter in New York City, he was still wearing his shorts.
And, gents, I get it. The right pair of shorts can give you a lot of freedom down there.
That being said, you can overwear them and that takes us to golden rule number one when
wearing shorts, don’t overwear them. You’ve got other options.
Linen trousers, lightweight cotton chinos, performance pants. Gents, if you find the
right pair of lightweight breathable trousers, you’re going to find that they’re just
as comfortable as shorts and infinitely more stylish.
In today’s video, gents, we’re talking about the ten golden rules to wearing shorts
and looking great. [Music]
Golden rule number two, pay attention to the length of the shorts and how that works in
proportion with your body. In general, shorts come in four different
inseam lengths – 3 inches, 5 inches, 7 inches, and 9 inches.
Now, I know some of you smartasses are saying, “Come on, Antonio. I need a 12-inch inseam
to account for the length of my manhood.” [sound effect] Well, if that’s you, congratulations
and good luck with that. But, for the rest of us, the length of the inseam has more to
do with the style of the shorts and for the height of the wearer.
First up the style of the shorts. In general, shorts for sports such as swimming, such as
running, those are going to be shorter. Performance, gym shorts, these in general 3 to 5 inches
of inseam length. Now, what about dress shorts? Shorts that
you could wear with a nice polo shirt. In general, these are going to be 7 to sometimes
9 inches in length. So, what’s the right length of shorts for
you? Really, it depends on your height and proportions. If you’re 6’5”, probably
that 9-inch inseam is going to work great on shorts that you would wear with a polo
shirt. Basically, those dress shorts. Now, if you’re going to be going for performance,
going to go for a run and let’s say that you are 5’5”, then probably 3-inch inseam
for running shorts or even for sports shorts that you would wear to the beach, that’s
going to be perfectly fine. Your dress shorts if you’re 5’5”, I would say 5 inches
or 7 inches. But, you want to be about 2 inches above the knees.
Now, gents, if you’ve ever seen somebody wearing shorts, wearing shorts way too long
or wearing shorts that are way too short. I’m sorry to bring up the memory. Do me
a favor, gents, smash that like button. The next golden rule is you want the right
fit in the crotch, you want the right fit in the seat, you want the right fit in the
leg. So, the leg is where most people I see violating
this rule. To be honest, if it’s too tight in the crotch or the seat, you’re probably
not going to buy them. If it’s a little bit loose, then you’re going to think it’s
okay. But, the problem is when you’ve got those
skinny legs and all of a sudden it looks like you’re wearing a skirt. You’re going to
want to and this is the next golden rule is take your shorts to a tailor to get them adjusted.
Yes! Because if they’re just a bit too long, you can get them shortened. If they are too
wide, there’s just too much excess material around the leg, guess what? A seamstress can
go ahead and open up that side and bring them in and it just makes the shorts look so much
better. All right. So, we’ve hit on fit. Now, let’s
talk about the situation in which to wear shorts. No matter how expensive the shorts
are, no matter how fancy they are, shorts are always going to be a casual garment.
I know some of you guys down in Bermuda, you’re saying, “Hey, I can wear them with a suit.”
Okay. That’s an exception. But, for most situations, shorts are going to be much more
casual. So, you need to understand what is the dress code?
Going back to point number one, you do have other options. You can bring in those light
cotton chinos, those linen trousers. Find a pair of performance pants, which look like
dress pants. They’ve got some great ones out there. But, that is going to be a better
choice than going with shorts in a dressier situation.
The next golden rule is to have fun with the fabric. Because most guys just default to
whatever they can find. They don’t think about fabric and all the options you have
out there. If you look online, I mean, you’ve got madras
out there. Originates in India. This is going to be a very lightweight cotton weave that’s
very bright and incredibly breathable, hence why it was sought after.
If you want a pair of dress shorts that you can actually wear with a nice polo even a
casual button down that you could roll up, then, yes, a cotton twill is going to be what
you’re looking for. That being said, some other great fabrics
to consider are chambray and seersucker. What I love about seersucker is first up, it’s
a unique fabric. Usually, has a pattern, a stripe in it. And it’s the texture, it’s
that gauze weave that allows air to pass through. So, on incredibly hot days, you want to want
to wear shorts that actually feel like you’re almost wearing nothing, grab a pair of seersuckers.
Now, what about synthetic fabrics like nylons, polyesters, spandex? I’ve got some great
shorts especially performance shorts, swim trunks, running shorts, workout shorts. All
of mine are made from synthetic materials and combinations that are woven in a way that
they’re incredibly breathable, very durable and it’s really brought down the price in
men’s clothing. I would say when it comes to dress shorts
as well, I have found some great options, again, in the performance line that actually
are resistant to wrinkling, resistant to staining, resistant to odor even.
So, really, give it a shot, you know, look at the options. Again, you’ll know cheap
polyesters when you touch it. It’s not going to be breathable. That, you want to avoid.
But, a lot of companies out there are putting out some great options, so don’t discount
them. [0:04:59]
The next golden rule, when you wear shorts, understand that you’re showing more skin.
What you may not know is that when you show more skin, people assume that you are actually
less intelligent. Now, there are some great things for showing
a bit more skin. People usually find you more attractive, they find that you’re more relaxed.
But, if you’re going into an interview, if you have to prove competence, do not wear
shorts. Now, of course, I know most of you guys wouldn’t
wear a shorts into an interview or a big important meeting, but some of you guys out in California,
you may be considering it. And Florida men, yes, I see you.
Now, speaking of skin, let me ask you a question, do you have a skincare routine? Are you taking
care of the skin on your face, on your arms, on your body, on your legs, so that it looks
good, it looks healthy? And as you age, as you get in your 30’s,
40’s, 50’s, all of a sudden, your skin just it doesn’t look as great as it could
if you had a routine, if you had the right lotion, if you had the right products to take
care of it. Now, for those of you guys that have watched
quite a few or my videos, you know where this is going, gents. I want to talk to you today
about Vitaman. This is my grooming company based out of Australia, using natural and
organic ingredients to help your skin look amazing.
As many of you guys know, I took on an ownership stake in Vitaman back in 2020 because I love
what these guys are going. How they are making amazing products to deal with your specific
grooming issues. Now, gents, I could go on and on about this
company for the next two hours, but I’m going to put my money where my mouth is. And
I’m going to say, “You know what? Just try the products.” I’m going to make it
incredibly easy for you. Down in the description of today’s video,
I’ve got a special link, you can grab your sample kit for free. That free sample kit
comes with a face and body cleanser, a man’s face scrub, a face moisturizer, natural shaving
cream, aftershave balm, and two packets of shaving gel.
Gents, we’re sending out these free samples because I know when you try our products,
you’re going to see Vitaman difference. This is a limited time offer. It’s not going
to be available forever, so use that link. Go grab your sample kit today.
The next golden, rule, gents, don’t be afraid to have fun with color. A lot of guys avoid
color in their wardrobe because they think it’s just going to make everything, you
know, not as versatile. They’re not going to be able to work it into their interchangeable
wardrobe. There is a bit of truth to that, but I do
think shorts especially relatively ones you can find on sale, they’re inexpensive. This
is going to be a great way to bring in just a bit of pop, a little bit of fun into your
wardrobe. So, in general, the darker colors – grays,
dark browns, dark blues, these are going to be, you know, in a sense the more formal shorts.
Again, all shorts are casual, but these are going to be the dressier of the bunch.
When you go towards the lighter colors, in general, those are going to be more casual.
So, if you go with a light gray, if you go with a very light brown, you know, light blue,
all of these, again, are going to be casual. Pastels are going to be even more casual,
so much when you bring in lavenders and mint, salmon. It’s something that’s really easy
just to have fun with the color. Just remember, that in general, the darker the solid color
right there is going to be more formal. And dovetailing right with that, let’s now
talk about patterns. So, everything I just showed you was a solid. And solids in general
are going to be more formal. Now, if you want to go towards more casual, where we’re going
to see stripes, we’re also going to see some checks, and we’re also going to see
lots of mini patterns. And, again, mini patterns are going to be
small repeating patterns, the number of – I mean, you see this on swim shorts a lot. You
also see this on very casual shorts. But, yeah, those are by far going to be the most
casual. Perfect for swim trunks, if you wanted something that’s fun with running shorts.
Again, that’s where you’re going to see this.
Now, when it comes to cotton shorts, twill shorts, you occasionally will see them in
stripes, but the majority of these are going to be solid.
Now, when it comes to madras, what do we see there? Notice that check pattern. Most shorts
though, you’re not going to see too many check patterns and checks are just a bit busy.
Sometimes they can make the shorts look a little bit overly wide.
The next golden rule is to understand the different types of shorts. Are you ready?
Let’s do this. Running shorts, swimming shorts, denim shorts, dress flat front shorts,
dress pleated shorts, cycling shorts, board shorts, cargo shorts, madras shorts, Bermuda
shorts. Now, throughout this video, I’m using a
lot of images. If you want the full infographics, you want to actually read this, you want more
detail. Down in the description of today’s video, I’m linking over to the support article
at Real Men Real Style. Go check it out. In that support article, I go into a lot more
detail. I’ve got all these infographics laid out, so you can go through them, you
can use it as a buying guide. You can use the information over at my website to make
a smart buying decision. All right, gents. So, the next golden rule
is thou shalt understand you have more options than just wearing running shoes with your
shorts. Seriously, gents, running shoes are for running,
that’s why I always recommend buying the ugliest shoes you can find when it comes to
running shoes, so you only wear them when you’re out exercising.
Gents, when it comes to shoes and shorts, there are so many great options out there.
These leather sneakers right here, beautiful. They’re going to work with a great looking
pair of Bermuda or dress shorts whether pleated or unpleated.
And, probably avoid the pleated. I know I just showed them, but, yeah, not for everybody,
a little bit outdated. Want to dress it up? Bring in a pair of horsebit
loafers with no-show socks. Too much bling, too much metal? Go with a pair then of simple
penny loafers right here in light brown. Or that simple? White sneakers, a classic.
[0:10:00] Now, what about ultra casual options like
sandals or flip flops? I do think in the right situation, fine, especially if you’re going
to the beach, you’re going to be spending time at the pool, you’re going to be taking
your shoes on and off, you’re going to be around water, why not. Just don’t wear the
sandals with socks. The next golden rule is don’t be afraid
to experiment when it comes to shirts you’re pairing with those shorts.
Now, in general there are certain shirts you do want to avoid, dress shirts especially
the more formal dress shirts that have fold-over cuffs. Basically those French cuffs, avoid
those. But, a lot of other shirts, go for it. Try
it, see how it looks. I know personally I’ve successfully paired shorts with casual button
downs, sweat shirts, hoodies, even sweaters. Now, if you’re just getting started, obviously
t-shirts are a great option, but go with a solid. Maybe try a V-neck, bring in a Henley.
Definitely, look at polos and don’t be afraid of a long sleeve linen.
And now, let’s cover the most controversial golden rule out there, to tuck or not to tuck
your shirt into your shorts? Now, my general guidance here and if you disagree,
let me know down in the comments is to never tuck your shirt into your shorts unless they
are dress shorts, then you have the option. Part two of that guidance, if the shirt does
not have a collar, it should never be tucked in. And part three of that guidance, the only
collared shirts you should tuck in are those whose length and tail style indicate that
it is meant to be tucked. So, how does this work in the real world?
T-shirts, you never tuck in. Henleys, you never tuck in. Polos, you rarely if ever tuck
in. When it comes down to a casual button down made from linen long sleeve and it’s
got tails that go about 4 inches past your waist area, yes, you would tuck that in.
All right, gents. What video to watch next? How about the ten golden rules to looking
great in sneakers? A very timely video especially if you’re in your 30’s, 40’s, 50’s,
you want to rock sneakers with shorts? This is the video you want to check out.
[0:11:46] End of audio