The Best Shorts for the Dog Days of Summer
When temps hit triple digits and your calendar is packed with rooftop drinks, resort getaways and “casual” weddings, these 15 shorts are your last line of defense.
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August is coming in hot—literally. While you were busy pretending June would last forever, the mercury crept past "uncomfortable" and landed squarely in "existential crisis." Your jeans are now medieval torture devices. Your chinos? Sweat saunas with belt loops. And that last-minute Mykonos trip you just panic-booked? Yeah, those cargo shorts from 2003 aren't cutting it.
Here's the thing about summer's final act: it demands respect. The sun hits different when it's 95 degrees and the subway platform feels like Satan's waiting room. You need to wear shorts that work harder than your excuses for leaving work early. Shorts that can survive a rooftop party in Williamsburg, a wedding in the Hamptons and still look presentable when you're sweating through security at Newark.
We've assembled more than a dozen pairs that understand the assignment—from under-$100 workhorses that'll outlive your lease to Italian numbers that cost more than your monthly car lease. Each one solves a specific problem: the meeting-to-marina pivot, the "I definitely work out" deception, the European vacation cosplay. Because when the city turns into a convection oven and your August calendar looks like a game of social Tetris, the right shorts aren't just clothing, they're warm-weather survival gear. Below, 15 pairs to add to your shopping cart.
The Best Men’s Shorts for Summer
- Simkhai Hugh Striped Oversized Shorts
- Todd Snyder 7" Italian Linen Pleated Short
- Frescobol Carioca Lucas Shorts
- Ten Thousand Tactical Utility Short
- Cherry LA Denim Shorts (Light Wash)
- Derek Rose Sydney Linen Shorts
- Dries Van Noten Embroidered Bermuda Shorts
- Our Legacy Mount Cotton & Hemp Cargo Shorts
- Ciele Athletics ATShort
- Buck Mason Cord Beach Cruiser Short
- Bode Gilbert Check Shorts
- Fedeli Vico Linen Shorts
- Rick Owens Cotton-Blend Poplin Shorts
- Flint and Tinder 365 Chino Short (7")
- Brunello Cucinelli Cotton Interlock Shorts
Simkhai Hugh Striped Oversized Shorts
These aren't your uncle's dock shorts. The oversized cut with crisp front pleats says "I summer," while the stretch-cotton blend and elasticized back come to the rescue when you double up on lobster rolls for lunch. Perfect for: Gallery openings where you need to look rich but approachable, boat parties where you're not sure whose boat it is, and any scenario requiring you to migrate from poolside to dinner without looking like you tried.
Todd Snyder 7" Italian Linen Pleated Short
Snyder took the DNA of your best dress trousers and gave them a summer internship. The extended tab waist and double forward pleats scream old-money Positano, while the 7-inch inseam keeps you from looking like you raided your grandfather's closet. Dress up or down; deploy these tailored fit shorts at: Rooftop weddings where you need to outdress the groom's cousins, client dinners disguised as "casual drinks," or any time you want to make sweatshort guys question their life choices.
Frescobol Carioca Lucas Shorts
Labeled as sleepwear by lawyers, these linen-blend pull-on shorts are what you reach for when you want to look like you just rolled out of a beachfront villa. The wave motif walks the line between appreciating good design and definitely having a passport. Think farmers market runs where you're buying $12 tomatoes, post-swim situations requiring immediate tequila and video calls where you're business up top, Rio down below.
Ten Thousand Tactical Utility Short
Co-designed with actual Special Forces vets, because apparently, regular pockets weren't cutting it anymore. These are what you wear when you want to look like you could rappel down a building, but will probably just use them to carry your AirPods. For everything from urban hikes (aka walking more than 10 blocks) to impressing guys who still wear cargo shorts unironically, these shorts handle the mission.
Cherry LA Denim Shorts (Light Wash)
For those who treat summer like a sport, these 14oz jean shorts play hard. Made in L.A. with a lived-in wash and no-nonsense cut, they’re the spiritual opposite of TikTok tailoring. No stretch, no gimmicks, just a zipper fly, heavyweight cotton and a relaxed fit that lands somewhere between ‘90s skater and post-grunge comeback. You won’t need more than one pair of jorts, but good luck not wearing them every day.
Derek Rose Sydney Linen Shorts
British pajama royalty Derek Rose decided you deserve Italian linen with a zip fly and pin-lock pockets—because drawstrings are for quitters. These classic fit shorts will outlast your next three remaining summer flings. Wear them to Hamptons share houses where you're definitely not doing your share of cleaning, casual lunches that determine your bonus and anywhere you need to flex without flexing.
Dries Van Noten Embroidered Bermuda Shorts
Leave it to Dries to take something as innocent as roses and make them look like a thesis on gender, texture and haute summer defiance. The cut’s classic straight-leg Bermuda, but the energy is pure gallery-opener. Not for guys who fear attention—or red sauce.
Our Legacy Mount Cotton & Hemp Cargo Shorts
Stockholm meets streetwear in these elevated cargos that somehow make pockets look sophisticated. The cotton-hemp blend is sustainable enough to mention at dinner parties, while the clean lines ensure you won't be mistaken for someone who actually needs that many pockets.
Ciele Athletics ATShort
Built like gym shorts, engineered like performance outerwear. With a ripstop shell, quick-drying chlorine/salt resistance and a mesh brief liner, these are the only athletic shorts—or swim shorts—in your drawer that can survive both a trail run and a poolside Aperol. The 5-inch inseam keeps these stretch short shorts sharp. So do the self-draining pockets—because you’re not bringing your trail mix home soggy.
Buck Mason Cord Beach Cruiser Short
Cut from 10-wale cotton corduroy with a 6-inch inseam, this Buck Mason short walks the line between vintage surf nostalgia and workwear grit. The stonewash finish and corozo button closure give it a lived-in look straight out of 1970s Venice Beach. Throw on with a faded T-shirt or an oversized button-down camp shirt and you've got the beach-town menswear summer style uniform of someone who knows how to order a cortado and change a flat in under 10 minutes.
Bode Gilbert Check Shorts
These wide-leg viscose shorts from Bode pull inspiration from deadstock yardage, updated with a soft hand and a brown-and-cream micro-check that reads vintage without the musty backstory. Best worn at flea markets where you're hunting for more Bode, garden parties where everyone else is in khakis and any function where you need to prove you understand fashion with a capital F.
Fedeli Vico Linen Shorts
A notch above your average Amalfi drawstring short, Fedeli’s Vico cut is pure Italian resort—trimmed straight through the leg, built in breathable linen and finished with a clean drawcord waistband. A pair of shorts that is comfortable but not baggy and read relaxed but still refined, especially when paired with an unbuttoned camp-collar and boat shoes that haven’t seen a yacht.
Rick Owens Cotton-Blend Poplin Shorts
Rick Owens took boxer shorts and made them fashion—because of course he did. The elongated drawstrings and beveled side slits require either actual muscles or extreme confidence. The anti-fit silhouette says I don't follow trends, trends follow me. Reserve for shows at underground venues, dates with people who own Rick Owens and making normcore guys nervous.
Flint and Tinder 365 Chino Short (7")
The people's champion of summer shorts. At $68 with stretch built in, these are what you buy in three colors and wear into the ground. The 7-inch inseam is the Goldilocks of lengths—offensive to no one, flattering to most. Everything from BBQs to beach days to bar crawls, these casual shorts show up and deliver.
Brunello Cucinelli Cotton Interlock Shorts
Nearly a grand for sweatshorts is insane—until you get your hands on them. This is what happens when Italian craftsmanship meets athletic leisure. The logo branding is subtle enough to pass as humble, the elastic waistband offers comfort, and the price tag ensures exclusivity. Wear with loafers to really commit to the bit. Best for private jet terminals, yacht clubs where you're someone's guest, and making regular millionaires feel inadequate.
