Men's Denim Shorts

Denim shorts carry the five-pocket layout straight down from a jean: two curved front pockets, a coin pocket inside the right one, two patch pockets at the back, plus a riveted fly and a wide waistband. What changes is fabric weight. A 12 to 14 ounce denim that hangs beautifully in a full-length jean turns rigid and hot in a short, because there is not enough leg for the cloth to relax into.

Aim for 8 to 10 ounce denim. This is light enough to move and heavy enough to hold the leg opening away from your thigh. Hem finish then sets the character. A folded and stitched hem looks the most finished. A turn-up adds weight at the bottom so the leg hangs straight. A raw cut edge frays a little more with every wash until it stabilizes, usually after about half an inch of fringe. This is the cutoff look and cannot be undone. Two percent elastane makes them comfortable to sit in and shortens their life, since stretch fibers break down faster in a garment washed this often.

Athletic shorts are knit and made to be sweated in, which denim absolutely is not, because cotton soaks moisture and holds it against the inner thigh. Chino shorts press flat and pass in a restaurant. Cargo shorts add thigh pockets and volume. Among warm-weather shorts, denim is the heaviest and most casual, and the only one that fades into a pattern shaped by how you actually wear it.

In dry heat they hold up to curbs, tailgates and long drives far better than linen does. Humid climates are their weakness, because heavy cotton holds sweat and chafes where the two legs meet. A 7 to 9 inch inseam keeps them clear of the two extremes that both age badly, the mid-thigh cutoff and the knee-length baggy short. Mid and dark washes are easier to wear than heavily distressed pale ones, which date fast.

Sit down before you decide, since denim has no give across the seat and the rise tells you immediately whether the pair works. Measure the leg opening against your thigh, because a tight opening grips when you stand and rides up as you walk. Wash inside out and cold to hold the indigo, hang them to dry. Expect a raw cut hem to shed a lot of thread through the first three or four washes.