Slutty menswear – GQ magazine’s senior style editor’s words, not mine – otherwise known as short-shorts, are seemingly hot this summer. A great proponent of this thigh-skimming look is Gladiator II star Paul Mescal, who caused media frenzy as the king of short-shorts in a tiny Gucci striped cotton pair for the brand’s menswear show during June’s Milan Fashion Week.
This recent fanfare is far removed from the advice of fashion designer, Hardy Amies who wrote in his 1964 work, The ABC of Men’s Fashion, that men should only be seen in shorts on the beach or a walking tour. In fact, up until the 1950s in the US, the wearing of shorts by men was banned entirely in some states, due to concerns over common decency.
So how did the short go from indecent and functional to short and sexy?
