Something strange is happening to men’s shorts. They’re no longer shorts, rather they’re short-shorts. Last week, Normal People actor Paul Mescal, soon to appear in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator 2, went viral after rocking up at the Gucci menswear show in Milan wearing short-shorts. “I’m a big advocate for men wearing shorter shorts,” said Mescal, an official Gucci ambassador. Teamed with a shirt, loafers and socks yanked up to mid-calf, his shorts were indeed extremely short. A casual observer might think Mescal was standing in the street in his pants.

Mescal, it transpires, is a dedicated all-weathers shorts fan. But this is beyond The Mescal Effect, or even the leggy musculature on display during Euro 2024. Short-shorts are everywhere: on catwalks; worn by the likes of Harry Styles;........

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