Life

AH, men and shorts. The subject never fails to raise a smile and/or a heated debate. Should they wear them? If so, when?

Well, thanks to a new age of slick man-shorts, male legs can run free – even at work – without breaking every fashion rule in the book.

That is because the new shorts are tailored, long and often with cuffs, and in muted colours, preferably white. That’s not to say that the pale red of the Canali pair or the bright pink  of the Gap number can’t be stylish too. Of course, the pink cargos need to stay firmly in the garden and far from the office. As for cardinal rules when it comes to shorts, menswear designer Simon Carter says: “Never wear socks. Smart loafers can move a shorts-led outfit rapidly up the ladder to poolside Pimms level, whereas bashed Converse sneakers are more poolside tinnies.”