Dappered

Affordable Men's Style

Shorts Under $40.00 – Summer 2010

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Shorts Under $40.00 – Summer 2010

Some guys believe that a grown man should never show off his hairy calves.  It’s not a matter of showing them off… it’s a matter of not kicking back on a Saturday afternoon, post lawn-mow, in a pair of uppity yacht club pants.  It’s hot.  It’s okay to wear some shorts.  These look better than the rest, and cost less than most.

Encouraged:  Not too crazy prints, mid length, flat fronts.
Discouraged:  Pleats, bulky pockets, pre-frayed, denim.

J. Crew Whitewash Tartan Club Short – $39.99 (Reg. $62.50)

On sale for $39.99
On sale for $39.99

This is how you do bermuda shorts.  Sure they’re a little longer with an 11″ inseam, but they’re lower rise and trim in the leg.  So you get the length but none of the flappy bulk.  Great pattern too.

Eddie Bauer 10″ Legend Chino – $29.99

Comes in red... and more traditional colors.
Comes in red... and more traditional colors.

Don’t be afraid of red shorts.  They’re about 50x less risk than red pants.  This “Canyon Clay” color from Eddie Bauer is washed in enough that it’s taken all of the fire-engine red out of it.

Lands End Canvas Madras – $39.50

About as toned down as madras gets.
About as toned down as madras gets.

A little loud but not TOO loud.  Thanks to the color choices (especially the woodland pine shown here) the print on these lightweight shorts starts to blend in together.  At the very least the colors all compliment each other.

Tommy Hilfiger Academy Chino Shorts – $34.98

Try the White or Captain Blue
Try the White or Captain Blue

Simple, flat front, plain ol’ shorts.  And they come in seven (yes seven) different colors.

Enjoy the summer, and whatever you do… don’t ever find yourself in a pair of way-too-tight are those cuffs really rolled up Brett Favre Draft Day Jorts…

Faver circa 1991. Before the concussions and vicodin.
Faver in 1991. Before the concussions and vicodin.

Comments

  2. Lands End Canvas summer sale for 30% off and free shipping starts Wednesday, therefore the madras pair go to $28.

  4. I think shorts are about the only article of clothing where Madras can actually look good, or at least not bad. And yes, despite their comfort, grown men should be mindful of when not to wear them.

  5. As one of your Texas readers I thank you. These all look a lot better than the super plaid shorts I see all day on campus.

  6. Shorts seem to get a lot of bad press here from comments and Joe at times, but I feel perfectly comfortable wearing shorts in the summer. Today it was 91 and super humid. I would look more stupid wearing pants than I would childish wearing shorts. As long as you aren’t wearing some graphic tee and air jordan’s or something you can look perfectly grown up in shorts (and just as stylish). Maybe it depends on where you live (and I’m in the north east, along the coast).

    It goes against my better judgement (money wise), but I think I’ll jump on the J.Crew ones and the Land’s End come wednesday :). Those are pretty nice looking.

  7. Hey now, I just dig lighter colored pants for the summer time :). But I live in a super-dry climate, so, when it’s hot I can take a shower, walk outside, and get dry. Lived in the Midwest for many years, so I know that come summer time in a humid climate, more cloth = misery. I do like those J. Crew shorts, quite a bit. And those madras shorts from Land’s End Canvas are nails.

  8. Haha yea, I’ll give you that, and I know you aren’t 100% against them otherwise this article wouldn’t exist :). I too like lighter pants in the summer and try to wear them when I can, but that damn humidity! Not fun. Also, it helps that my company is very casual, I can understand wearing pants to a more strictly dressed company but I’d have to like sprint from A.C. to A.C.