The red short: to wear or not to wear?

England is experiencing a heatwave. And if this weekend is anything to go by, it’s a heatwave that few were prepared for; one that’s left many a gentleman red in the face – and not just from sunburn. Each summer tends to bring a round of pretty disastrous clothes: it seems that when a gentleman isn’t prepared for an onslaught of sunshine and rising mercury, there can be some awful outcomes in the style department – including the inevitable red short.

Now, you already know how we feel about red trousers (which, incase you’re slow on the uptake, are seldom a good idea). But the question begs whether the same rules apply for the red short? In short, they don’t, but there are still certain criteria that have to be fulfilled before you take the plunge.

When you do, ask yourself the following: what are you wearing them with? And you still maintaining your stature as a true gentleman with impeccable taste or are you turning into the kind of schweff that others judge consistently in the pub? Are you wearing any of the following with your red shorts: flip flops, a pink shirt or a fedora? If the answer is yes, then you need to put the shorts down. If, on the other hand, you’re wearing the right kind of deck shoe, a white t-shirt and a great bomber jacket, then you can by all means wear the red shorts.

Much like the red trouser, there’s also the small matter of where you’re going and what you’re doing on the day that you decide to don a red short. Heading to the King’s Road? Off for a lovely picnic in Battersea Park? Hitting Bodos later that day? Then please, for your sake and everyone else’s in that borough on that day, leave the shorts at home. The trouble here is that you won’t be the only person wearing red shorts – in fact you’re bound to see more people in red shorts than not – and no one wants to be that guy, particularly in the middle of a heatwave.

You need to be that guy that’s getting rid of the connotations that are so unfortunately linked to the red trouser by pairing your red shorts with the best outfit you can, and wearing them to a place that won’t be filled to the brim with a whole host of other gentlemen wearing the exact same thing as you. Red shorts can look great – most of the time – but it’s all about knowing what fits and these are the types of outfits you should be channeling: