Men’s shorts are getting shorter this year

Tom Selleck showed off his hairy legs in short shorts on Magnum P.I. and drove ladies wild. Can these tiny shorts really make a comeback?
Photo by: CBS
Tom Selleck showed off his hairy legs in short shorts on Magnum P.I. and drove ladies wild. Can these tiny shorts really make a comeback?-
Have you noticed that men's shorts aren't exactly short anymore? In fact, the majority of the shorts we see on guys hit at or below the knee and are covered in cargo pockets, a trend that started decades ago. In the 1970s and '80s, men's shorts typically hit the mid to upper thigh, as exhibited here by the hunky Tom Selleck. By the '90s, inseams lengthened and you could barely see a knee cap! Experts say that all may change this season as men's shorts once again live up to their name. Designers like Marc Jacobs, Yves Saint Laurent, and Raf Simmons all sent men in short shorts down the runway.

Just as women often have a hard time adjusting to denim styles (we just got used to skinny jeans, and now we're supposed to switch to flares?!), we doubt men will all ditch their comfy baggy cargo shorts for tiny fitted ones. We can only imagine the anxious thoughts that will potentially run through a dudes head when these shorter options really take over the market. "Will they be roomy enough to fit boxers, or will I need to wear briefs?" or "Will my manhood be questioned?" Tough decisions for an article of clothing that's supposed to be easy and casual.

But before guys make the switch, we'd like to know: Would you like to see shorter shorts on men? And just how short is too short? Flip through our slideshow of men's shorts from the past, take our poll, and weigh in in the comments section below.