One of the most unusual and surprising trends that stuck out during the spring 2017 menswear shows in New York was a resurgence of short shorts and way above-the-knee shorts. We’re talking short shorts that seem somewhat inspired by athletics and a California lifestyle, The shorts are reminiscent of old school basketball and skater shorts with a modern athletic twist. The cool thing is you can style them as grunge, preppy collegiate or as a laid back beach look. One things for sure, coordinated short shorts are a new summer staple.
At the New York Men’s shows, Chris Stamp expanded on his signature military influenced contemporary streetwear brand Stampd. He introduced slouchy knits that were made for easy layering with a set of a matching gray and white striped oversized sweater and above-the-knee shorts. Inspired by the tobacco fields of Havana, Cuba, Carlos Campos’ collection included short shorts paired with matching shirts in a monochromatic palette of crisp whites, shades of green and Campos’ signature navy. Thorsun featured a dizzying array of swim trunks in Meso-american prints which were all cut well above the knee in a variety of geometric prints, cactus patterns and a cube camo design that mimicked broken pieces of pottery.
In London, E. Tautz’s sleek line of tailored separates and masculine outerwear included stone, striped and denim shorts that were cropped way above the knee. The label MAN from London featured high-waisted short shorts in a sandy nuetral palette, that is spot on for Spring 17, along with shorts in a stiff Japanese denim. A highlight of Christopher Shannon’s elevated sportswear line were a series of denim shorts paired with matching zip up jackets.
In Milan, Silvia Venturini Fendi described the vibe of her spring 17 collection as “sun and fun.” The highlights included super soft, green and navy terry cloth short shorts with retreating inseams. MSGM’s upbeat and energetic collection had a 90s rave culture attitude and featured brightly colored above-the-knee shorts worn layered under a denim jacket and flowing car coat.
In Paris, Kenzo designers Carol Lim and Humberto Leon paired voluminous windbreakers with short shorts, knee socks and colorful slides in a vibrant palette of blue and acid yellow. At Louis Vuitton, Kim Jones injected a splash of fun, courtesy of exotic animal prints and impeccably cut short suits to rounds out the season.
