The Guide to Men’s 9-Inch Shorts

Although the word “shorts” might suggest a universally small length of pant, the truth is that shorts come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. There are five-inch shorts, to be sure, which work great on exceptionally hot days and plenty of casual settings. And then there are the nine-inch shorts which, despite sharing a name, resemble nothing remotely like their five-inch counterparts.

Needless to say, each set of shorts come with an entirely different set of rules when it comes to wearing them in the appropriate settings. Five-inch shorts, for example, wouldn’t be appropriate in the office even on the most casual of casual days.

But what about those beautiful nine-inch shorts, which extend far enough down on the leg to look like something resembling a chopped trouser? Let’s explore the most appropriate occasions for donning your colorful, comfortable, cotton nine-inch shorts:

At the office: Depending on your office, of course. Some offices will only downgrade to “business casual” on casual Fridays, and “business casual” still tends to require a fully-panted leg. But other offices don’t have such stringent casual day rules, which means that shorts will be acceptable. That’s not to say that every type of short will be accepted, however—our own snappers would probably look more appropriate at the swimming pool than they would in the steno pool.

The golf course: Everyone’s favorite excuse for wearing a pair of dressy shorts can’t be discounted, either. And with summer on the way, there’s no better time to invest in a pair of dressy, golf-course-appropriate shorts that will leave you feeling comfortable and your legs breathing even while you still look every part as dressy as if you were wearing a full pant. Despite their length, nine-inch shorts won’t get in the way of your backswing, either; they’re plenty flexible to handle nine or eighteen holes with ease.

Weekend afternoons: Figuring out what to wear for a family get-together, or a casual meet-up with friends, or however you choose to spend a sunny weekend afternoon isn’t always easy. Luckily, nine-inch shorts provide a great balance between too dressy and too casual; you want to look stylish, but not that you’re trying too hard, overdressing to impress. Nine-inch shorts are great for wearing outdoors at festivals and concerts, too, where there’s bound to be plenty of heat and where comfort comes at a premium.

Around the house and yards: Let’s face it. When summer’s here, you’re going to have some lazy days, often in spite of the beautiful weather outside. Wearing a pair of shorts like the Classic Vintage Twill 9” Short Dijon will keep you comfortable around the house without requiring that you change to go visit the hardware store to fix those gutters of yours. Getting yourself to do chores on a beautiful summer afternoon isn’t easy, but a comfortable pair of shorts will ensure that the transition from outside to inside will be as seamless as possible.

Drinks on vacation: A good pair of shorts will get you a lot of use when you’re on vacation in a warm climate. Let’s say you’re meeting up in a nice restaurant or at a nice bar for some drinks. Shorts that show too much skin will feel less appropriate here. But the nine-inch shorts will be perfect for keeping the heat at bay. Pair them with a polo shirt and you won’t look out of place all around the world.