“It’s short-shorts summer,” said Milo Ventimiglia, the “This is Us” actor who created a social media stir this April when he was photographed leaving a Los Angeles gym in teeny shorts that barely covered his muscular quads.
After a year in Zoom shirts, guys were ready to chuck their baggy sweatpants and embrace thirst-trap short shorts, even skimpier than the five-inch seam that became an unofficial uniform of buff TikTok creators. “In the past, it used to be about the arms and shoulders and chest,” said Josh Grimm, a personal trainer in New York. “Now it’s about the legs.”
The funny thing about these shorts, which Mr. Ventimiglia made famous, is that they were actually not that short at all. He simply rolled up super-lightweight fabric around his beefy gams for the desired effect. “Ride em high, kids,” he posted on Instagram.
Tracksmith
A classic three-inch inseam silhouette from gym class, updated with quick-drying fabric and three inside pockets for fuel packs and maybe a credit card.
Liberal Youth Ministry
Imperial Crest Sport Shorts, $200
One sport known for its barelegged shorts is soccer, and these shorts evoke the colorful, crested uniforms of the game.
These brown wool shorts with baby-blue side bands offer a hint of formality over your sculpted quads.
Champion
5-inch Sport Short with Liner, $35
A favorite of TikTokers everywhere, these sportswear classics hit the perfect spot between leggy and modesty.
Isabel Marant
Jacken Washed-Denim Shorts, $285
The relaxed fit of these denim shorts offer extra breathing room on those warm summer days.
