In Defence Of The Short Suit

In Defence Of The Short Suit

 

Short And Sharp

This past weekend, I found myself jealous of celebrities again – and not for all the usual reasons. Of course, free clothes, personal trainers/chefs/drivers and more money than you’ll ever need is enough to make any ordinary person’s blood boil, but this time it was down to one thing: The Oscars.
Normally, I’m not that interested. Most of the time the show just confirms what I already know: some celebrities are just like us (Ellen Degeneres buying everyone pizza) and some of them are total d*cks (U2′s entire performance). But this year, it just looked like so much fun.
By now you’ve all seen the selfie that shook the world, but that wasn’t what made me completely green with envy. It was the fact that I wasn’t there to witness the rebirth of the short suit, thanks to one of our very own style icons, Pharrell Williams:

 

1. Get The Fit Right

Firstly, you’ve got to nail the fit. And that starts off with knowing your body type.
A guy like me could not wear a short suit; I’m a 42″ chest and 36″ waist with a thigh circumference I’m too embarrassed to mention here. This makes wearing slim-cut, formal shorts a nightmare. However, if you have a tall, lean frame like Pharrell, go right ahead.
Just make sure that the shorts come in the same fit as your blazer. Much like when you pair suiting separates together, if your jacket and trousers/shorts don’t feature similar cuts it instantly throws out your silhouette and proportions.
So if you were considering wearing a shirt and blazer with your usual Sunday shorts, think again. When buying a new suit, either purchase two pairs of identical trousers and get one chopped and hemmed into shorts, or look to buy tailored shorts in dressier summer fabrics like cotton or hopsack wool: