Shorts: How Short Is Too Short? 

I think the 5 inch shorts throw off the balance of the outfit. It makes the shirt look alot longer than it is. 7 inch is the sweet spot in my opinion.

I'm a 30 inch pants inseam and I usually go for shorts with a 7 or 8 inch inseam. I think the 7 and 9 inch look best on you, but the 5s don't look bad. When it's 32°, 34° and above that I think you're going to want those 5s!!! Keeping yourself from overheating is the most important thing 👌

I’m 5’9 and 7” is my sweet spot. Before caring about what I wore, I wore 11”+ inseams all the time. When I started to dress better, I went for 9” and felt really uncomfortable. That quickly went away and now I wear 7s and occasionally 5-6s. I think it’s just a matter of getting used to the fit. I usually take a break from boots in the summer here in Los Angeles and usually wearing white sneakers, Nike Killshot 2s, and Birkenstock Arizonas. I just recently bought some Oak Street Bootmaker Natty CXL Camp Mocs, I plan on wearing those as much as I can without socks.

I have been bouncing between 7" and 9". It really depends on the style of the short. I don't wear shorts to work, so I rock them with my flip flops as much as possible. If we are going out or to a park, I'll toss on my Luca Terra Runners, a pair of Chucks or some Vans.

6-8 for more slim fitting shorts like chino shorts. 6-9 inches with more casual shorts is my general rule.

I am 50 so my view may differ, but I like the 7 or 9 inch. The 5 inch makes me think too much about growing up in the 70's and 80's.

I love 5” for swim trunks and 7” for my daily shorts. Usually wear with new balance 990v6 or sandals (Teva Hurricanes, Birkenstock Arizona, or Chacos). No socks with sandals-of course.

imo 5s for athletic style shorts, 7s for jorts and chinos. Anything longer only looks right on basketball or wide skate shorts, which are already an acquired taste

Great video topic! Shorts are such a hard thing to get right…and they are so much more vulnerable to trend cycles. My go to as of recent is to have shorter (5 inch typically), blousier shorts. It gives my outfits a bit more balance. Ill do that, with a tank top tucked in, and a short sleeve button down unbuttoned over top. Another look Ive been liking a lot is Patagonia Baggies with high white socks and chucks.

9 inches is my go to for shorts length, I don’t like how my legs look with anything shorter, especially sitting (I drive for a living). Shoe wise I’m pretty much the same all year round except for the deepest depths of winter - that being casual boots, runners, chukkas, et cetera.

I had to measure my lants because of this video haha. I am 5'9 and my shorts are 8 inch inseam. Theyre Uniqlo so i had them shortened to 8 inches. So 7 inches for you is perfect Footwear - Sneakers and Loafers.

I would factor in a number of things. The main purpose of casual/dress shorts is to stay cool, and I don't need them to be too short. I would be more worried about sunburn, mosquito bites, and sitting on a hot chair or seat with the back of my legs in contact with the surface. I am 5 foot 9 inches, and I find 9- and 10- inch shorts to be appropriate. Cargo shorts need the length, and are great when traveling as the pockets can be filled with keys and phone secure. I wear 7- or 8-inch shorts when range of motion is important, and that's for exercise and jogging. Even then I like a bit of length, with some zippered pockets, and so they can also serve as shorts while running errands. The extra bit of length is useful with a phone or keys, as the filled pocket would likely drop down below the hem. For travel, I toss in a pair of cheap Mark's hiking shorts (nylon/spandex), as these are very light and quick drying. For jogging, I like the Myles Momentum shorts, as they straddle those exercise and casual use cases. For a pair on cooler days, I have two Duer Live Lite Adventure shorts (cotton/Tencel/polyester/Spandex), which are long-wearing and function as cargo shorts.

You said it. It all depends on how much thigh you are comfortable displaying when seated. 7" is the sweet spot. Worn as is or w/ 1 cuff if you're feeling daring that day. If you don't have legs like a bodybuilder, fitness model, footballer, speed skater, or sprinter, don't wear 5" shorts other than when swimming or running outside for sport. Imagine minding your own business in line at the pharmacy then here comes a man w/ no butt, skinny legs and knobby knees, looking like he's been in a coma for the last 2 yrs but only from the waist down. Then there's the fat legged man with zero muscle tone walking his Yorkshire Terrier just oblivious that he's showing off all that pasty thigh meat with an uneven hem line because his inner thighs sucked up the inseam. No one wants to see that! If you must wear shorts, please choose an appropriate length that flatters your appearance. And don't be afraid to taper the leg opening if they are too roomy.😊