Shorts are a piece of comfortable, casual summer wear for men. As casual summer wear for men, they did not show up until the 1950s.
Back then, they were championed by trendsetters in Hollywood and other men in the spotlight. But the idea took a while to catch up as something normal.
There was a time when shorts were seen as nothing more than “clothing for young boys”. Nowadays, shorts are not only part of athleisure, but also accepted as casual wear.
But how to wear gym shorts? There are a number of mistakes you can make when wearing shorts to the gym.
Back when shorts were gaining traction, in the post-war years, they caught on as a specific uniform for some kinds of sports and recreation. They were not considered a fashion item or clothing that could be worn outside of a specific athletic activity.
But even as an athleisure, shorts have seen their evolution and development through the years. We long pass the short shorts of the 1980s.
What Is the Right Length for Shorts?
Shorts should sit on your hip normally, in the same way, you wear jeans and trousers. And you should wear the same waist size as your trousers.
The one thing you want to avoid is the shorts’ tendency to sag. Keep the underwear under your shorts.
The main question people ask when they want to know how to wear gym shorts is length. As in, how long should the shorts be? How baggy? Should they have pockets?
The simplest way to answer the length question is that the shorts should be short enough that your knees are visible, and long enough that you are not showing the world you rarely tan your thighs. When you are standing still, your knees should be visible.
And anything past the knees has ceased to short. They can be classified as high-cut pants, or baggy shorts, which have no place in the gym. Ideally, you should go for 2-3 inches above the knee, depending on your proportion.
You can wear your athletic shorts only in athletic settings, which mean when going to the gym. When it comes to running shorts, they tend to get more leeway than casual gym shorts.
You are not going to walk into a store or a restaurant wearing them.
How Loose Should Your Shorts Be?
The other question, aside from the length, is how loose should gym shorts be. You can say it is a matter of taste and style.
However, it is worth keeping in mind that shorts add bulk to the upper part of your legs only. That means your lower legs will be bare, meaning that everything will look thicker by comparison.
The baggier your gym shorts are, the thicker you look. In other words, wearing baggy shorts to the gym will make your butt and thighs look big. And that is definitely not a look many men want to achieve.
What looks good on most men is a close fit in the seat and straight legs down to the top of the knees. The style might bring memories of military shorts. You can see baggier fit on the track, where people go for running, but not in the gym.
How to Properly Wear Shorts in the Gym
There are a couple of rules you need to follow when you wear shorts to the gym.
- – Wear shorts up on your hips. Slip your shorts over the waistline about two to three inches. The elastic waist should sit comfortably above the hips, while the hem should sit just above the knee.
- – If you want to sag your shorts, do it carefully. Slip on the shorts up to your pubic line, and make sure the back of the waistband is just below the fault line, but tight to your body.
- – Make sure you are buying the right size. Wear shorts in the same size as your trousers and pants. When your shorts are the right sit, they sit and stay on comfortably without much effort, and are not too tight and too loose. Jump around to make sure they are secure when you are trying on a pair of new shorts at the store.
- – Make sure your shorts do not snag against your knee, so you exercise properly, regardless of the athletic activity.
- – Wear dark shorts, to be safe. When you are working out, sweat is a normal and expected part of the activity. Anything else than dark shorts will show the sweat more quickly, sometimes even becoming a bit translucent as you are exercising.
There are ten things men should stop wearing at the gym and we have compiled them on our previous article. Including the gym workout essentials.
If you’re looking for more gym wear related article, feel free to read our write-ups down below:
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