Short shorts are the new (necessary) Shorts

Daisy Dukes. Cut-Offs. Hot Pants. Walking shorts. Stubbies. Knee Pants. Whatever you call them, this summer shorter shorts have adopted a new name: necessary. With no sign of heat relief insight, many are combating the summer's brutal sun the best way they could think of: shorter inseams. Short shorts were on trend for this summer for sure, and leave it to celebrities to usher in the trend by heating up the already hot streets while running errands, taking the stage or burning up the red carpet in barely there bottoms.

Running Errands

Model Agyness Deyn

Twilight's Ashley Greene

Christina Ricci

Penelope Cruz

Reality starlet Audrina Patridge

New mom Victoria Beckham

Nicole Richie

Gossip Girl's Leighton Meester

Country singer LeAnn Rimes

Reality star Kristin Cavallari

Kim Kardashian

Model Jessica White

Kate Moss

Jessica Simpson

Hillary Duff

Halle Berry

Attending Events/Performances

Khloe Kardashian-Odom

90210 star Shenae Grimes

Miley Cyrus performs in the trendy bottoms

Beyonce at Coachella, the perfect outdoor concert to pull out short shorts

Selena Gomez's face says it all. She wore this DSqaured “Monsieur” jumpsuit short shorts ensemble at the Much Music Video Awards in Toronto, Canada

Taylor Momsen on the set of Gossip Girl

Taylor's Gossip Girl co-star Blake Lively attends Cinema Society After Party for Private Lives

Mischa Barton attends the GQ Dior Homme event Honoring Kris Van Assche

Cameron Diaz at the Live Earth Show

Model Gisele Bundchen shoots a scene for Blackcowboy's "Come On"

The trend has been received as less-than-lukewarm with most men, but there are a few guys who decided to attempt to pull off (or rather, pull on) the thigh skimming shorts. Whether it was for a role, part of a costume or for fitness, there's not much to say about a guy confident enough to wear short shorts except it takes a real man to make them look masculine.

Nip/Tuck's Julian McMahon wears this summer's trendy brief swim trunks

Ed Westwick on the set of Gossip Girl

Westwick's "Chuck Bass" character is obviously a fan of short shorts

Footballer Cristiano Ronaldo caught flack for this picture but he's got an amazing pair of (over-tanned) legs so why not show them off?

Singer John Mayer as "Captain of the S.S. Short Shorts"

Glee star Matthew Morrison dressed up as Richard Simmons for Halloween

Which brings us to the man who puts the "short" in short shorts for men, Richard Simmons. Even in his 60's, the "pony" man still has the legs for it.

Even though they're short, they can still put a dent in your pocket. Luckily, companies like Forever 21, American Apparel, Topshop and Zara have made affordable options for both men and women.

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Dear Shopping Savage...

Dear Shopping Savage,

Summer is approaching and I'm trying to get ready wardrobe wise. I want to wear shorts but I have to ask, how short is too short a short for a man?

Signed,

Do Men Wear Short Shorts?

------------

Dear D.M.W.S.S.,

Without knowing your definition of "short shorts" the generic answer to your question is that a man has every right to wear a short as short as he'd like as long as he has the legs for it and they are age appropriate. In many cases, leg length and height are contributing factors in determining how short a short you should feasibly go.

Yet despite your physical makeup, your 20's are a time when you can explore any of the foregoing inseams, but also, the last time a guy should confidently wear any shorts with an inseam 7" or less. Your 30's are for 9" inseams and your 40's+ are looking at an 11" inseam.

It's debatable whether to call anything beyond an 11" inseam a "short". Many young guy's idea of shorts of late can easily - and honestly - be confused with either a gaucho or a wide-leg trouser with a short break. Its hard to imagine that anyone wearing them would reap any of the benefits that a true short provides. Hemlines that hover around an ankle sock line doesn't seem like it would keep you that cool. Plain and simple, there's nothing short about them.

So again, plan to wear short shorts this summer if its age appropriate - and if you fill fit enough to fit them into your wardrobe. And just remember that if no one else understands your affinity for "short shorts" you can always crank up the Royal Teens for solace. As the few lyrics go:

Who wears short shorts?

We wear short shorts.

They're such short shorts!

We like short shorts!

Who wears short shorts?

We wear short shorts!

Need sartorial advice? Email me: Dwaun@shoppingsavage.com