Five Plus One is our weekly series of buyer’s guides. We pick a specific category and dig up five great options along with one that’s a little outside the norm.
Five Plus One is our weekly series of buyer’s guides. We pick a particular category and dig up five great options along with one that’s a little outside the norm.
The summer is warming up, so your short game better be heating up right alongside with it. Sure, you could stick to plain brown, blue, or olive shorts, but sometimes you want something with a little pop — and these patterned shorts will give you just that.
1) Carhartt WIP: Johnson Short in Leaf
These Johnson Shorts from Carhartt WIP are made from a cotton/linen blend fabric and are constructed like chinos, with slanted side pockets and welted back pockets. They feature a palm tree motif — simple enough to easily find a place in your wardrobe, but different enough to make your outfits a bit more unique.
Available for $125 from Need Supply.
2) Frank Leder: Drawstring Blaudruck Short in Navy
These Drawstring Blaudruck Shorts are another pair constructed from a cotton/linen blend fabric, but in this case were made much more informal. In addition to having a more pronounced pattern than those from Carhartt WIP, the closure on this pair is a drawstring and elastic waistband.
Available for $375 from Unionmade Goods.
3) The Real McCoy’s: French Lizard/Windproof Shorts
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These 100% cotton Windproof Shorts from The Real McCoy’s are based on shorts from the Vietnam era. The pattern is a combination of two preexisting camouflage designs: French LizardCamo and British Windproof Camo. This modified camo pattern, along with the non-standard pocket placement on this pair, creates a truly unique pair of shorts.
For additional reading on camouflage patterns, head over to our past article, “Understanding Camo: The 13 Patterns to Know.”
Available for $234 from Superdenim.
4) Koromo: Hand-Dyed Indigo Shorts
These Koromo Hand-Dyed Shorts are another example of trouser shorts, which makes them a bit preppier and allows them to be dressed up a bit more than most shorts. Each pair is hand indigo-dyed with an accenting white grid pattern, designed to looking like paintbrush strokes.
Interested in trying your hand at hand indigo-dying? Then head over to our step-by-step backyard guide to indigo dyeing.
Available for $152 from Blue Button Shop.
5) Camoshita United Arrows: One Pleat Bermuda Short in Paisley
These One Pleat Bermuda Shorts from Camoshita United Arrows are interesting as far as formality goes. While they have seam front pockets and welted back pockets, they also feature an elastic waistband and drawstring, which is far from formal. That said, since these shorts are pleated and intended to be worn at one’s true waist, the waistband is unlikely to be seen too often. As for the pattern, paisley can be a bit divisive — but as far as paisleys go this one is relatively understated.
Available for $480 from Unionmade Goods.
Plus One – The Hill-Side: Non-Repeating Check Oxford Cloth Fatigue Shorts
Shopping on The Hill-Side‘s website can be a bit infuriating at times: they have so many fantastic fabrics, but you can’t try them all. Enter the Non-Repeating Check Oxford Cloth Fatigue Shorts. They’re not only different from other shorts on the market, but since each pair uses the various fabric different, every one is unique in and of itself.
Available for $168 from The Hill-Side.
