The 11 Best Shorts to Get You Through This Summer Heat

The thing about summer is you don't know where it's going to take you. Dive bar, brunch, beach, or some dude you met last night's lake house. In any scenario, a pair of Baggies is the ultimate tool. We prefer five-inch, but no shame in going for seven if you're a little shy.

Todd Snyder has plenty of worthy options with shorter inseams, but it's one of the only places that does a tailored long inseam for a reasonable price. This 10-inch Italian Pinstripe or the 11-inch Relaxed Cotton are killer options for showing less skin.

RRL, Ralph Lauren's heritage-inspired sub-label, took a nautical turn this season. It's a lot of sweaters and jacquards along with the mainstay denim and workwear. One of the best additions are these deck shorts cut from a really phenomenal cotton-linen chambray with a five-and-a-half-inch inseam. Throw on these, some boat shoes, and a lightweight sweater for a yachting man's summer look.

Allow me to introduce you to shorts that feel as good as they look. Lululemon's best-selling style is crafted for you to wear anytime, anyplace, and always look smart. They have a streamlined appearance, with technical fabric and a perfect seven-inch inseam.

J.Crew's chino shorts are a style you're going to find yourself wearing and pairing with everything. They're great with tees, camp-collar shirts, button-downs, and even tank tops. Plus, with a tailored silhouette that has just the right amount of flex, you'll stay comfortable while looking cool.

If you don't already have OB swim trunks, snag a pair—but while you're at it, snag a pair of its everyday land shorts, too. In breathable cotton, these have a tailored, flattering AF silhouette that makes even the most worn-out T-shirt look like it's worth a million bucks.

Chubbies, once a frat boy punchline, are... actually cool now, especially if you've got the legs for 'em. There's a more diverse inseam offering these days, but you can't beat the original four-inch inseam. This is what summer's all about.

Easy, casual khaki shorts for all of summer's adventures. You can wear these anywhere from the office to your vacation, and you can pull them out next year, too—they're hard-wearing like that.

Flint and Tinder is one of our go-to purveyors of all things ruggedly handsome, and these shorts certainly make the cut. They fit like chinos but stretch like athletic shorts, and they look like your favorite garment-washed jeans. What's not to love?

Few things are more flattering come summertime than pleated shorts. Bonus points if those pleated shorts have Brunello Cucinelli's on holiday vibes, with cuffed hems and a hook-and-zip fastening.

There are an overwhelming number of summer shorts on the market, so the best way to narrow down the options—even from the already-perfect list we've curated for you above—is to pay attention to some key features.

The first is the inseam. Most of these styles are available in various lengths, but some may not come in, say, a five-inch inseam or a nine-inch inseam. If you know those are the cuts for you, then rule out the styles that don't have 'em.

Also, consider your lifestyle and regular activities. The pleated Brunello Cucinelli shorts won't work on a hike, and the Patagonia Baggies aren't the right choice for a fancy lunch. Additionally, some styles here have elastic waistbands and some don't—consider your preference when choosing.

Not only are we experts in menswear here at Esquire, but we're also experts in summertime shorts. We love summer, and these are the styles we wear ourselves as soon as the weather is even remotely warm enough. We prioritize only the most stylish and comfortable options for ourselves, so why would we recommend to you anything less?

We're not going to say something is great unless it's actually great. Every product in Esquire's roundups has been carefully chosen by our fashion and e-commerce teams.

Every pick on this list—and all our other lists—has been selected through a process of testing and trying everything ourselves. We won't tell you to buy something that we wouldn't spend our own money on. We're telling you to buy things we know you'd love, because of how much we love 'em, too.

No two tastes are the same, because no two men are the same. Your proverbial mileage may vary. But if you’re looking for the right place to start, with advice from folks who care (possibly too much!) about this sort of stuff, this is the place to be.