updates | April 06, 2026

Men's Legs Are Finally Sexy Again

mens shorts are back
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For decades, men's legs have been in hiding.

Our calves and thighs, oppressed by long-legged pants, have suffered greatly from concealment. We get hot and sweaty and uncomfortable because of them. It wasn't always this way, though. The '70s and '80s saw the peak of men in breezy short shorts, the likes of NBA players and actors like Tom Selleck and John Travolta.

Maybe it was the result of changing cultural expectations. A few years ago, wearing shorts well above the knees might've been seen as emasculating, a toxic and illogical notion that to wear less clothing makes you less of a man. This is maybe why cargo shorts exist and why many more men probably stopped wearing shorts altogether. Or the workplace is to blame. To wear a pair of shorts at the office is to suggest unprofessionalism, that if we bare our thighs, paradoxically, maybe we're incapable of baring ourselves fully at work.

But then, something happened and amid a global pandemic. Out of a recent period of emotional and political turmoil has emerged an important cause we can all mutually root for: the 5.5-inch inseam.

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Are men's legs...sexy again? We think so. Actor Paul Mescal went viral for his pair recently. And TikTok is going crazy about guys' thighs. It's clear we're at the precipice of entering a golden era for our lower limbs. And largely because of quarantine lockdown, men in droves are circumventing outdated rules of workplace attire, also unburdened by societal pressures to hide their precious thighs.

It's easy, too. Here's a TikTokker proving the power of a 5.5-inch inseam:

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"You automatically get more attractive," writes one commenter. Of course, it's not all about attention. Showing ourselves a little more fully, calves and all, is liberating. It's also confidence-building.

So men, let's show off our calves. Short inseam energy is here to stay.

Check Out Some of Our Favorite Shorts:
Lululemon Pace Breaker Short
Lululemon Pace Breaker Short
$68 at LululemonVuori Kore Shorts
Vuori Kore Shorts
$68 at Vuori Outdoor Voices Rec Shorts
Outdoor Voices Rec Shorts
$58 at Outdoor VoicesLululemon Commission Shorts
Lululemon Commission Shorts
$88 at LululemonyoutubeView full post on Youtube