Jorts, aka jean shorts or denim shorts, are back. The classic, casual summer staple your dad rocked all day every day when he was a teenager. Though they might seem a tad dated, these men’s shorts are back in town and ready to take on warm weather. The best jean shorts are a menswear staple during the warmer months, and we unironically love our jorts.
We get it; you might think of John Cena before his acting days when imagining a pair of men’s jorts in 2022, so we understand if you think that jorts might have lost their traction in years past. But, trust us: there is no better summer look than matching a pair of jorts with literally anything. Converse high tops and a band tee? Hell yeah. Open flannel shirt with a pair of Adidas slides? Get it, my guy. Jorts can tie together an outfit the same way your most comfortable jeans do in the colder months, making them some of the best men’s shorts you can wear. Wearing jorts is simply cool. Period.
We answer your pressing jorts questions below and round up the 11 jean shorts men need to know for summer.
So what’s the appeal of jorts? And what are jorts, to begin with?
Jorts offer all of the durability and ruggedness of jeans, just, you know, short. That makes them the perfect summer festival must-have since you can take advantage of their ample pockets. And since you don’t have to be too precious with denim, you can comfortably wear them on a bike or to the beach. Best of all, for DIY-inclined guys, any pair of old jeans can instantly be transormed into a pair of jorts with a little craftsmanship, although we recommend buying jean shorts for the best results.
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Can I wear jean shorts to work?
In extremely casual workplaces, absolutely. However, they’re not office-appropriate. Otherwise, men’s jean shorts can go just about anywhere else. Jorts are often eco-friendly, too. Cut an old pair of jeans into a pair of straight-fit jorts to help repurpose your tattered wardrobe. In terms of style, jorts are like jeans in that they come in many colors; get em’ in dark blue, light wash blue, black, gray or even white.
When shopping for jorts, one thing you’ve got to consider is length. A pair of long, baggy shorts might look like JNCOs, while a super short, tight pair will give flashbacks to Andre Agassi. But believe it or not, neither of those is necessarily a bad thing; we’re in a tumultuous time for personal style, so we’re all in favor of you doing you. Most of our favorite picks hit a few inches above the knee, with roughly a 7″ inseam.
I have been rocking jorts since high school, so you can call me a modern jorts horseman. A jorts connoisseur. A jorts professional, if you will. King of jorts even works. I might not know a lot, but I know my jorts.
Check out the best jean shorts for men below, and feel free to thank me later.
1. Levi’s 511 Men’s Slim Cutoff Shorts
BEST OVERALL
If the question “what are jorts” is still heavily weighing on your mind, it’s about to be answered. Levi’s invented the world’s best pair of jeans, and men and women have been cutting the legs off their worn-out Levi’s to create jorts for decades. We love the DIY approach, but the California brand also makes a perfect pair of jean shorts. These are cut like their 511 pants, meaning they have a slim-but-not-too-skinny fit. These are on the longer side, so you should cuff them at the bottom one or two times to keep your look in check. And if white is too adventurous for you, these cutoff shorts are available in a wide range of other colors.
2. DU/ER Performance Commuter Jean Shorts
RUNNER UP
DU/ER makes the best stretch jeans, so it’s no surprise that this award-winning brand also makes some of the best jean shorts for men. These comfy shorts are made from the brand’s signature stretch denim, so they’re perfect for commuters and guys who like to move in their jorts.
3. Gap 90s Loose Denim Shorts
BEST ’90s
Gap is the perfect brand to turn to for the ’90s revival — and you don’t even have to cut up a pair of jeans. After all, they lived it (and practically invented it). These ’90s-inspired denim jorts are as simple as they come. They’ve got a classic stonewash finish, a five-pocket design, and an inseam that hits right above the knee. Keep it simple with a white tee, or get loose with a camp-collar shirt. The best jorts keep up with the latest style trends, and these looser-fit denim shorts are perfect for the present fashion moment.
4. Nudie Jeans Josh Straight-Leg Denim Shorts
BEST DESIGNER
Nudie Jeans takes denim seriously, so if they say jorts are cool, then jorts are cool. These straight-fit jean shorts are made from 100% organic cotton and have a classic five-pocket design for stashing your daily essentials. The mid-blue wash and turned-up hems give these a perfectly retro look.
5. Gap 7-Inch Easy Denim Shorts
BEST ALTERNATIVE
Maybe the best denim shorts aren’t jean shorts at all. For a more modern take on the denim short trend, consider these shorts from Gap. They’re made from a 100% cotton blue denim fabric, but they’re cut more like sweat shorts than they are jean shorts. They have an elastic waistband with a drawstring, two side pockets, and one back patch pocket, so you can keep it loose this season. Ditch that light wash look with this pair for a medium wash blue instead.
6. Mugsy Jeans Hydes Jorts
MOST STRETCHY
While we named DU/ER our runner-up and the maker of the best stretchy jeans, Mugsy Jeans makes the best stretchy jorts — especially for dudes who like a little more leg room. These wide-legged jorts are nowhere near your dad’s jorts. With a classic look and the stretch you’d expect in a pair of yoga pants, you can do acrobatics in these puppies without a problem. Plus, green jorts? Green jorts! We love green jorts.
7. Wrangler Authentics Men’s Loose Fit Carpenter Short
BEST VALUE
Carpenter jeans are back in a big way, so you might as well pick up a summerified version. Classic denim brand Wrangler gets it right, with a comfortable but not-too-loose fit and 100% cotton construction. These carpenter jorts for men even have a dedicated phone pocket, which is perfect in the era of the oversized phone.
8. ASOS DESIGN Skinny Denim Shorts
BEST IN BLACK
Every jorts owner needs at least one pair in black. Sorry, I don’t make the rules. Okay, maybe I do, but hear me out: we’ve already discussed that jorts can go with just about anything this summer, right? Well, so can the color black. Merge the two, and you can wear anything. These jorts have a skinnier look that hugs your thighs a bit, so keep that in mind. Additionally, they come in a washed black instead of a solid black, which is much more summery.
9. G-Star 3301 Short
BEST LONG
These are the longest I’ll let you go when it comes to jorts this summer (excluding those wacky high-fashion jorts above). These shlubby jean shorts will look great on the kind of dude who refuses to bear any thigh in the warmer months. Although you should, I get it if you’re uncomfortable. These come in three ready-to-wear colors and are made from mid-weight denim.
10. Levi’s 511 Slim Cut-Off 10″ Denim Shorts
BEST DISTRESSED
Okay, I know I included this exact style earlier as our best jean shorts of the year, but here they are again distressed in a light wash color. I couldn’t leave them out. Sorry, not sorry. These ripped denim shorts add a bit of edge to your summer look. They have a distressed hem that looks great cuffed once, and numerous holes up and down both legs to keep each pair feeling complete. Pair these with Converse high-tops and a band tee for an effortless warm-weather outfit perfect for barhopping with the boys, low-key lunch dates with your boo or running errands from the supermarket to the laundromat.
11. Bearbottom Loop Knit Short
BEST ACID WASH
Trends are constantly coming back, and acid wash is 100% one of them. The Loop Knit Shorts from Bearbottom are a classic pair of acid wash jorts that have your name written all over them. These feel like they were taken straight out of the world of Stranger Things, which is simply on par for 2022. Match these with any funky ’80s-esque button-down you’ve got in your closet or even a classic white tee.