The Choosy Beggar

The Wall Street Journal gets designer Robert Geller to weigh in on the great shorts debate. For nicer occasions and (policy permitting) the office, “It’s important that there’s a certain weight and shape” to the shorts, Geller tells The Journal. He personally prefers cotton twill for its structure. “If the fabric is a little more drapey, then the shorts become more casual,” he adds.

More dress short guidelines:

• More often than not, shorts aren’t office friendly.
• They should be well-tailored and form-fitting without being tight.
• They should generally end at the knee when standing. “It starts to look a little too beachy if it gets too short,” Geller tells The Journal. (Personally, we suggest at least an inch above the knee — and we’re not alone.)
• Regarding color,  he says, “Stick to the classics,” like black, gray or khaki.
• For a relatively formal look, pair them with a well-fitted blazer that ends at the hip.
• The jacket, says Geller, “shouldn’t have too many details, like gold buttons or anything like that, or you’re going to look like a captain.”
• The shorts and blazer shouldn’t be in the same fabric, unless you want to “look like [you’re wearing] a suit with the pants cut off.”
• Pair the jacket with a washed-cotton dress shirt. “You want to unbutton the top few buttons of the shirt” and leave it untucked to strike a balance between the casual style of the shorts and the formal feel of the blazer.”
• Avoid casual footwear like sandals, instead choosing “classic lace-up shoes” — But “nothing too shiny.”
• Never show sock — Either leave them at home, or wear them short enough to hide under your footwear.