Men's Shorts Sets – A Guide

Short answer: A shorts set for men is two pieces designed together: shorts and a top in the same fabric and the same colour. It makes the morning shorter, because nothing has to be chosen, and it looks more coherent than two random pieces from the wardrobe.

What a shorts set is

A set consists of a pair of shorts and a top in the same material and colour, usually a T-shirt, a polo or a shirt. The pieces can be worn separately, but together they read as a single garment.

The top that repeats

The simplest top is a bamboo T-shirt for men in the same colour as the shorts. It is easy to wash, dries quickly and can be worn alone on the hottest days without the set falling apart.

When it needs to be neater

If the set needs lifting slightly, swap the T-shirt for a bamboo polo shirt for men. The collar makes the difference between homewear and something you can go out in, and the cost is a little more ironing.

The shorts themselves

Choose bamboo shorts for men in a length that ends just above the knee, with a waistband that does not dig in when you sit down. Elastic with a drawstring is easiest if your weight shifts across the summer.

For the evening outside

When the sun goes down, a bamboo sweatshirt for men in a tone that suits the shorts is enough to stay sitting outside. It can lie in a bag all day without taking up room or creasing visibly.

The set as homewear

Many people use a shorts set as what they change into when they get home. Looking at bamboo loungewear for men, the difference between a summer set and a home set is often only the weight of the fabric.

The colours that last

Black, navy, grey and sand are the four that can be worn together and separately for years. Strong colours are more fun the first summer and harder to combine the second, when the rest of the wardrobe has to keep up.

Sizing a set

The top may sit slightly loose, and the shorts should stay on the hip without a belt. If you are between two sizes, take the larger for the top and the smaller for the shorts, so the proportions hold.

Washing and durability

Wash at 30 degrees inside out and without fabric softener, which settles into the fibres and makes the fabric less absorbent. The tumble dryer wears a set out fastest, and air drying keeps the colour even in both pieces. See also bamboo and temperature regulation.