Sweat Shorts – The Summer Trousers for Home

Short answer: Sweat shorts are summer's answer to comfy trousers: soft, airy and pleasant from morning to evening. A pair of grey sweat shorts in bamboo viscose is the classic model that goes with almost everything and works both at home and on a short trip out.

When they make sense

When it goes above twenty degrees indoors, long comfy trousers become too much and a pair of shorts takes over. See bamboo shorts for men and bamboo shorts for women, where the soft models sit alongside the thinner summer qualities.

The length on the leg

A length to mid thigh is the most useful. Very short models ride up when you sit down, and very long ones look like cut off trousers. Try them sitting down and not only standing, because sitting is how sweat shorts are most often worn.

The waistband has to be soft

A wide, soft waistband without a tight drawstring is what decides whether the shorts get worn a whole evening. A narrow elastic cuts in when you sit down. Always try the waistband sitting, because the stomach shifts when you settle into a sofa.

Pockets in shorts

Pockets are more practical in shorts than in long trousers, because there is nowhere else to put the phone when you are sitting. In return they add bulk over the hip. If the shorts have pockets without zips, they lose everything when you lie down.

Why bamboo for summer

Sweat fabric is thicker than ordinary jersey, which is why cheap sweat shorts quickly turn warm and clammy in summer heat. Bamboo viscose moves the moisture away and holds back odour, so the same shorts can be worn several days in a hot week.

The top that goes with them

A bamboo T-shirt for men or a bamboo tank top for men is the coolest thing over a pair of sweat shorts. If the evening turns cool, a bamboo sweatshirt for men in the same colour makes it a set.

At home or out

A pair of dark sweat shorts without prints can be worn on a walk and to the shops. Light grey shows moisture most clearly of all colours and therefore usually stays at home. If you only have one pair, choose dark and both work.

For sleeping in

Many people use sweat shorts as nightwear in summer. That works if they have no pockets and no zip, because seams and zips are clearly felt when you lie on your side for hours. A pair without details is the best choice for both.

Washing and shape

Wash at 30 degrees without fabric softener, and turn the shorts inside out so the brushed inside does not rub against the drum. Hang them to dry, because the tumble dryer makes the waistband brittle, and a waistband without stretch ends an otherwise sound pair. See also bamboo and temperature regulation.