The Defining Shorts of Summer 2026, According to GQ Staffers

Around this time every year, the GQ Recommends team convenes in our clandestine subterranean lair (it’s like the Batcave, but with better lighting) to vote on one crucial matter: the official shorts of the summer. Prior summits have anointed Patagonia’s legendary Baggies and these ultra-preppy pleated joints from Lands’ End. The debate is fierce. Words are said; friendships are renounced; thighs are exposed. But without fail, the process yields promising new contenders for the crown, smoky flares beamed to desktops around the world with a single message: The shorts have been shortlisted.Because accuracy is the sole non-negotiable here, we also know when it doesn't feel right to crown one unmarred victor. And in 2026, shorts have taken a turn towards all kinds of extremes—hems have simultaneously blown past the knee, nearly kissing the ankles, and sneakily crept upwards, until they're almost boxer shorts. The very notion of a scientifically correct inseam length has been all but obliterated.This is nothing to panic about. It's actually a victory for guys like you and I the world over, who are now free to simply wear… the shorts we like best right now. As a result, in a historic first, this year's shorts summit was more of a Kumbuya moment. GQ editors, hand-in-hand, welcomed each other's preferences in with warm nods, sincere affirmations, and loving knee-knocks. In the end, we crowned seven of them—and, uhh, one pant—each different from the other in length, vibe, and silhouette. The true shorts of summer 2026, it turns out, might just be the friends we made along the way.Scenes Big Team ShortsSoccer, football, fútbol—whatever you wanna call it, the sport is defining the summer culturally, socially, and sartorially. These swishy, pitch-ready shorts from the New York label Scenes will go great with all manner of vintage kits and proper button-ups. The pair I wear most are an older model in a satiny black nylon, but this cherry red version will set you up nicely to embrace the color combo of the moment. —Yang-Yi GohGramicci Nylon Packable G-ShortGramicciNylon Packable G-ShortI’ve been a Patagonia Baggies loyalist for about five or six summers now, but after I failed to find them in my storage, I turned to the next best, or possibly the best nylon shorts in the game: Gramicci’s Nylon G-Short. The 9-inch inseam is a welcome change to the thigh-baring Baggies, and the quick-dry lightweight nylon is spectacular, especially if you find yourself wading through a body of water for relief on yet another hot summer day. I prefer to throw mine on with a beat-up T-shirt or a rumpled Oxford-cloth button down—none of that is new or unexpected, but it works, and when it feels like Dante’s Inferno outside, I want my shorts to be the last thing I’m thinking about. —Jordan BowmanPhipps Vacation Corduroy Dad ShortsPhippsVacation Corduroy Dad ShortsMy summer mood board is essentially a dog-eared photo of your young dad. Technical fabrics are cool and all, but only real kings can rock corduroy in the dead heat of summer. The inseam is short enough to show off the gams, and the oddball cargo pocket is perfect for a pack of Wrigley's and the keys to the station wagon. —Michael NolledoMfpen Straight-Leg Wool ShortsMfpenStraight-Leg Wool ShortsMfpen's shorts are a hybrid, but not the categorical hybrid short of the Patagonia Baggies variety. Instead, they're a short that fuses multiple ideas into one. The fluid woolen fabric is borrowed from dress pants, the pocket details are spliced from five-pocket denim jeans, and it's all cut into a reasonably relaxed pair of shorts—a turducken of a garment. They're lightweight, drape beautifully, and hit just at the knee, which seems to work gracefully on my 5'9" frame. —Gerald OrtizGreg Laboratory E-SS26 ShortsGreg LaboratoryE-SS26 ShortsIt’s been so G-D hot this summer that I’ve been wearing far more shorts than usual. While there are a few pairs that I wear a lot—shoutout the Manresa Ravine Short—only one has been beckoning to me like the Jumanji board all summer long: the Greg Laboratory E-SS26 Shorts. Made from a light lyocell/cotton fabric, they’ve got these monster pleats in the front that hide a pair of pockets, and then there’s a pair of wild, climbing-inspired scoop pockets at the back that are more useful than, like, 80% of the totes on the market. None of it feels expected, all of it is incredibly useful and considered down to the millimeter, and you should also own these shorts. —Reed NelsonStudio Nicholson Denim ShortsStudio NicholsonMarylebone Straight-Leg Denim ShortsVersatility is key for me when it comes to shorts. It's important that they look as good with a beat up tour tee as they do with a handsome linen blazer. That's why when summertime hits, I instinctually grab my jorts, which serve the same purpose as my jeans do at all other times of the year—a staple you can easily dress up or down. This Studio Nicholson pair has everything a perfect summer short needs: The slight beefiness of the denim ensures the fabric doesn't stick to your legs, the wider cut allows for that much needed airflow, and the beautiful wash is a reminder to go outside as much as possible. —Johnny LiStoffa Wool ShortsI'll always love my Ralph Lauren camo cargos, but this summer, these Stoffa shorts have really been putting in overtime. Their secret sauce lies in the highly breathable wool fabric, the ideal length, and single pleat, all of which help them deliver whether I'm having dinner in the city or by the beach. —Reginald Christian