M&S releases men's range of VERY short shorts inspired by A-listers like Paul Mescal and Harry Styles - as shoppers hail 'thigh-high summer'
The British supermarket giant has declared a thigh-high summer by introducing a new men's ultra-short shorts range online and in UK stores, allowing Britons to recreate the Normal People actor's trademark look by travelling no further than the high street.
The line offers tiny shorts, with inner seams of just three inches in some cases, at prices ranging from £15 to £30, and in a variety of styles, from pairs suitable for holiday lounging to chino-style cut-offs that don't compromise formality.
According to data from Bounce Insights, via Drapers, 66 per cent of men reported liking the 'short shorts trend', with 46 per cent agreeing that they plan on purchasing a pair this summer.
Mescal, 29, who shot to fame in 2020 after taking up the role of Connell in the BBC adaptation of Sally Rooney's Normal People, before going on to become a darling of the indie film industry, earned the title of 'King of Short Shorts' last year.
That June, he attended Gucci's Milan Fashion Week SS25 show wearing items from the fashion house's new collection - a half-buttoned blue shirt with the brand's logo and a pair of thigh-high shorts that resembled a pair of boxers.
Speaking to GQ, Paul said he is a 'big advocate for men wearing shorter shorts'. Explaining how he put the outfit together, he said: 'From my eye, it's to do with proportion. Like shorter shorts with maybe a longer top.'
What's more, the theme of short shorts materialised on the Gucci catwalk. One model was pictured wearing a red oversized short-sleeved shirt and fluorescent pink shorts.
Meanwhile, another model was styled very similarly to Mescal in a purple button-down shirt, flashing their washboard abs.
It's not just Mescal who's behind the latest trend, but also former One Direction singer Harry Styles. Papparazzi have spotted the singer countless times around London donning a pair of tiny shorts.
The trend also appears to be sticking over in the States, with actor Chris Pine, 44, cutting the seams so significantly that an interviewer at E! asked him to defend his choice.
'I don't think there is anything to defend,' Chris quipped about his October 27, 2023, outfit consisting of a tiny pair of shorts paired with a mustard yellow hoodie and brown loafers. 'It's called short shorts, isn't it? It's supposed to be short.'
Indeed, Marks and Spencer's appears to have got Pine's memo with its new thigh-high collection.
Mitch Hughes, director of menswear at M&S, told Drapers: 'From the catwalk to A-list celebs, the ''short short'' trend has well and truly arrived – with this season set to be all about the thigh-high style.
'To celebrate its rise in popularity, we're introducing our shortest ever shorts offering, just in time for summer. With inner seams starting at around three inches, our new shorter lengths are officially the shortest M&S men's shorts ever!
'With 46 per cent of men surveyed ready to embrace the style this summer, we're once again delivering key trend styles at great value, with our M&S Collection extra short stretch chino only £20 and the M&S Collection short swims £15'.
M&S have hopped on the short shorts trend and are now selling a range of options on British high streets
The British retail giant has introduced its shortest range of shorts ever following the rise of celebrities embracing the style
As Paul's journey to stardom continues to rise, he has also become known as a fashion icon influencing men's style around the world.
First, men began sporting 'Connell's Chain' after Mescal's Normal People character sent fans wild with his necklace - and now, as the summer months are upon us, Gen Z men are after the Irish actor's 'short shorts' look.
While men in the UK and Ireland began to find themselves influenced by the actor some time ago, an Irish man living in Brooklyn, New York, has revealed that his style has left Gen Z men in the US city 'in a chokehold' as they emulate his classic out-and-about style on the streets.
Posting on X, journalist Cahir O'Doherty, who is originally from Donegal but now lives in New York, said: 'Paul Mescal has Gen Z in a chokehold in Brooklyn. They men all look like they play GAA for Mayo now. It's like the early days of Beatlemania here. People don't understand the scale of the colonization.'
After a fellow Irish pal expressed his amusement at the writer's observation, he added: 'I live on the Lorimer stop, Liam. At the weekend it looks like an all-Ireland just let out from Croke Park. They even have the Conal chains. That show changed lives during the pandemic I think. It has absolutely changed fashion. We're in the Mescal topless summer. It's a thing.'
He posted an accompanying photo of Mescal wearing a navy hoody and shorts, plus sunglasses, while carrying his phone in his hand and listening to music through wire earphones - his signature look.
Replying to the post, one reader said of Mescal: 'You can get O 'Neill's shorts with pockets and earphones without wires, yet he refuses to use either.'
A second lamented: 'Why wasn't he in New York doing his little shorts thing when I was there damn it.' Another Irish X user joked: 'You can take the boy outta Maynooth, but...'
Although Cahir didn't show any photographic evidence of this trend which has the men of New York City admiring Mescal's style, other people living in the city appear to have confirmed men are opting for the look as spring turns into summer - and that they're taking inspiration from Mescal.
Posting on TikTok, male model and influencer Taylor Reed, who is based in New York City, showed off his Mescal-inspired outfit which included short shorts and a T shirt, and credited the Irish actor with inspiring him.
He said in a clip: 'You've probably seen this Paul Mescal outfit on the internet recently; I love it, so let's style our own version.'
Taylor went on to show off his black short shorts, gifted to him by a brand called East by East.
He then noted how, in the image he had chosen of Mescal, the actor was 'rocking a cropped white T shirt as his base layer' - something which he then copies.
Taylor completes his outfit with another cropped layer- a black hoody - which he has also chosen in line with Mescal's fit.
Finally, Taylor chooses white ankle socks, trainers, and a two-tone cap.
Michael Hernandez, a TikToker and photographer based in NYC, also posted a clip of himself swooning over passersby as 'short shorts season' comes into effect in the city.
Posting the video on the social media platform, he added: 'I blame on Paul Mescal.'
Elsewhere, Mescal's style is emulated by GAA players in the city; of which there is a whole community on both hurling and Gaelic football teams.
One of the stars setting the trend is footballer Linus Boidu Sayeh, who plays for Westmeath but who spent time in New York for his athletic career, who often opts for short shorts both when he's working out at the gym and out and about in real life.
For any New York men wanting to pick up the GAA-inspired look, promoted by Paul Mescal, for themselves; the Official New York GAA store has plenty of options - with O'Neill's shorts for adult men coming in at around $28 (£22).
It's not just in New York City where Mescal's style has taken hold; around the world, including in the actor's native Ireland and his London home, Hackney, men are being inspired in their outfits to follow 'Paul Mescal Core' as they opt for chains, short shorts, and earphones with wires.
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