Men's Legs Are Finally Sexy Again
For decades, men's legs have been in hiding.
Our calves and thighs, oppressed by long-legged pants, have suffered greatly from concealment. We get hot and sweaty and uncomfortable because of them. It wasn't always this way, though. The '70s and '80s saw the peak of men in breezy short shorts, the likes of NBA players and actors like Tom Selleck and John Travolta.
Maybe it was the result of changing cultural expectations. A few years ago, wearing shorts well above the knees might've been seen as emasculating, a toxic and illogical notion that to wear less clothing makes you less of a man. This is maybe why cargo shorts exist and why many more men probably stopped wearing shorts altogether. Or the workplace is to blame. To wear a pair of shorts at the office is to suggest unprofessionalism, that if we bare our thighs, paradoxically, maybe we're incapable of baring ourselves fully at work.
But then, something happened and amid a global pandemic. Out of a recent period of emotional and political turmoil has emerged an important cause we can all mutually root for: the 5.5-inch inseam.
The 5.5 inch inseam shorts trend for all my male counterparts is not something to take lightly. This is a game changer. Let me see those thighs.
— lea 🥀 (@leaweed69) August 12, 2020
I need more men to wear 5.5 inseam shorts. Let me see those knees you thot
— ms nature valley bar (@_caatjoy) August 12, 2020
If your bf wears 5.5 inch inseam shorts sorry that’s your gf
— lilsamsquanch (@lilsamsquanch66) August 13, 2020
girls don’t want jewellery we just want boys in 5.5 inch inseam shorts
— ellie 🕊🌿 (@elliessanger) August 13, 2020
Are men's legs...sexy again? We think so. Actor Paul Mescal went viral for his pair recently. And TikTok is going crazy about guys' thighs. It's clear we're at the precipice of entering a golden era for our lower limbs. And largely because of quarantine lockdown, men in droves are circumventing outdated rules of workplace attire, also unburdened by societal pressures to hide their precious thighs.
It's easy, too. Here's a TikTokker proving the power of a 5.5-inch inseam:
"You automatically get more attractive," writes one commenter. Of course, it's not all about attention. Showing ourselves a little more fully, calves and all, is liberating. It's also confidence-building.
So men, let's show off our calves. Short inseam energy is here to stay.
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