This month’s GQ, under “Amp Up Your Style,” has a short how-to piece making cutoffs — taking a $145 pair of DKNY chinos to do the job. Obviously, we would not likely pay $145 for a pair of chinos to begin with, and if we did, would certainly not be making them into cutoffs, but we digress . . . This got us to thinking, though — cutoffs for men? Is this acceptable? Jack says, in a word, no. Let’s qualify that — no, unless you are 21 or under, hiking through the deep woods, OR are in the midst of a pick-up basketball game on the neighborhood playground (and even then they must — MUST — be to the knee at least). If you are outside of those three circumstances, then we say get a regular pair of shorts and leave the ragged edges to the kids. Yup, growing up is hard.
Okay, that’s our take — but what do you have to say? Are cutoffs a fashion Yea or a huge style Nay?
Yup, you can buy ‘em that way: Levi’s 501 Cut Off Shorts, $54, LevisStore.com
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Definitely a huge Nay. For those 1 in a million combinations of the right person, right environment, right time then they’re an OK. For the other 99.9%, it’s definitely Nay. The way I see it, every time I see someone in cutoffs, I always think how much better they would look with a clean hem. I think that’s sufficient circumstantial evidence right there.
It’s like popped collars, sideways hats and ugg boots. One stupid dated trend arises to replace another.
The ONLY way it is anywhere close to acceptable to wear Jeans as shorts is the “cutoff,” and that’s a stretch. Hemmed denim shorts are like “mom jeans.” Unnecessary.