Men who wear the right shorts-and-shoe combinations probably have no idea how much they sweep onlookers off their feet ... and that it's the exact opposite for guys who do it wrong.
My editor brought up an example the other day: Jesus sandals and thick socks. It's the kind of memory that I block - like a really bad date - but she brought it all back.
I remember once having a drink at a bar with a friend whose boyfriend walked in and stunned everyone - badly. Calf-length shorts, white socks (and they looked like he had had them since secondary school) and bad sneakers. 'Quel horreur!' we all exclaimed. Even if you were to put that look on Hideo Nakata, it would still look hideous. We spent the evening doing relationship counselling.
Calf-length shorts: 80 per cent of the time they look hideous, the other 20 per cent they're acceptable in the gym or in exceptional cases, such as the occasional guy with very long pins. If you must wear calf-length shorts, don't wear socks! (Or at least not ones that are visible.)
As summer looms, many men can't wait to get into their shorts, even braving the brisk winds and drizzling rain. If you want to wear shorts, wear real shorts. I don't mean really short styles, by 'real' I mean proper ones. The most stylish ones end right above the knees, although guys blessed with fab gams can get away with shorter. Sometimes you have ones that are right around the knees for design reasons.
To pull off a cool pair of shorts you also need to think about your top half. You can do everything correctly below the waist but with the wrong upper-body arrangement everything is shot. Ermenegildo Zegna's Upper Casual collection has the classic look: dark navy blue blazer, red hooded pullover, pastel blue shorts and white canvas shoes. It's a good balance of colour and a combination that allows you to go from yachting to a casual dinner at Zuma.
Or go for a 1920s-inspired look of casual elegance with a modern attitude, as seen at Louis Vuitton (top left): a light grey blazer with tee, shorts and strappy sandals in indigo, and a casual burnt-orange leather bag on your shoulder. It's a good look for a casual day out in town, and maybe meeting up with some friends at the outdoor terrace of Red for a drink.