Army Shorts

Cargo cuts, sized by waist and by inside leg

Army shorts are cargo shorts with a military cut: multiple thigh pockets, a straight leg, and colours that stay in the olive, khaki, sand and woodland camouflage family. This range covers classic cotton cargo cuts, stretch-blend versions with elastane for movement, multipocket tactical patterns and longer lengths that finish at the knee. None of it is old stock: it is new production, so the useful comparison is between cuts and fabrics rather than between eras.

What length should army shorts be?

Length is set by the inside leg, measured from the crotch seam to the hem, and it changes how a pair behaves more than the waist number does. A short inseam sits well above the knee, moves freely and dries quickly. A long cargo cut finishes at or just below the kneecap, shades the thigh and looks closer to the trousers it is derived from, though it bunches when kneeling. Anyone unsure of the length they want can measure a favourite pair of combat trousers and count back from the knee.

Do the thigh pockets get in the way?

Loaded ones do. A bellows pocket stands off the leg and swallows a folded map or a pair of gloves, but a phone and keys in it swing against the thigh with every stride and drag the waistband down on that side. Flat patch pockets carry less and stay out of the way. The practical compromise is to keep weight in the front pockets and save the cargo pockets for bulky, light items that would otherwise fill a daypack.

Which fabric and waistband suit a cargo short?

• Cotton twill: heavy, hard-wearing, soft after a few washes, slow to dry once soaked through.
• Ripstop: a grid woven into the cloth that stops a small tear spreading, lighter on the leg and quicker to dry.
• Stretch blends: a small share of elastane that lets a knee bend without the seat pulling, at the cost of a little abrasion resistance.
• Waist finish: belt loops on their own hold a loaded pair only with a belt, while a side tab or elasticated insert absorbs a change of a size either way.

How should a pair fit at the waist?

Try them on with pockets loaded rather than empty. Shorts that sit comfortably bare will slide once a phone, a wallet and a set of keys hang from the hips, and a size chosen while standing still is often a size too tight when sitting on a low wall. Where a waist measurement falls between two sizes, the larger with a belt is easier to live with than the smaller with nothing to give.

What do army shorts go with?

Camouflage reads better on one half of an outfit than on both, so a plain khaki or sand pair carries a camo t-shirt comfortably, while a woodland pattern below asks for a plain top above. A brimmed boonie hat finishes the summer version of the look and does something useful for the back of the neck. The rest of the wardrobe these sit in, from field shirts to smocks, is gathered under military clothings.