Every Thursday the Esquire Shops newsletter brings you our selection of the most stylish things to buy right now. Sign up here.Ever since the economist George Taylor first alluded to a link between skirt lengths and economic prosperity, in 1929 — a big year for economists! — fashion experts have referred to Taylor’s theory when analysing trends in womenswear. It’s known as the Hemline Index, and it implies that the shorter the skirt, the stronger the stock market.
Could one apply the same logic to men’s shorts? In 2021, as lockdowns began to lift, the government endorsed a return to “intimate contact”, and economic green shoots began to slowly appear, so shorts shortened. Perhaps Paul Mescal’s thighs were a sign of good times to come?Three years on, following a cost-of-living crisis, interest-rate hikes and spiking inflation, modesty has returned. Bermuda shorts — which really aren’t that short — are everywhere.