Paul Mescal on the Short Shorts Phenomenon: ‘I Don’t Think I’m Responsible’

Paul Mescal.

Much has been said about Paul Mescal’s well-documented affinity for unapologetically short shorts, which has become something of a street-style phenomenon among guys and girls alike.

But in his recent cover story for Variety, which dropped on Wednesday, November 13, the Normal People star clarified his stance on the upsurge in tiny shorts: “For the record, I don’t think I’m responsible,” he said before insisting that he’s simply dressing more or less the same as the majority of Irishmen who play Gaelic Athletic Association football.

The interview opened with commentary from writer Alex Ritman, who noted that as he waited to meet up with Mescal, 28, he couldn’t help but notice “eight men in short shorts walk past on the street.” The writer added that it was late September in London, “but it’s cold — not the weather for exposed thighs — and these gentlemen don’t look like they’re out for a jog.”

It bears repeating that as soon as Mescal greeted the writer, another lookalike sporting “Mescal short shorts, Mescal scruffy facial hair and a little Mescal mullet” strolls by, prompting the actor to flash a sly grin and admit: “I have noticed certain similarities in certain specific boroughs of London.”

Paul Mescal Cuts a Suave Figure at Australian ‘Gladiator 2’ Premiere

It all started when Mescal turned up at the Gucci menswear show at Milan Fashion Week in June 2024 wearing Gucci striped boxers, or “a cute pair of shorts,” as he described them to GQ, teamed with a loosely fit blue Oxford shirt, white crew socks and the house’s horsebit loafers.

Speaking to the men’s publication from the front row, he revealed the key to the look is how you pair it: “From my eye, it’s to do with proportion,” he said. “A shorter short with maybe a longer top. I’m a big advocate for men wearing shorter shorts.”

Not long after Vogue dubbed him the “king of thigh chutzpah,” droves of fans began stepping out in their own version. The fashion bible even heralded the TikTok-and-Pinterest-spurned trend of women wearing men’s boxers as shorts as “the epitome of a functional summer staple,” particularly coupled with borrowed-from-the-boys oversized button-downs and penny loafers.

However, Mescal had already spoken at, ahem, length about the look long before, telling Dakota Johnson in a 2022 Interview feature that he’s “got a pretty extensive short shorts wardrobe.” In 2023, he followed this statement up by admitting to Harper’s Bazaar that he “[doesn’t] know how I would go about my summer if I didn’t have these [shorts].” Adding: “I don’t do well in the heat.”

Director Ridley Scott Promises ‘Gladiator II’ Is ‘As Good’ as 1st Film

When the subject arose again in a group interview with his All of Us Strangers costar Andrew Scott earlier this year, Mescal declared: “Let’s stop talking about it. Please, for the love of God.”

That didn’t curtail his Foe costar Saoirse Ronan from sounding off on the sartorial movement: “He’s somehow managed to make something that’s not really cool look really cool,” the actor told Variety. “And when he paired it with the mullet and mustache a couple of years ago, I was like, ‘OK, this is either gonna go one way or the other.’”

Considering Mescal is set to star in Gladiator II (which hits theaters on November 22), replete with super short togas and thigh-high leather gladiator sandals, it’s safe to assume that this is far from the last time the actor’s preternaturally toned legs will all but steal the spotlight.