There comes a time when wearing clothing on the job feels like a death wish. Summers get hot. There are no two ways about it. As they say, when the job gets hot, the hot put on a nice pair of workwear shorts.
There’s only one problem: too many options. From cargo shorts to casual dress shorts and high-vis shorts (yes, they exist) one could break a sweat considering all the options.
Never fear. All Seasons Uniforms is here to straighten everything out.
If you’re in the market for something more comfortable in the shorts department, but that won’t fall apart at the first sign of labor, you’ve landed on the right page.
Welcome to our showcase of the best in workwear shorts talent.
Men’s cargo shorts
First, if you want our full take on cargo shorts, read Why Workwear Cargo Shorts Will NEVER “Go Out of Fashion.” It’s our argument about how the fashion industry will never be able to define fashion for working folks.
No spoilers, if you want a solid reason why you should ignore the fashion magazine advice of anyone not on the job site, that blog is the place to go.
The short version is obvious. Cargo shorts are as valuable to the men and women run the trenches of labor as they were to the armed forces who first wore cargo pockets. They let you stash so much stuff! (Duh.)
No matter what anyone who thinks they know fashion has to say to men or women who prefer to wear cargo shorts, there’s an unspoken code between those who wear them.
It’s similar to wearing an armed services uniform in public. Stride with pride in cargo shorts and tell your fashionista friends (or non-friends) to stuff it.
Carhartt workwear shorts
The big name in shorts is, no surprise, Carhartt. In case you’re new to this game, Carhartt is the big name in ALL work wear.
They’re one of the most venerable names in the business. They are the brand with whom every other brand wants to get in the ring.
Don’t believe me? Here are three blogs we’ve written in the last year answering that call alone:
- Battle Royale; Carhartt Versus Dickies
- Which is Better? Berne vs. Carhartt
- You Asked For it: Carhartt vs. Walls
When you’re the toughest reputation on the block, people want to get in the ring with you. No surprise Carhartt brings the same reputation to their shorts game.
What you get with Carhartt shorts is their long-standing reputation, but also a variety of fashion options. They, of course, have cargo shorts, but also duck and canvas shorts in plain and camouflage.
Their Ripstop cargo shorts are a popular style, not too baggy, and with only an 11-inch inseam, they’re not too long. They offer ripstop fabric as the name implies, which means their not super heavy either.
Let me see those Ripstop shorts
Dickies workwear shorts
Like Muhammed Ali to boxing, you can’t talk about Carhartt without Dickies coming up. The fans of these two brands dispute endlessly on which is better.
In the shorts category, Dickies has Carhartt beat on two fronts. They offer a greater variety of shorts, and they’re prices are slightly better.
In the Dickies lineup, you’ll find the usual suspects, cargo shorts, a loose fit short, and a flat front Dickies’ version of ripstop shorts, but also painter’s shorts, and denim carpenter styles.
They really make it easy to stick to the Dickies’ brand when shopping for a variety of shorts. Most folks know Dickies shorts for their industrial flat front shorts, though.
They go with most work environments where work shorts are allowed, and they last forever.
I’d like to see those classic Dickies shorts
Berne concealed carry shorts
For workers or everyday folks who need to carry a concealed weapon, look no further than the Berne workwear brand.
Shorts are not Berne’s most robust category of clothing, but they spared no expense when crafting their popular concealed carry versions.
The Echo Zero Six, as they call them, feature the Adder System of quick deployment of subcompact pistols at lightning speeds.
They’re also a tough pair of shorts, reinforced with triple stitching and wide belt loops so you know they’re good. Plus, they’re Berne.
For concealed carry shorts these sound perfect
Wrangler Cargo shorts
The roots of the Wrangler brand of clothing dig a hundred years into the past, to 1904. Back then it was the Hudson Overall Company, soon to be the Blue Bell company.
The Wrangler brand of jeans wouldn’t come out until the 1940s. Of the Hudson line, it was the one name that survived the longest.
Today, Wrangler is an international brand, built on the reputation of the original Wrangler jeans design called 11MWZ. They were a cowboys denim, sturdy, and stylish.
Wrangler still produces jeans, but they also make shorts. Some would compare their functional cargo work shorts to something designed by Dickies.
Perhaps, but they’re definitely tough. They’re also about the same price.
The fit is long and comfortable. They’re a blend, but over half of that blend is cotton so they’re soft enough. Wrangler worked canvas into the blend so they’ll last a long time.
Even better, they’re wrinkle resistant.
Red Kap shorts
As with many categories of workwear, Red Cap is a contender. The Red Kap brand of workwear really toes the line separating the back office from the worksite.
Many of their short designs fulfill this promise. They could fit in either environment. If you’re in the market for a pair of versatile, yet sturdy shorts, look no further than the Red Kap line.
From flat-front short styles to pleated and cargos, Red Kap’s line looks sharp like a pair of slacks every time.
A prime example of what they do is their performance shop shorts. These are heavier on the synthetics than the Wranglers, with only 42 percent cotton, but they’re every bit as comfortable.
This is due, in part, to the elastic waistband and stretch fabric. Like many of the Red Kap shorts, the fit is modern so you can always look as good as you feel.
Key Industries’ denim shorts
If you have to go denim with your workwear shorts, you have a couple of options. One, you can take your best pair of fading jeans and cut them off. Boom, you have shorts.
There’s only one problem. If you can’t sew, then the unfinished edge of the legs looks terrible. Your other option is to shell out a few bucks on a pair of Key Industries’ denim shorts.
They’re basically your jeans but with a finished edge so you don’t have to look like a hayseed at work. They come with everything you’d expect from a pair of jeans, except the lower legs portion.
Their dungaree style shorts have all the extra pockets and loops found in a pair of carpenter’s jeans.
Edwards garments’ shorts
Whereas Red Kap shorts cross over from the office into the yard, the shorts made by Edwards are almost exclusively executive.
Whether pleated or flat front, Edwards’ shorts are the sort you want to press with an iron before leaving the house. They look best with a crease.
Even the Edwards’ chino cargo shorts have a more fitted and dressy look than other cargo shorts. Price-wise, these still beat all the fancy department store brand names, under $30, and sometimes less than $20.
If you want to look at a pair of what Edwards does best in the shorts department, consider their blended chino plain front shorts.
They’re a blended fabric, lightweight, and functional. They’ll resist water and soiling so you’ll always look professional in Edwards.
Portwest Hi-Vis
Born in Ireland, the Portwest name is one of the top go-to brands for high visibility workwear. As such, it should come as no surprise that they make a high-vis pair of shorts, available in two colors, yellow and orange.
If you need to be seen, but can’t afford to wear full-length pants because they’re too darn hot, these are the shorts for you. Blended with cotton and outfitted with an elastic waistband, they’re comfortable too.
They have pockets front and back but also come with an outside pocket for stashing your cell phone. Portwest also makes a dark navy cargo short if you want something less flashy.
Stan Ray shorts
There are two very good reasons to shop Stan Ray apparel shorts.
The first one is that you need a pair of painters pants, but you don’t want them to be super long as is the fashion.
The other reason is that you want something you know was American made. As a rule, all Stand Ray apparel is made in the USA.
Their painter’s shorts are no exception. They do produce a longer pair, but only with a 10-inch inseam.
On the short end, they have a pair with only a six-inch inseam. That’s terribly short by modern standards, but not everybody likes the longer style of shorts.
You might have to wait a little longer for Stan Ray apparel, as they produce their clothes made-to-order, but along with your patience, you get all of the quality you’d expect from a small, American brand.
Stan Ray makes shorter-shorts? Show me
Sportsmaster convertible pants
In a blog showcasing your options for shorts, it may seem strange to end on a brand whose only pair of shorts are actually pants.
To be clear, they’re convertible pants, meaning they can be either shorts or pants, weather depending. That said, no other pair of shorts on this list can double as pants.
These are terribly handy in situations where the weather shifts on a dime.
Sportsmaster’s contribution may not be the most rugged pants on the worksite, but depending on your line of work, they may be exactly what you need to stay flexible with the weather.
What’s more, the shorts portion of these convertibles come with stash pockets to ditch the legs of your pants when you don’t need them.
Let me see these convertible short-pants
There you have it, a pair of work shorts for every occasion. You have no reason to overheat if your employer allows you to wear shorts.
It’s been a hot summer already. How long will you tolerate the heat?
About the Author
Nick Warrick
Nick Warrick is the Sales Manager at All Seasons Uniforms. With over 15 years of experience in the work uniform business, he has worked with hundreds of clients across 20 different industries. Holding bachelor’s degrees in both Business Administration and Information Technology, Nick revamped the company’s online presence, offering its customers a new uniform shopping experience.