Shorts can be boring. They’re just short pants, often made out of a lightweight but durable polyester blend—which makes them great for warm weather running, hiking, gardening, lounging, biking, camping, or just about any outdoor activity—but predictable. Earlier this summer, however, I discovered the pure joy of pulling on a pair of terry cloth shorts. After long days of wearing a wet bathing suit, they felt like slinking into a plush, terry cloth bathrobe in a fancy hotel, or the best beach towel on the planet.
Terry cloth isn’t the first material that comes to mind when I think “summer shorts,” but the stellar experience made me wonder: Are there other out-of-the-norm, funky summer shorts out there that are equally great, for other reasons and applications? I went on a short shorts quest, and here’s what I found:
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