Corduroy in Summer: The Lesser-Spotted Cord Shorts

The lesser-spotted corduroy short is a true marvel of the male wardrobe, and a riposte to those who believe cord is the preserve of winter only.

Corduroy shorts may seem a little bit counterintuitive, it’s true. When we talk about cord, we often picture the wide wale variety, which is perfect for heavy-duty winter trousers, but the mere thought of it in summertime may cause one to break out in a sweat. Instead, what the warm weather requires is a narrow wale needlecord, which provides a note of texture while remaining light enough to ensure comfort in higher temperatures.

The cord short was a staple of climbing and outdoor wear in the ‘70s (corduroy being a hard-wearing performance fabric, of sorts) and enjoyed a period of popularity in the ‘90s too. However, it has inexplicably fallen by the wayside, so we decided to make the style a part of our High Summer 2020 collection.

Selecting a beautifully soft needlecord in four distinctly summery shades (mint Cornetto green, steamed lobster red, cloudless sky blue, and buttercup yellow), we made our shorts in England, opting for a slightly shorter inseam to give the shorts an elegant, tailored shape (we keep our distance from the dreaded too-long shorts).

As evidenced by our High Summer 2020 lookbook, the shorts can be worn in a number of ways, looking equally stylish with a linen shirt and espadrilles, or a double-breasted linen jacket and a piece of lightweight knitwear. So, as summer continues its advance and our days become longer and warmer, consider a pair of these, particularly if the passing of winter has left you with a craving for corduroy.

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