The Stars Who Aren’t Afraid To Wear Shorts on the Red Carpet

In the wise words of Paul Mescal, “I’m a big advocate for men wearing shorter shorts.” The Normal People star, decked out in his own shorts ensemble, has been a hot topic in recent weeks for his comments about the summer fashion staple to GQ at the Gucci spring/summer 2025 show in Milan.

Men opting for a formal short certainly isn’t a new idea — Pharrell Williams, arguably the king of red carpet shorts, has spent roughly the past decade favoring the clothing item. However, between summer premieres and European fashion weeks, shorts continue to take center stage for some stars.

With styles ranging from Mescal and his effortlessly cool Milan Fashion Week ensemble to Pedro Pascal and his head-turning 2023 Met Gala look to Williams’ slew of fashionable shorts-centric looks, these are some of the celebrities who aren’t afraid to wear a good pair of shorts.

Paul Mescal

The 28-year-old Irish actor opted for a cool and casual shorts ensemble while he advocated for men wearing shorter shorts. His look, and comments about the clothing item, at Gucci’s Milan show made waves on social media.

Pharrell Williams

Undoubtedly a pioneer in making shorts look cool on a red carpet, Williams turned heads in 2014 when he wore a shorts tux to the Academy Awards. A decade later, Williams, the current creative director for Louis Vuitton menswear, is arguably still the king of making the clothing item fashionable.

Pedro Pascal

Pascal’s custom red-and-black Valentino look was a hot topic during the 2023 Met Gala, which boasted a dress code that simply advised guests to honor Karl Lagerfeld. The Last of Us actor’s look still holds up today as an example of how rock a pair of formal shorts.

Troye Sivan

Much like Williams, Sivan seemingly favors this particular clothing item. The 29-year-old singer has opted to wear shorts to several formal events, including last year’s Cannes Film Festival, which he attended in support of his role in HBO’s The Idol.

Ncuti Gatwa

Gatwa, star of the latest Doctor Who iteration, wore a pair of eye catching shorts to Barbie‘s European premiere. The glittering silver shorts were hardly a one-off for the 31-year-old actor who has opted for several bold ensembles for both editorial shoots and red carpets.

Chris Pine

Arguably no one had more fun than Pine wearing shorts on a red, well technically green, carpet. The 43-year-old actor wore casual shorts, an “I Heart L.A.” T-shirt and a linen blazer for the premiere of his directorial debut, Poolman.

Colman Domingo

The 54-year-old actor is not one to shy away from a bold ensemble. Domingo rocked a pair of pleated jean shorts to the recent Louis Vuitton menswear show during Paris Fashion Week, topping the look off with tan cowboy boots.