Tropical print shorts exist on a knife edge. Done badly and you look like a man who bought his holiday wardrobe at an airport. Done well and they are one of the most confident things you can wear in warm weather. The problem is the line between the two is thinner than most men realise, and it comes down almost entirely to scale of print, quality of cloth, and how the leg length sits.

We have been looking specifically for shorts where the tropical detail feels considered rather than shouted. Smaller, more refined prints on a quality cotton or linen blend. A length that actually flatters rather than cutting you off at the wrong point on the thigh. Colours that suggest the tropics without committing fully to the fruit bowl.

These are shorts that work at a beach bar, on a terrace, or anywhere the weather gives you permission to try. They reward the man who picks carefully.