Camouflage shorts have a credibility problem that most brands have made worse, not better. Too many of them land somewhere between army surplus and a college freshman’s weekend wardrobe, and the fit is usually the first thing to go wrong. Baggy in the wrong places, too long in the leg, cut from fabric that looks like it came off a military vehicle. None of that is what we are after here.

What we have been looking for are shorts that take the pattern seriously without taking themselves too seriously. The right length sitting just above the knee. A fit that is tailored without being tight. Colorways that lean toward the more muted end, olive and tan based palettes that work alongside a plain tee or a linen shirt rather than fighting them. These are shorts that belong on a summer trip or a well edited weekend, not a paintball course. Camo done with some actual thought behind it.