Paul Mescal had a tongue-in-cheek response when quizzed by a fan about his unashamedly “short shorts ”. The Normal People actor , 28, has become something of a sartorial icon with his preference for thigh-grazing garments, spawning a street-style phenomenon in recent years. During a visit to BBC Radio 1 on Thursday, he received a question from a young caller about his eyebrow-raising style.
“Hi, my name is Lily, I’m five years old. Hi, Paul.” the fan said while introducing herself over the phone, in a video shared on TikTok .
“Why are your shorts so short?” The Gladiator II star burst out laughing, admitting, “It’s a good question, Lily,” before joking, “Lily’s mum definitely asked her that.” He went on: “They’re short, Lily, they’re sports shorts. “They’re not custom made for me to be short, they’re just very practical for exercise, and they’re great for running in.
” The Aftersun actor then joked: “I might next summer just like, have my bum [hanging out]...
Just go for the hot pants next summer.” Mescal’s well-documented affinity for tiny shorts hit new heights when he wore striped boxers to the Gucci menswear show at Milan Fashion Week in June 2024. He described them as “a cute pair of shorts,” to GQ and teamed them with a loose shirt, white socks, and loafers.
Describing how to style the look, he told the outlet: “From my eye, it’s to do with proportion. A shorter short with maybe a longer top. I’m a big advocate fo.
