There's a long history of performance companies branching out into the casual world: Nike was a hardcore running shoe maker before the swoosh took over the streets, and Gatorade was formulated to hydrate college football players before going mainstream to hydrate professional hangovers. For a new line of shorts from a company built on a century of performance brutality, check out Canterbury of New Zealand
Outfitting the punishing world of rugby with beastily technical match gear since 1904, Down Under's Canterbury has expanded their non-competition line with a plethora of casual shorts, bringing clever fabrics and scrum-proof stitching to garments to keep you from having a scrummy crotch. Cargos include the Striped, done in a Gatsby-worthy summer seersucker with unpleated pockets; the Floral, whose pleasantly breezy linen gets a yellow, orange, & blue botanical print and a relatively streamlined profile; and the Plaid, with interior drawstring/pockets, and a mishmash of cotton plaids that'll have you looking like you're zipping along at Ludicrous Speed. There's also non-cargos like the Retro Plaid with a loose, long fit and jean-style pockets in front; the Bigside, made of poplin plaids, with dressy vertical slit pockets on the side; and the Nate, a slim-fit Bermuda in refined patterned cottons like a houndstooth plaid with blue highlights, or a fine black pinstripe -- so snazzy, they'll quickly become your go-to interview shorts
For getting wet, 'Bury's also got swim trunks like the "NZ" in polyester twill, cut slightly shorter than most board shorts, and the "Fraser", a striped slim-fit board short with clownish colors and the unusual measure of belt loops and a zip fly, because even when you're taking a dip, you have a rich history of branching out.
