Skirts might not have entered mainstream men's fashion just yet, but it would appear that the summer season for 2012 will be encouraging men to bare their legs a little more than usual with the introduction of the short shorts.

Gone are the Bermudas and baggy knee-length shorts you all felt comfortable in. Say hello to the leggier version of the summer garment meant to show off a man's shapely thighs.

Top designers from fashion houses seem determined to see whether the well known saying "the shorter the skirt, the better the times" applies to shorts too.

Well known designer Neil Barrett has even given the trend a name: 'rising short syndrome.'

Fashion commentators believes that where baggier shorts were made for a bulkier frame common in the 90s, smaller shorts fit in with the thinner, fitter image we strive for these days.

 'We’re in a slim culture now, and it feels like the one thing that was holding up the slimness of the entire wardrobe was the short,' creative director of American GQ, Jim Moore told FT.com.

While fashion experts might agree that it’s the age of the mini-shorts, the consumer always has the last word. Would you wear them?