These are my favorite shorts. Made from the same 12 oz. fabric as Carhartt's iconic heavyweight pants, these are probably THE hardest-wearing shorts you can buy. Duluth Trading Co. makes work shorts in a slightly heavier ("Fire Hose Canvas") fabric, but Carhartt's are probably a better value unless the DTC ones happen to be on sale.

They're practical, too; the hammer loop and especially the low-profile side pockets are incredibly useful for carrying tools, pens, notepads, and whatnot. I find myself using them constantly.

The only downside of these heavy-duty shorts is the flip-side of their greatest virtue: the incredibly rugged fabric. It gets hot. I live in the Pacific Northwest, where summers are generally mild, but if I lived in the southern United States, I'd definitely get the lighter-weight shorts.