DOES the sight of a bare male leg offend you?

Then you'd better brace yourself because there is going to be a whole lot of knee showing at more formal occasions this summer.

As the men of Mackay trudge to work and formal events throughout summer in slacks, they should remember this year's fashion would suggest they have an alternative to their favourite cotton/polyester blend.

Caneland Central Myer visual merchandising manager Lauren Terry said tailored shorts were proving to be a hot ticket fashion item for 2014.

"Chino shorts are a lot more formal than, say, a board short or a check short," Ms Terry said.

"They roll them up a little bit and they look great. So they are a good option and your number one choice for shorts."

Team leader Angie Grech said the Mackay men who dared to have their calves on display went for conservative colours.

"They stick to mainly the blues and the tans - they're not too keen on the bright colours. They normally wear the boat shoes with the shorts," she said.

Natural khaki and slate colours are also popular.

Ms Terry said there were a lot of shorts on the market for men to choose from and, in Mackay's hot climate, they benefited from the popular new trend.

So Mackay men, when you are sweating it up at your next work meeting or formal event, remember shorts are just a trip to the shops away.

But you'd better get in quick and take advantage of this opportunity because fashion changes as quickly as it took to shave off that trendy mullet in the '80s.