He's wearing shorts/pants that are short.

[temerson]

¿Cómo se distingue entre hablar/escribir de los pantalones cortos para "chores" y los pantalones cortos para los pantalones que son demasiado cortos para la persona que los lleva?

Él lleva unos pantalones cortos. He's wearing shorts. He's wearing pants that are short.

Ejemplo

 

[Galván]

Pantalones cortos se usa para decir shorts
Cuando los pantalones están cortos se dice te/le quedan cortos los pantalones.
En tu frase "él lleva unos pantalones cortos" se entiende por el contexto que se refiere a unos shorts
He's wearing shorts.

 

[pops91710]

El lleva bermudas se dice en México.

 

[gengo]

I think what the OP is asking is how to express the idea that someone is wearing pants that are intentionally shorter than usual. That is, they are designed that way, according to the current fashion.

Galván, if we say "le quedan cortos los pantalones," I think that means that his pants are too short (= don't fit properly). Am I right? If so, that would not fit what I believe the OP is asking about.

By the way, temerson, your sentence "He's wearing pants (that are) short" is incorrect with those parentheses, which have to be removed.

 

[Ballenero]

Los pantalones…
…le quedan cortos /quedarle/.
…le están cortos /estarle/.

 

[Galván]

I think what the OP is asking is how to express the idea that someone is wearing pants that are intentionally shorter than usual. That is, they are designed that way, according to the current fashion.

"él lleva unos pantalones cortos" se entiende como: "he's wearing shorts" (al menos así lo entiendo yo)

Galván, if we say "le quedan cortos los pantalones," I think that means that his pants are too short (= don't fit properly). Am I right? If so, that would not fit what I believe the OP is asking about.

That is correct, le quedan cortos los pantalones significa que los pantalones no son de su talla y se le ve el calcetín, algo que para algunos puede ser un "fashion statement" pero que en general se ve mal.

I'm only stating the difference.

 

[temerson]

I think what the OP is asking is how to express the idea that someone is wearing pants that are intentionally shorter than usual. That is, they are designed that way, according to the current fashion.

Galván, if we say "le quedan cortos los pantalones," I think that means that his pants are too short (= don't fit properly). Am I right? If so, that would not fit what I believe the OP is asking about.

By the way, temerson, your sentence "He's wearing pants (that are) short" is incorrect with those parentheses, which have to be removed.

Sé que en la foto que di como ejemplo se ve más como un "fashion statement" pero en realidad quería saber de los pantalones que no son de la talla correcta. Gracias por su ayuda.

Pantalones cortos se usa para decir shorts
Cuando los pantalones están cortos se dice te/le quedan cortos los pantalones.
En tu frase "él lleva unos pantalones cortos" se entiende por el contexto que se refiere a unos shorts
He's wearing shorts.

Entonces si mis estudiantes estuvieran describiendo la ropa de alguien, dirían por ejemplo…"Él lleva una camisa negra y unos pantalones rojos que le quedan cortos."?