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Shorts

Garment for the lower body ending above the knee

Summary

Garment for the lower body ending above the knee

the garment

Two people wearing shorts (Argentina, 2011)

Shorts are a garment worn over the pelvic area, circling the waist and splitting to cover the upper part of the legs, sometimes extending down to the knees but not covering the entire length of the leg. They are called "shorts" because they are a shortened version of trousers, which cover the entire leg, but not the foot. Shorts are typically worn in warm weather or in an environment where comfort and airflow are more important than the protection of the legs.

There are a variety of shorts, ranging from knee-length short trousers that can in some situations be worn as formal clothes to beachwear and athletic shorts. Some types of shorts are typically worn by women, such as culottes, which are a divided skirt resembling a pair of loose-cut shorts.

Terminological differences

The British English term, short trousers, is used, only for shorts that are a short version of ordinary trousers (i.e., pants or slacks in American English). For example: tailored shorts, often lined, as typically worn as part of a school uniform for boys up to their early teens, and by servicemen and policemen in tropical climates. Shorts, used unqualified in British English, refers to sports shorts, athletic shorts, or casual shorts; the last nowadays commonplace in warm weather in the UK. Shorts are also known as "half pants" in India.

The dated American English term, short pants, is probably the nearest equivalent in the US, where they might now be called dress shorts, a term that has not gained much currency in Britain.

A somewhat similar garment worn by men in Australia is called stubbies.

The term boxer shorts is an American coinage for a particular kind of men's underwear, and is now also common in Britain. However, boxer shorts are often referred to merely as boxers in the US. Moreover, whereas the American English usage of the word pants refers to outerwear (i.e., trousers in British English), the usage of pants in British English refers to the garment worn under one's trousers (such as boxers). Such a garment, however, is referred to as underpants in American English (note the qualification of the word pants by the word under). Alongside the term boxer shorts, undershorts or simply shorts were synonyms for underpants during the time of this coinage; while jockey shorts was a synonym for men's briefs.

Sociology

Europe and America

In much of Europe and the Americas during the 19th and early 20th centuries, shorts were worn as outerwear only by young boys until they reached a certain height or maturity. When boys got older, typically around puberty, they would receive their first pair of long trousers. This produced the perception that shorts were only for young boys. Because of this, men would not wear shorts to avoid looking immature, even when the weather was hot. Women tended not to wear shorts in most cultures, due to social mores: they were expected to wear dresses, or skirts and blouses.

In the 1890s, knee pants (an early type of short pants) became the standard wear for American boys. Many urban school portraits from the 1890s show all but the oldest boys wearing knee pants. North American boys normally wore knee pants with short stockings. This began to change after the 1900s when North American boys began wearing knickerbockers during the winter, while short pants became more popular in Europe. In the 1930s, shorts started to be worn for casual comfort (e.g. outdoor and athletic activities) by both men and women. However, it was still taboo to wear shorts outside of certain activities.

Two women wearing shorts (Toronto, Canada, 1937)

Since about the time of World War II, when many soldiers served in tropical locations, adult men have worn shorts more often, especially in summer weather, but the perception of shorts as being only for young boys took several decades to change, and to some extent still exists in certain circles. Shorts would soon become more popular by the late 1960s as a result of the countercultural movement that defined the decade, and men and women started wearing jean shorts and other variants as the 1970s dawned. It would become more common for men to wear shorts as casual wear in summer, but much less so in cooler seasons.

Asia

Shorts are not traditional clothing in some Asian countries. International trade and fashion trends have helped bring shorts to the East. They were first treated as taboo in countries like China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam because they conflicted with old traditions that women have to cover their body private parts and worries about sexual harassment.

As time goes by, shorts are slowly accepted by people, especially young people.

Now in Asia, wearing shorts is considered young, active, and energetic. They are a symbol of freedom from old rules and have helped promote gender equality.

Worldwide

Adults are also commonly seen wearing shorts, but wearing shorts is less common among women in traditional eastern countries than in the West although that varies widely by region. Women more often wear shorts in large cosmopolitan cities. In some countries, adult women can be seen wearing loose-fitting shorts that end at or just below the knee, as these are seen as sufficiently modest.

In many countries, there are still many settings in which wearing shorts would not be acceptable, as they are considered too casual. Notable exceptions in which men may wear short trousers to the office or at formal gatherings are South Africa, Bermuda, Australia and New Zealand . Since the 1990s, casual office dress has grown to include formal shorts in some British and American businesses but by no means universally.

Styles

Image	Name	Description
[[File:Brazil vs. Chile in Mineirão 05.jpg	100px]]	Baggies	last=Davies	first=Hunter	title=Boots, Balls and Haircuts: An Illustrated History of Football from Then to Now	chapter=Chapter 3. Equipment: Bring on the Balls	page=51}} Until the 1960s, footballers referred to these garments as "knickers", but after the 1960s, the term "shorts" entered standard usage. A popular nickname for West Bromwich Albion football club since the early 1900s has been the "Baggies". This is sometimes assumed to be in reference to the players' shorts, although there are multiple alternative explanations.
[[File:Claude Froidevaux (1990) by Erling Mandelmann.jpg	100px]]	Bermuda shorts	[[File:Yellow Bermuda shorts.jpg	thumb	75px	Man in bermuda shorts]]
[[File:Beach boy summer time 2009.jpg	100px]]	Boardshorts	last1=Maurer	first1=Tracy Nelson	title=Surfing	url=https://archive.org/details/surfing0000maur	url-access=registration	date=2003	publisher=Rourke Pub.	location=Vero Beach, Fla.	isbn=9781589522800	page=21}} As "surf trunks" they first emerged in Hawaii in the 1950s, distinguished by their construction which included fly fastenings and secure pockets with sealable flaps. These early surf trunks were made from cotton, although quick-drying synthetics such as nylon and neoprene quickly found favour with wearers. They were made knee-length in order to protect the surfer's legs from sticking to the wax on their surfboard.
[[File:BoxerShorts-20070901.jpg	100px]]	Boxer shorts	[[File:John Quinlan In Raja Boxing.jpg	thumb	100px	Wrestler [[John Quinlan (wrestler)	John Quinlan]] in boxing shorts (2010)]]
[[File:Woman In Boyshorts.jpg	100px]]	Boyshorts	last1=Stalder	first1=Erika	title=Fashion 101 a crash course in clothing	date=2008	publisher=Zest Books	location=San Francisco, CA	isbn=9780547946931	page=110	url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uNxhd1Z7n1EC&pg=PA110}} They are cut with wide sides and a low rise, reducing the risk of visible panty line. Boyshorts are increasingly being worn as outerwear in sporting contexts, such as by Serena Williams on the tennis court,
[[File:Womens beach volleyball.jpg	100px]]	Bun huggers	International Volleyball Federation]] used to require that female volleyball players wear such garments while playing. A study made by the Women's Sports Foundation commented that making such garments compulsory for women athletes was "venturing into the arena of athlete exploitation". Since the mid-2000s such garments are increasingly being replaced by boyshorts (see above) which offer increased coverage and security to their wearers.
[[File:Man wearing a green T-shirt and cargo shorts (cropped).jpg	100px]]	Cargo shorts	Cargo shorts are an abbreviated version of cargo pants, typically around knee-length, with multiple pockets that are typically stitched to the outside sides of the legs. In 1980 cargo shorts were marketed as ideal for the sportsman or fisherman, with the pocket flaps ensuring that pocket contents were secure and unlikely to fall out. By the mid-to-late 1990s cargo shorts found popularity among mainstream men's fashion. In 2012, Tim Gunn observed that while the pockets were undeniably useful for carrying things for work or other everyday tools, cargo shorts were more practical than elegant.
[[File:Culotte skirt and interior view.jpg	100px]]	Culottes	Culottes were introduced in the mid-20th century as an abbreviated version of the late-nineteenth century divided skirt intended for horse- and bicycle-riding. Although called culotte skirts, they are basically full shorts constructed to hide their division. Since the mid-20th century culottes have been increasingly offered as an alternative to skirts in women's uniforms, for instance in the Vietnam War when female Red Cross workers found their uniform skirts impractical around helicopters.
[[File:Man wearing cutoffs.jpg	100px]]	Cut-offsCut-offs	last1=Regan	first1=C.	editor1-last=Paul	editor1-first=Roshan	title=Denim: Manufacture, Finishing and Applications	date=2015	publisher=Elsevier	isbn=9780857098498	pages=203–204	chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qZCuAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA203	chapter=Role of denim and jeans in the fashion industry}} Whilst cut-offs can be home-made from existing jeans, ready-made cut-offs are also commercially retailed. Extremely short denim cut-offs are known as "Daisy Dukes" (see below).
[[File:Cycling shorts (cropped from Cycling Ascent.jpg).jpg	100px]]	Cycling shorts	[[File:Cycling_bib_shorts_front.jpg	thumb	100px	Bib shorts]] Cycling shorts are skin-tight long shorts specifically designed for wear by cyclists to reduce chafing. While often elastic-waisted, a popular alternative style with integral suspenders, more comfortable in the longer term for serious cyclists, is called bib shorts. They are designed to fit the posture of a cyclist bent over in the racing position, cut longer in the back than in the front to guarantee full coverage. Since the 1980s, such garments are increasingly designed to take into account the difference between male and female bodies, as women's shorts require a longer waist-to-crotch measurement.
[[File:Jacklyn Ocean in her Daisy Dukes.jpg	100px]]	Daisy Dukes	An extremely short version of denim cut-offs (see above), popularly known as "Daisy Dukes" in reference to Catherine Bach's character of that name from the American television show The Dukes of Hazzard. They are a form of hot pants or short shorts (see below), typically worn by women (see below).
[[File:Young man wearing jorts (denim shorts) (cropped).jpg	100px]]	Jorts or Denim shorts	JortsDenim shorts are worn by all genders. They can also be called "jorts", a portmanteau of "jeans" and "shorts", although this term is arguably limited to knee-length baggy styles.
[[File:Hooters Calendar Girl Melissa Poe.jpg	100px]]	Dolphin shorts	last1=Mansour	first1=David	title=From Abba to Zoom a pop culture encyclopedia of the late 20th century	date=2005	publisher=Andrews McMeel Pub.	location=Kansas City, MO	isbn=9780740793073	page=126	url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7GN0E_diWbAC&pg=PA126}} One high-profile wearer of 'dolphin shorts' is the fitness guru Richard Simmons, who in 2012, boasted of owning 400 pairs of vintage Dolfins. In 2012, it was reported that orange Dolfin shorts are specified as part of the uniform for waitresses at Hooters.
[[File:US Navy 041110-N-0413R-001 Machinist Mate 3rd Class Lorne Semrau of Harrisburg, Pa., keeps in shape while underway by working out one of the many treadmills aboard USS Nimitz (CVN 68).jpg	100px]]	Gym shorts	A generic term for shorts specifically designed for sportswear.
[[File:Amy Jackson at the Launch of Apicius Kitchen & Bar lounge (4).jpg	100px]]	Hotpants or Hot pants	last1=Cumming	first1=Valerie	last2=Cunnington	first2=C.W.	last3=Cunnington	first3=P.E.	title=The dictionary of fashion history	date=2010	publisher=Berg	location=Oxford	isbn=9781847887382	url=https://books.google.com/books?id=glBf_El4Qd4C&q=hotpants}} In 1976, Eleanor Lambert noted that the term "hot pants" had been coined by Women's Wear Daily to describe fashions innovated by the French ready-to-wear company Dorothée Bis. Lambert also credits Mariuccia Mandelli of the Italian fashion label Krizia with designing the first "hot pants" in 1970.
[[File:Knopflatz Lederhose ca. 1940 cropped.jpg	100px]]	Lederhosen	Leather shorts, often worn with matching suspenders connected by a chest band, traditionally associated with Bavaria, Germany; and countries formerly part of the Tyrol region and Austria-Hungary.
[[File:Turnhosen wiki.jpg	100px]]	Running shorts	[[File:Trail runner at the Ullswater Trail Race 2011.jpg	thumb	100px	Trail running shorts]] A form of gym shorts designed specifically for running. They are typically lightweight, very short and split at the side (to enable freedom of leg movement), sometimes with an inbuilt briefs lining. Nylon is a popular fabric for running shorts as it is lightweight, quick-drying and hard-wearing. Nylon running shorts first appeared in the 1970s, and despite initial resistance among men to wearing such soft, lightweight garments that felt like lingerie, nylon shorts rapidly became popular. An even shorter version of the running short, typically worn by triathlon participants, is called a tri-short. Dolphin shorts (see above) are a popular variation on running shorts.
[[File:Schoolshorts1.jpg	100px]]	School shorts	last1=Wagner	first1=Christopher	title=School Shorts:England	url=http://histclo.com/schun/gar/pants/short/su-shortpeng.html	website=Historical Boy's Clothing	access-date=9 January 2016}} Originally, wool flannel was used, as in long trousers, but nowadays these short trousers are more usually made from synthetic blend fabrics.
[[File:Model ready to hit the runway (IMG 7651a) (5459400817).jpg	100px]]	Short shortsShort shorts	[[File:Snapshot. Eleanor and Lorraine BAnQ P48S1P12496 - cropped and straightened.jpg	thumb	100px	Posing in short shorts, 1945]] Short shorts, as their name implies, are shorter than average. Such garments had been known since the 1930s when female Hollywood stars wore them for publicity photographs, They were principally worn for sports and active purposes, such as cycling. Shorts that terminated at the upper thigh became increasingly popular as informal leisurewear and sporting attire throughout the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s for both men and women. In the early 1970s short shorts began to be made in fashion fabrics, in which form they became known as hotpants (see above), a term popularised by Women's Wear Daily. The terms hotpants and short shorts have since become interchangeable.
[[File:ZGolfSensation.JPG	100px]]	Skort	[[File:White skort.jpg	right	100px]]Skort (a portmanteau of "skirt" and "shorts") are made with a flap of fabric in front that creates the illusion of their being a skirt from the front. They are often worn for sport and active pursuits.
	Tailored shorts	Tailored shorts are more structured and fitted. Usually to achieve a more sophisticated look. Since 2020 they've become popular with women and often part of 2 piece shorts sets.
[[File:Zip off shorts or convertible trousers.jpg	100px]]	Zip-offs or Convertible Shorts/Pants/Trousers	Long pants which zip off at the knee, allowing the wearer to vary the length of their trouser leg at wish. Often recommended for hiking or walking, zip-offs have been around since the 1980s. They are also suited to fishermen, as longer pants can easily be converted to wading-length shorts.

References

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(11 February 2010). "People past and present - Mr George Sinclair, Assistant Secretary Of The democratic Club - Murton (murt0052)". Durham County Council Archives.
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