# Pants... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 26, 2005, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pants/323572 "2005-09-26T23:12:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dr.Woo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7c8e57/32.png) [@Dr.Woo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Woo)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pants/323572/21 "2005-09-27T12:05:46Z")
> [@Giant\_Spongess](#): > > That’s cause they only look remotely not stupid on people with stick-thin legs, and most of us are a little meatier than that. Well I have fairly skinny legs but I wouldn’t wear short pants to a dog fight if I were picked to win. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pants/323572/22 "2005-09-27T12:10:20Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > Agreed- most people wear capri pants in the “mom” style: capris in some odd color (red, orange, salmon) with slip on Keds and some oversized shirt. I’m all for comfort, but it looks silly. > > I’m all for comfort, but it ain’t exactly high fashion 🙂 > > Gaucho pants are also terrible (a terrible take on the capri, if you ask me) and quite popular right now. Icky. Well-fuckin’ told. The Gaucho thing is hideous, and the only people who can wear capri pants are young, physically trim and fit, with fabulous shoes and pedicures. That’s about 10% of the population. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pants/323572/23 "2005-09-27T13:02:21Z")
“Gaucho pants”? Oh, I remember them from when they were coulottes. OK. :rolleyes: I never thought I’d be an old fuddy duddy at 30, but 98% of fashion is hideous now. Really. Capris, gaucho, pubic huggers (those aren’t hips), freakin’ Madonna 80’s ruffled miniskirts?! Did we learn nothing? I think that’s the problem. I’ve know been alive long enough to remember the FIRST time everything was popular, and it’s been long enough that I have in the meantime acknowledged the hideousness of it. Now what I’ve been convinced for a decade or two is hideous is supposed to be fashionable again. I don’t get it. And get those kids off my lawn! ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pants/323572/24 "2005-09-27T13:13:12Z")
I don’t much like them, either - they’re OK for beach wear and stuff I suppose, but look silly for all of the reasons outlined. No way in hell would I wear them. ---
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pants/323572/25 "2005-09-27T13:41:42Z")
A question for the capri-haters. Given that most women look really stupid in most shorts - can we agree on this? (Not to toot my own horn, but I’m pretty fit. And still it would take me several days, much blood/sweat/tears, an enormous mall, PLUS a row of trendy boutiques in the shopping district of your choice, to find a single pair of shorts that didn’t make me look like an elephant.) Are capris worse than shorts? Also, I must point out that they are the best possible kind of pants for cycling. ---
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pants/323572/26 "2005-09-27T13:43:03Z")
And I thought coulottes were those terrible things that look like shorts from the front and a skirt from the back. _shudder_ ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pants/323572/27 "2005-09-27T14:00:07Z")
> [@cowgirl](#): > > And I thought coulottes were those terrible things that look like shorts from the front and a skirt from the back. _shudder_ No, I believe that was a [skort](http://www.yourdictionary.com/images/ahd/jpg/A4skort.jpg), although it looked like shorts from the back and a skirt in the front. [Culottes](http://www.urbanhonking.com/today/archives/culottes.jpg) , like gauchos, were simply ginormous floods which appear vaguely skirt-like unless the model in the ad is spreading her knees far apart to emphasize that it’s not a skirt. The difference, of course, is that gauchos are pubic huggers where culottes tended to swallow the wearer high on the waist, threatening to devour the nipples. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pants/323572/28 "2005-09-27T14:01:37Z")
> [@cowgirl](#): > > And I thought coulottes were those terrible things that look like shorts from the front and a skirt from the back. _shudder_ Those are “skorts.” I am at the age where I don’t care. If it’s comfortable and _cooling,_ I’ll wear it. Shorts and capris are ok in my book. I’m already fat, but I’m not gonna be hot, too! (It’s supposed to be 98° today, with a heat index of 117°! Bring on the cool front, already!) ---
**Author:** ![missdavis102](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7feea3/32.png) [@missdavis102](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missdavis102)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pants/323572/29 "2005-09-27T14:08:40Z")
> [@cowgirl](#): > > And I thought coulottes were those terrible things that look like shorts from the front and a skirt from the back. _shudder_ Coulottes are capri-length but flared toward the hem rather than tapered. I’m not sure what you’re thinking of, but the things that look like a skirt in the **front** and shorts in the **back** are called skorts. I try to avoid all of the above because they just seem like fashion don’ts. A friend gave me some of her capris when she lost some weight, but I rarely wear them, and never leave the house in them. They make me look like an oompa-loompa, at least in my own mind. Good shoes, pedicure and all, they just don’t do a thing for me except visually expand the ass and calves. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pants/323572/30 "2005-09-27T14:09:20Z")
> [@cowgirl](#): > > A question for the capri-haters. > > Given that most women look really stupid in most shorts - can we agree on this? (Not to toot my own horn, but I’m pretty fit. And still it would take me several days, much blood/sweat/tears, an enormous mall, PLUS a row of trendy boutiques in the shopping district of your choice, to find a single pair of shorts that didn’t make me look like an elephant.) > > Are capris worse than shorts? > > Also, I must point out that they are the best possible kind of pants for cycling. I disagree, actually. Most women don’t look silly in properly fitting shorts. Don’t get me wrong, it ain’t an easy battle; but when you get the good shorts, you are set. The problem is that many women reach a certain age and reach for the shorts that are knee length. Granted, I’m 19 and I hate the “booty shorts” (where your butt cheeks are hanging out, quite popular for years now), but there is no way I am waring shorts that go down to my knees. These shorts look awful for any number of reasons: they makes the hips go BOOM (and not good boom), they make short people look even shorter, they tend to accentuate any kind of “camel toe”, etc. Midthigh, my friends. Midthigh. Even if you are “fat” (ahem, moi), you will still look nice. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pants/323572/31 "2005-09-27T14:11:41Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > Well-fuckin’ told. The Gaucho thing is hideous, and the only people who can wear capri pants are young, physically trim and fit, with fabulous shoes and pedicures. > > That’s about 10% of the population. Also, I see people wearing _shoes_with Gaucho pants. I thought the only possible footwear would be tall boots. This is a double-suck fashion statement. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pants/323572/32 "2005-09-27T14:23:04Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > “Gaucho pants”? Oh, I remember them from when they were coulottes. OK. :rolleyes: Y’know, just because _you_ haven’t heard of the term ‘gaucho’ for the type of pants being discussed doesn’t mean it’s suddenly a new term. I don’t see the need for the rolleyes there. And anyway, IME gauchos and coulottes are a bit different anyway. I think capris look good on maybe 5-10% of the population. The most horrible look is when someone is short and a bit dumpy and they wear baggy capris that cut off at the widest part of their calf. They look smaller and dumpier when they do that! I’m fat but curvy (as in I have a 12" difference between my drop waist and my hips; I’m not just a huge brick) and capris are the worstest look ever possible for me, I think. They make me look squat and fatter and minimize my curves. What good is that? If you find them comfy and don’t care about how they look, then that’s cool, whatever. Some of us are just saying they aren’t the most flattering look for many people. And I agree with **Diosa** about shorts. The problem is going places like Target or other “normal” stores that have some extended sizes of their regular designs. Plus sized people don’t need shorts with a 2" inseam, for Cripe’s sake. I’d say mid-thigh or an inch below that is best, avoiding either extreme. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pants/323572/33 "2005-09-27T14:24:20Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > Also, I see people wearing _shoes_with Gaucho pants. I thought the only possible footwear would be tall boots. This is a double-suck fashion statement. EXACTLY. I’ve seen gauchos work when they were just below the knee in a black silky material. The woman wore gorgeous knee high black boots with them and a really dressy top. _That_ was nice looking. Any other shoes just look stupid with them. ---
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pants/323572/34 "2005-09-27T14:25:25Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > No, I believe that was a [skort](http://www.yourdictionary.com/images/ahd/jpg/A4skort.jpg), although it looked like shorts from the back and a skirt in the front. Ah yes. Right you are, all of you. I seem to have mercifully blocked them from my memory. I just recall the indignation of a friend who had them as part of her _work uniform_. I guess it seemed like a good idea to someone at the time … probably someone who didn’t have to wear them. **DiosaBellissima** , I don’t think we disagree. Most women do look good in the right shorts, but most women do not wear the right shorts. The bunchy crotch, the rubbing together of the upper thighs, the unflattering shapes, the real possibility of accidental flashing - there is so much that can go wrong! I myself haven’t bought shorts in years because of all the hazards and my lack of patience. Capris are much safer. I guess capris look mildly bad on almost all women, but most shorts look spectacularly bad on most women. I’d rather all women wore capris, than risk some women wearing the wrong shorts. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pants/323572/35 "2005-09-27T14:45:19Z")
> [@cowgirl](#): > > **DiosaBellissima** , I don’t think we disagree. Most women do look good in the right shorts, but most women do not wear the right shorts. The bunchy crotch, the rubbing together of the upper thighs, the unflattering shapes, the real possibility of accidental flashing - there is so much that can go wrong! I myself haven’t bought shorts in years because of all the hazards and my lack of patience. > > Capris are much safer. I guess capris look mildly bad on almost all women, but most shorts look spectacularly bad on most women. I’d rather all women wore capris, than risk some women wearing the wrong shorts. See, I think that most women don’t wear the right clothes in general, not just shorts. However, a big part of this is because the clothes in stores usually don’t flatter and/or fit quite right to make them look nice. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pants/323572/36 "2005-09-27T14:47:29Z")
> [@zweisamkeit](#): > > Y’know, just because _you_ haven’t heard of the term ‘gaucho’ for the type of pants being discussed doesn’t mean it’s suddenly a new term. I don’t see the need for the rolleyes there. And anyway, IME gauchos and coulottes are a bit different anyway. Sorry, the rolleyes wasn’t directed at you. It was directed at the fashion industry which repackages the same ol’ stuff we’ve decided not to wear anymore with a new name (and new waistband, admitedly) and slaps a new name onto it to try and fool us into thinking this is something new. Much like “peasant skirts” became “broomsticks” and “hip-huggers” became “low-rise”. I think it’s just intellectual dishonesty wrapped up in marketing sleight-of-hand. Not by you, but by the people trying to sell stuff. But it’s also not something I waste a whole lot of energy on; it’s not worthy of a :mad:. I see through their efforts, and so I :rolleyes: them. I know you didn’t make the term up, it’s everywhere. But it is newer than culottes as a term for the garment, is it not? > [@cowgirl](#): > > I guess it seemed like a good idea to someone at the time … probably someone who didn’t have to wear them. Skorts as part of a work uniform were not actually that bad an idea. Especially if you had the kind with a panel front \*and \*back to look like a skirt all 'round - they let you bend over to pick up napkins or re-stock videotapes without worrying about flashing the customers, and they looked dressy enough to keep your district manager happy. I would never have worn a miniskirt as short as some of my skorts were. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pants/323572/37 "2005-09-27T14:53:25Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Sorry, the rolleyes wasn’t directed at you. It was directed at the fashion industry which repackages the same ol’ stuff we’ve decided not to wear anymore with a new name (and new waistband, admitedly) and slaps a new name onto it to try and fool us into thinking this is something new. > > Much like “peasant skirts” became “broomsticks” and “hip-huggers” became “low-rise”. I think it’s just intellectual dishonesty wrapped up in marketing sleight-of-hand. Not by you, but by the people trying to sell stuff. But it’s also not something I waste a whole lot of energy on; it’s not worthy of a :mad:. I see through their efforts, and so I :rolleyes: them. > > I know you didn’t make the term up, it’s everywhere. But it is newer than culottes as a term for the garment, is it not? > > Skorts as part of a work uniform were not actually that bad an idea. Especially if you had the kind with a panel front \*and \*back to look like a skirt all 'round - they let you bend over to pick up napkins or re-stock videotapes without worrying about flashing the customers, and they looked dressy enough to keep your district manager happy. I would never have worn a miniskirt as short as some of my skorts were. Well, I’m just saying that I’ve heard the term “gaucho pants” my entire life (I’m 23). I’m not saying everyone wore them, but I’ve heard the phrase for years and years. And I see a difference between peasant skirts and broomstick skirts, but maybe that’s me. I agree with you on hip-huggers, though. And your opinion on skorts. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pants/323572/38 "2005-09-27T15:14:24Z")
> [@Dolores Reborn](#): > > (It’s supposed to be 98° today, with a heat index of 117°! Bring on the cool front, already!) I feel your pain. Oh wait, no I don’t! 😃 It might get up to 70° here today. I had on a sweater _and_ a jacket when I left for work this morning. I think we got your cool front. Only we call it “Fall.” ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pants/323572/39 "2005-09-27T15:46:54Z")
Pants! Pants! Sing the praises of pants. Nothing better shows your taste than what you wear below your waist What keeps our legs all warm and hot? PANTS! What prevents a buffalo shot? PANTS! What have they got that I aint got! PANTS! ---
**Author:** ![metj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@metj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/metj)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pants/323572/40 "2005-09-27T15:49:00Z")
> [@](#): > > The most horrible look is when someone is short and a bit dumpy and they wear baggy capris that cut off at the widest part of their calf. They look smaller and dumpier when they do that! I’m fat but curvy (as in I have a 12" difference between my drop waist and my hips; I’m not just a huge brick) and capris are the worstest look ever possible for me, I think. They make me look squat and fatter and minimize my curves. What good is that? Aggreed. I have the same body type and capris look awful. But I wear them anyway (right now in fact). They come in handy because I hate wearing shorts but long pants are too warm to clean the house and mow the lawn in. I would never ever wear them in public though. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pants/323572.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pants/323572.md?page=3)