# Why are men's shorts down to the knees and beyond? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 20, 2014, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252 "2014-06-20T23:27:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2014, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/41 "2014-06-21T14:40:33Z")
> [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > This reminds me of when I was in 6th-9th grade gym class (I was in 8th when Clinton was elected) and we had to purchase gym uniforms that consisted of short shorts with slits up the sides. Those are splits. They are still relatively common among runners since there’s not much fabric interfering with leg turnover. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2014, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/42 "2014-06-21T14:44:42Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > Shorts in general are not really grown-up clothing. I think they all look kind of sulu and too casual for wear outside the gym. That sounds so absurd to someone living in the Southeastern US that I don’t even know what to say. It helps prove my theory that there isn’t any opinion so ridiculous that someone on this board doesn’t hold it. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2014, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/43 "2014-06-21T14:51:55Z")
> [@leahcim](#): > > Those are splits. They are still relatively common among runners since there’s not much fabric interfering with leg turnover. Tell that to the kids I coach. 😃 They complain about the uniform shorts with the 4" inseam and are horrified when I describe the shorts from late 70s - early 80s. ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2014, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/44 "2014-06-21T15:13:55Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Nobody wants to see hairy man-leg. Begging your pardon, I do! My second favorite holiday after Thanksgiving is the day the UPS guy switches to shorts. How I love a well turned calf… Mining the NBA for examples: [Short](http://thestudenttimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/wilt-chamberlain-and-bill-russell.jpg), fine by me. These seem a touch [too short and aslo snug](http://andoutcomethetimberwolves.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/larry-bird-and-magic-johnson-shorts.jpg) If I ruled the world [this length would come back](http://archive.sltrib.com/images/2012/0203/monson_020312~1.jpg). To me, these look like what you wear [over your shorts](http://sportige.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Kobe-Bryant.jpg) to warm up. My son just finished his junior year in high school and he prefers his shorts right at his knee, but I have seen his friends at school wearing the shorter of the styles pictured in **dalej42** ’s Abercrombie link. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2014, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/45 "2014-06-21T15:15:25Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > That sounds so absurd to someone living in the Southeastern US that I don’t even know what to say. It helps prove my theory that there isn’t any opinion so ridiculous that someone on this board doesn’t hold it. Really? Have you ever noticed that people in truly hot climates tend to wear robes? Loose, light natural fabrics deflect heat and protect from the sun. I’m not convinced the guy in denim cargo shorts and athletic shoes is getting much cooling effect at all. The guy in seersucker trousers is better off, and looks a lot less like a schoolboy. ---
**Author:** ![Lorene89095](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@Lorene89095](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorene89095)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2014, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/46 "2014-06-21T15:26:52Z")
There is an invention that can let you have the inseam of your dreams! It’s called “needle and thread” ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2014, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/47 "2014-06-21T16:30:03Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > Really? Have you ever noticed that people in truly hot climates tend to wear robes? Loose, light natural fabrics deflect heat and protect from the sun. I’m not convinced the guy in denim cargo shorts and athletic shoes is getting much cooling effect at all. The guy in seersucker trousers is better off, and looks a lot less like a schoolboy. Oh Middle, where art though? Also, a lot of the long, loose clothing is worn as protection from the sun. People in Georgia, a truly hot climate for much if the year, prefer shorts. It’s muggy down here, and long clothing gets clingy down this way, unlike the destert climates. Many people here still owns seersucker, and I can promise you it isn’t cooler. Virtually everybody wears them and manages not to look like a schoolboy. ---
**Author:** ![Crawlspace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Crawlspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crawlspace)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2014, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/48 "2014-06-21T17:07:32Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > Shorts in general are not really grown-up clothing. I think they all look kind of sulu and too casual for wear outside the gym. Do you feel the same way about knee length skirts and dresses? If not why not? > [@even\_sven](#): > > Really? Have you ever noticed that people in truly hot climates tend to wear robes? Loose, light natural fabrics deflect heat and protect from the sun. I’m not convinced the guy in denim cargo shorts and athletic shoes is getting much cooling effect at all. The guy in seersucker trousers is better off, and looks a lot less like a schoolboy. I’m pretty sure this is far from universal. People in hot, **arid** climates with little natural shelter wear robes in part because, as you say, it deflects sunlight and protects the skin. But just as importantly, the robes help create a micro-environment that slows the evaporation of sweat, which helps minimize dehydration, while the billowy-ness creates a natural fanning action. [Here](http://www.pbs.org/lawrenceofarabia/revolt/clothing.html). Furthermore, in many of the areas I can think of where such attire is the norm, it’s common for temperatures to drop dramatically once the sun sets. The robes then serve double duty as warm clothing. Dehydration shouldn’t be a concern for someone in say Atlanta, there’s little billowy-ness afforded by pants, and temperature swings aren’t life threatening so shorts it is. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2014, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/49 "2014-06-21T17:10:39Z")
> [@Batistuta](#): > > (nit-pick): I might be wrong but I think Michael Jordan only started wearing longer shorts towards the end of his career. I’ve always heard that those responsible for introducing long shorts into the world of basketball were [the Fab Five from the University of Michigan](http://www.sptimes.com/2002/11/17/Columns/Fab_Five_glory_has_tu.shtml) I guess I’ve been blaming the wrong person all this time. Ignorance fought. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2014, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/50 "2014-06-21T17:11:39Z")
Me, I think gay panic is what did them in. I remember a letter to Ann Landers from the early 70’s: a woman wrote how her husband’s pockets would get torn up by all the keys he had to carry, so he adopted a retractable key holder on his belt. But then she read in Ann’s column that that was a “signal,” so now he’d have to go back to torn pockets. If something that obscure forces you to alter your wardrobe, imagine the poor guys who thought they looked not like Jack Tripper but like [Navy SEALs](http://trainlikeanavyseal.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/cb_navy_seals_training_13_jef_ss_110503_ssh.jpg) or [Foreign Legionaires](http://www.flickriver.com/photos/14684508@N02/4005180769/), but then realized to their mortification that they looked like Tom of Finland ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2014, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/51 "2014-06-21T17:14:02Z")
I was looking for a new pair of running shorts recently, and virtually everything was knee-length, tight spandexoid material, or both. Blurgh. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2014, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/52 "2014-06-21T17:43:19Z")
If a guy has a small waist and toned legs, there are some shorter ones that look really good. Especially the type that fit a bit snug. ---
**Author:** ![Phila444](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba8739/32.png) [@Phila444](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phila444)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2014, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/53 "2014-06-21T17:46:59Z")
It’s a matter of comfort for me. I find shorts that are knee length or slightly longer to be more comfortable. I do have a pair that I sleep in that’s about mid-thigh length, though ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2014, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/54 "2014-06-21T17:55:59Z")
clam diggers will be back. ---
**Author:** ![PurpleClogs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f04885/32.png) [@PurpleClogs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurpleClogs)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2014, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/55 "2014-06-21T18:17:48Z")
Whatever you do guys, please I beg you to say no to [this fad](http://www.becauseiamfabulous.com/product/rick-owens-low-crotch-cotton-jersey-shorts/). And if you already have some, burn them. No one on the planet looks good in them. ---
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2014, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/56 "2014-06-21T23:07:11Z")
> [@PurpleClogs](#): > > Whatever you do guys, please I beg you to say no to [this fad](http://www.becauseiamfabulous.com/product/rick-owens-low-crotch-cotton-jersey-shorts/). And if you already have some, burn them. No one on the planet looks good in them. Is that a LDS Temple Garment? ---
**Author:** ![Lucky\_13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucky_13/32/13209_2.png) [@Lucky\_13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_13)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2014, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/57 "2014-06-21T23:58:46Z")
> [@PurpleClogs](#): > > Whatever you do guys, please I beg you to say no to [this fad](http://www.becauseiamfabulous.com/product/rick-owens-low-crotch-cotton-jersey-shorts/). And if you already have some, burn them. No one on the planet looks good in them. It looks like the guy crapped his pants. ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2014, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/58 "2014-06-22T07:40:25Z")
I’m ok with Mr Magnet in his summer spandex bicycle shorts only because his legs are so scarred up it looks as if he can’t remember the safe word. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2014, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/59 "2014-06-22T14:26:03Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > Shorts in general are not really grown-up clothing. I think they all look kind of sulu and too casual for wear outside the gym. That seems rather culturally insensitive for someone who prides herself for being the opposite. Robes are not generally worn outside the home in the U.S. And magazines show you that there are tons of adults who wear shorts. Claiming that shorts are not for grownups is cultural elitism–the same kind you like to accuse the rest of us of. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2014, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/60 "2014-06-22T15:28:03Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > That seems rather culturally insensitive for someone who prides herself for being the opposite. Robes are not generally worn outside the home in the U.S. And magazines show you that there are tons of adults who wear shorts. Claiming that shorts are not for grownups is cultural elitism–the same kind you like to accuse the rest of us of. I still think they are silly looking. Lots of people wear Juicy Couture track suits around town, and I think those are silly looking as well. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252.md?page=4)