# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/81 "2014-06-23T19:51:05Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Your posts have been foolish enough in this thread without adding to it. “I think shorts look ridiculous on adults” would have elicited plenty of eye-rolls, but most people wouldn’t have said much. Adding on a heaping pile of bullshit about how people in the US are too stupid to actually know which clothes are most comfortable for the climate in which they live entered the realm world-class arrogance, fueled by ignorance. On top of it, it appears that you still haven’t figured out the difference between an arid and a humid environment. Truly we have much to learn from her. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/82 "2014-06-23T19:52:00Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > [Arab dress.](https://www.google.ca/search?q=arabic+dress+male&client=firefox-a&hs=RRD&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=sb&tbm=isch&imgil=9PLfHzD0Q8ZZ3M%253A%253Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fencrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com%252Fimages%253Fq%253Dtbn%253AANd9GcQYgbhfPnqGRGLQnF1ox8hPfDEDyp51jDGX0mi07Hs1XkpeWw7Tug%253B740%253B404%253BCSzE6oI4vFXyqM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.traderscity.com%25252Fabcg%25252Fpic1.htm&source=iu&usg=__m1hW4o7B59vd4nLsgwNMbtr8A1w%3D&sa=X&ei=KmSnU8HxENGGyATs0IGIDg&sqi=2&ved=0CB4Q9QEwAA&biw=1366&bih=634#facrc=_&imgrc=9PLfHzD0Q8ZZ3M%253A%3BCSzE6oI4vFXyqM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.traderscity.com%252Fimages%252Farabclothes.gif%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.traderscity.com%252Fabcg%252Fpic1.htm%3B740%3B404) Huh, and here I thought Arabia was mostly desert, rather than rain forest. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/83 "2014-06-23T20:17:32Z")
> [@Nema98](#): > > I don’t know, but women generally look better with short shorts, men do not. No matter how attractive he is and if he has nice toned legs. I would say this same exact thing even if I were a gay man, men look ridiculous if their shorts so short that their butt cheeks are showing. I’d agree with your first statement, but that may just be because I’m a straight man and would rather look at female skin than at male skin. However, it may or may not have any relation to the fact that, in reasonably formal contexts, a man who is “dressed up” will never be showing any leg at all, but a woman very well might. > [@corkboard](#): > > As a guy with a long torso and short legs, most “shorts” nowadays go below my knees, and I hate them. Conversely, I have long legs, and I worry that “regular” men’s shorts look too short on me. By the way, this is a topic that has been discussed before: [Why deny the thigh?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=477423) ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/84 "2014-06-23T20:22:47Z")
> [@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. I haven’t stopped laughing since I clicked that link. And did I mention that I want to hack their database and get the names and contact info of everyone who’s bought a pair of those? Because there’s gotta be _some_ way I can take advantage of a group of overly affluent suckers like that in a way that would fund my early retirement. > [@Lorene89095](#): > > There is an invention that can let you have the inseam of your dreams! It’s called “needle and thread” I’ve got an even easier one: it’s called ‘scissors.’ When a pair of jeans starts getting old, take scissors, turn 'em into cutoffs. I like mine just halfway to the knee, so that’s how I cut them. I also miss swim trunks that don’t hang down to your knees. The last thing I want when I’m swimming is a few square feet of extra fabric, slowing me down in the water. And the last thing I want when I get out of the water is staying wet from waist to knees for about the next forever. If I’d known the short swim trunks from 20 years ago were going to be impossible to find when I got older, I’d have bought a few extra pairs back then. ---
**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 23, 2014, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/85 "2014-06-23T20:51:31Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > If I’d known the short swim trunks from 20 years ago were going to be impossible to find when I got older, I’d have bought a few extra pairs back then. They are now very much in style and can be found all over the place. J Crew, Bonobos, Banana Republic, Original Penguin, etc. all carry swim trunks with 7" and 5" inseams. (Not to bring you down, but shorter shorts for men were more popular in the early 80s than they were in the 90s. Don’t hurt me.) ---
**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 23, 2014, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/86 "2014-06-23T21:12:02Z")
Cooler or not (which I don’t think they are), I still think shorts look silly. Pajamas are undeniably more comfortable than real clothes, but many people think they look silly for everyday wear. If that makes me a pinko or white knight or whatever, so be it. Shorts look like clothes for British schoolboys, preteen girls and people playing sports. ---
**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 23, 2014, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/87 "2014-06-23T21:38:50Z")
Yes, and long sleeve shirts make people look like pompous office drones. Don’t even get me started on collars. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/88 "2014-06-23T23:58:07Z")
Y’know, even in the 70s, I felt the short shorts were for the playing court/field or for the beach. And that even extended to hotpants/DaisyDukes for the ladies – I liked looking at the scenery but still, the look just gave a “you won’t be taken seriously just going around daily business in these” feeling to my still-evolving teenaged mind. Add to that how growing up in a very hot climate, with vinyl seats in the car, may have created a bit of adverse conditioning to the notion of planting my bare skin on the seating surface. But more seriously and more towards recent times, I prefer to be able to continue to pocket my wallet, handkerchief, keys, pocketknife, pen, gum, and [in the last 16 years] mobile phone. This means I like a garment a little more generously tailored to have the pocket capacity of a regular pair of trousers. However the billowing past-the-knee style in current vogue are a major overcorrection IMO. > [@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. Good merciful Heaven… ---
**Author:** ![Stringbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Stringbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringbean)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/89 "2014-06-24T00:07:52Z")
Cause then you look like the frat-boy douchebags who all wear the same J. Crew outfits to the local douchebag bar. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/90 "2014-06-24T00:27:02Z")
Because $5 Bangladesh items set the fashion ? They were making them for Europe … so next thing is the english speaking world got the euro style. It is practical anyway… you can sit on public seating without feeling dirty, you get less infected hair follicles, you hide the folliculitis and your spider arteries (commonly occurring at the injured knee muscle -vastus medalis - area )… etc ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/91 "2014-06-24T02:36:44Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > 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. I live in Atlanta (well, Decatur to be specific) and I haven’t wore shorts outside of swimming in years. They just look too ridiculous for me. Though I do tend to wear flip flops with my ubiquitous jeans. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/92 "2014-06-24T02:40:02Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Naw, you’re right, it was Jordan. From the book “Michael Jordan: The Life”, page 301: Jordan only dropped the line 2-3 inches. That’s like mid-thigh. It was the Fab 5, that did the knee length (and more) shorts. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/93 "2014-06-24T03:05:15Z")
I had a hard time finding longer running shorts recently for some reason. Despite being close to 50 I do have the legs to wear shorter shorts, but I didn’t want to worry about hanging out (apparently that happens to guys as they get older, according to some on SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/94 "2014-06-24T03:18:12Z")
With only longer shorts available, perhaps it’s time to go back to what we did in junior high in the 70’s - make old jeans into cut-off shorts. On second thought, a quick search of Google images makes me think that’s not a good idea nowadays (at least for men). Or can we start a new trend? ---
**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 24, 2014, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/95 "2014-06-24T11:47:04Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > I live in Atlanta (well, Decatur to be specific) and I haven’t wore shorts outside of swimming in years. They just look too ridiculous for me. Though I do tend to wear flip flops with my ubiquitous jeans. I live in Atlanta, and I don’t know a single person who doesn’t ever wear shorts. I’m sure there are a few people like you out there, but your attitude about shorts is about as ridiculous as disliking shoes with laces. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/96 "2014-06-24T12:32:32Z")
Lots of times I’ll see someone walking down the street in a dress. Being a dress-wearing female who’s interested in fashion, I take a closer look…and it usually turns out to be a guy in basketball shorts. ---
**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 24, 2014, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/97 "2014-06-24T12:35:16Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Lots of times I’ll see someone walking down the street in a dress. Being a dress-wearing female who’s interested in fashion, I take a closer look…and it usually turns out to be a guy in basketball shorts. Maybe there are a lot more closeted cross-dressers than we know about and that’s what drives the market. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/98 "2014-06-24T13:17:11Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > They are now very much in style and can be found all over the place. J Crew, Bonobos, Banana Republic, Original Penguin, etc. all carry swim trunks with 7" and 5" inseams. > > (Not to bring you down, but shorter shorts for men were more popular in the early 80s than they were in the 90s. Don’t hurt me.) I’m a bit behind the times - I didn’t even know there were stores called Original Penguin or Bonobos. But then, it’s been awhile since I’ve found a good reason to shop at a shopping mall. And back in the day, men’s swim trunks often didn’t have inseams, period. I’d like a pair like that for actual swimming. ---
**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 24, 2014, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/99 "2014-06-24T14:31:15Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > I live in Atlanta, and I don’t know a single person who doesn’t ever wear shorts. I’m sure there are a few people like you out there, but your attitude about shorts is about as ridiculous as disliking shoes with laces. I live in DC and haven’t owned a pair of shorts in maybe a decade. They can’t be worn to work and are only good for one season, so basically they are only useful for summer weekends. And my summer weekends are reserved for cute sundresses, which are cooler, more attractive, and much more versatile (put on tights and a cardi and you are ready for fall, put on a blazer and heels and it’s time for work.) ---
**Author:** ![Pixel\_Dent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@Pixel\_Dent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixel_Dent)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252/100 "2014-06-24T14:47:57Z")
It may have been this forum or another one I was reading, but just a month ago there was a question about how Europeans recognized Americans when they were visiting. One person said in his country (Denmark, maybe?) the American’s had shorts that stopped above the knees while it was more common that they go below the knees in his country. Making this is just another fashion making its way to The States from Europe. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-shorts-down-to-the-knees-and-beyond/691252.md?page=6)