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Shorts

language culture Maturity 7-9 Next article →

Shorts are a type of clothing worn around the waist. They cover the upper part of the legs but do not cover the whole leg.

Beach boy summer time 2009
Beach boy summer time 2009

People often choose them for warm weather. They help air reach the skin to keep a person cool. Many different styles exist for different needs. Some are for sports, while others are for the beach. Some people even wear them for formal jobs.

Yellow Bermuda shorts
Yellow Bermuda shorts

In places like South Africa or Bermuda, men may wear them to the office.

Different kinds of shorts work in special ways. Bermuda shorts are often worn for business or parties.

They were first made for the British military in tropical places around 1900. Boardshorts are designed for the beach and water sports.

Man wearing a green T-shirt and cargo shorts (cropped)
Man wearing a green T-shirt and cargo shorts (cropped)

These are long and loose to protect surfers from surfboard wax. Cargo shorts have many large pockets on the outside. These pockets are great for carrying tools or gear.

Man wearing a green T-shirt and cargo shorts (cropped)
Man wearing a green T-shirt and cargo shorts (cropped)

They became very popular for men in the late 1990s.

History shows how our ideas about shorts have changed. In the 1800s and early 1900s, only young boys wore them in Europe and America.

Schoolshorts1
Schoolshorts1

Adults thought wearing shorts made a person look immature. Because of this, men avoided them even when it was hot. In the 1890s, American boys often wore knee pants with short stockings.

Snapshot. Eleanor and Lorraine BAnQ P48S1P12496 - cropped and straightened
Snapshot. Eleanor and Lorraine BAnQ P48S1P12496 - cropped and straightened

This changed after World War II. Many soldiers wore shorts while serving in tropical locations. By the 1960s, shorts became a sign of freedom and new culture.

There are many names for shorts around the world. In India, people sometimes call them "half pants."

Culotte skirt and interior view
Culotte skirt and interior view

In Australia, men might call them "stubbies." In Britain, "short trousers" usually means a formal version for school or police.

Schoolshorts1
Schoolshorts1

There are also special names for underwear styles. Jacob Golomb created "boxer shorts" in 1925 for men.

BoxerShorts-20070901
BoxerShorts-20070901

These were a new choice instead of leather-belted trunks. Later, women began wearing them as sleepwear in the 1980s.

Shorts also bring different cultures together. In some Asian countries, shorts were once seen as against tradition.

Woman In Boyshorts
Woman In Boyshorts

People in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam sometimes worried they were not modest. Now, shorts are becoming more accepted among young people there. They are seen as a symbol of being active and energetic.

Woman In Boyshorts
Woman In Boyshorts

In many large cities, women wear them more often. Shorts help show ideas like gender equality and freedom from old rules.

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🖼️ Images & Media (29)
File:Window shopping at Simpsons 2.jpg
Window shopping at Simpsons 2.jpg
File:Brazil vs. Chile in Mineirão 05.jpg
Brazil vs. Chile in Mineirão 05.jpg
File:Claude Froidevaux (1990) by Erling Mandelmann.jpg
Claude Froidevaux (1990) by Erling Mandelmann.jpg
File:Yellow Bermuda shorts.jpg
Yellow Bermuda shorts.jpg
File:StateLibQld 1 199919 Young woman modelling a short pantsuit, Brisbane, 1952.jpg
StateLibQld 1 199919 Young woman...
File:Beach boy summer time 2009.jpg
Beach boy summer time 2009.jpg
File:BoxerShorts-20070901.jpg
BoxerShorts-20070901.jpg
File:John Quinlan In Raja Boxing.jpg
John Quinlan In Raja Boxing.jpg
File:Woman In Boyshorts.jpg
Woman In Boyshorts.jpg
File:Womens beach volleyball.jpg
Womens beach volleyball.jpg
File:Man wearing a green T-shirt and cargo shorts (cropped).jpg
Man wearing a green T-shirt and cargo...
File:Culotte skirt and interior view.jpg
Culotte skirt and interior view.jpg

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