Sociology

Within the United States, historically, in the 19th and early 20th centuries, shorts were only worn by young boys until they reached a certain height or maturity. Here there were different assessments from family to family, influenced in part by social class. This is not entirely accurate, however, especially for the 1890s and 1900s. Actually knee pants (an early type of short pants) became in the 1890s the standard trousers worn by American boys. Many urban school portraits from the 1890s often show all but the oldest boys wearing knee pants (http://histclo.com/schun/country/us/is/chron/19/us-isc1890.html). We see boys of all ages wearing them. This can be confirmed by the sizes offered in period catalogs. , especially boys and teenagers in urban areas and still in school. We note older boys wearing knee pants in America than in Europe. American boys normally wore knee pants with long stockings. This is covered in great detail in the Historical Boys' Clothing website (http://histclo.com/country/us/gar/pants/knee/us-pantk.html). This began to change after the 1900s when American boys began wearing knickers while short pants became more popular in Europe.

When boys got older, 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. Since about World War II, when soldiers often served in tropical locations, adult men have worn shorts more often, but the perception of shorts only being for young boys took several decades to change and to some extent still exists.

Today, shorts are worn by either sex from birth through old age without any stigma attached. In many countries there are few formal settings where wearing shorts would be acceptable, as they are considered casual wear. In many business offices, where there is an official casual dress standard, shorts are often specifically forbidden. Since the 1990s, casual office dress has grown in many businesses to include dress shorts. Gym and jean shorts are often seen as too casual for office attire.

In Africa and the Middle East, the wearing of shorts by adults is less common. While it is common for boys to wear shorts, women and young girls almost universally do not. These customs are often due in part to moral and social taboos regarding the perceived sexually suggestive nature of exposing the female legs.

Styles

There are many styles of shorts:

• Baggies: Loose fitting shorts which reach the knees. These were the standard shorts worn by English football teams before