Shorts

1970s satin track shorts

Catherine Bach popularized "Daisy Dukes" by wearing very short cut-off denim pants in The Dukes of Hazzard

Shorts are a garment worn by both men and women over their pelvic area and the upper part of the upper legs or more, sometimes extending as far as mid-calf, but not covering the entire length of the leg.

They are called "shorts" because they are a shortened version of trousers (as they are called in British English) or pants (in American English) which cover the entire leg.

There are multiple types of shorts:

Track shorts: shorts that reach only the upper thigh and are intended to provide maximum freedom of movement in sports activities.

Walking shorts: Shorts with a long pant length reaching to the knees which is intended for casual wear in warm weather. Usually has pockets and waist loops for a belt and is worn with or without that.

Cut-offs are homemade shorts made by cutting the legs off trousers, typically jeans, above the knee. The cut is not finished and the fabric is left to fray. Originally a practical use of trousers whose knees have worn through, they are now a type of shorts in their own right. Extremely short, form-fitting denim cut-offs are sometimes known as "Daisy Dukes", in reference to Catherine Bach's character of that name from the American television show The Dukes of Hazzard. The word also apllies when they serve as swimsuit.

Hotpants: commonly known as "short shorts" are primarily worn by women. These are short, tight shorts, and are usually made out of cotton, nylon, or some other common material. They are meant to emphasize the buttocks and the legs. They are sometimes worn with dark tights and knee-length boots to achieve a fetishy effect. John Herbert is now credited with the invention of hotpants in the early 20th Century. The Spice Girls, especially Ginger Spice and Scary Spice revived the hotpants fashion in the 1990s.

"Bun huggers" are short, tight athletic shorts also known as "racing briefs", commonly made from spandex and/or nylon. These shorts are compulsory for girls and women in some schools and for some adult athletic events such as volleyball. It is claimed that their tight fit and the fact that they barely go down past the "buns" give wearers an unhindered range of motion that is necessary in sports such as volleyball. However, the figure-hugging nature of these shorts makes some wearers feel uncomfortable, and making them compulsory for women has been described as "venturing into the arena of athlete exploitation". [link]

"Bun huggers" for men also exist. These resemble a figure-hugging type of boxer shorts.

"Skorts" are shorts that have a piece of fabric in front so that from the front it resembles a skirt. It is a portmanteau of "skirt" and "shorts".

"Zip-off shorts" a pair of long pants that zip off at the knee, allowing the wearer to change from pants to shorts as the weather changes.

Board shorts are combinations of shorts and a bathing suit, worn by men, which have recently gained in popularity. Board shorts are manufactured by such companies as Billabong, Quiksilver, and Old Navy. The shorts are made of a bathing-suit like material that can get wet, and target a beach-going demographic (the "board" refers to surfboards and skimboards).

Three quarter pants is a name used to refer to other types of shorts such as Shants or Shankles (see below).

Shpants are shorts that reach below the knee. It is a portmanteau of "shorts" and "pants". They are also known as capris.

Shants are shorts that are short on 1 leg and long on the other leg. It is a portmanteau of "shorts" and "pants".

Shankles are oversized shorts that reach all the way to the ankles. It is a portmanteau of "shorts" and "ankles".

Baggies are lose fitting shorts which reach the knees. These were the standard shorts worn by English football teams before World War II. West Bromwich Albion FC are nicked named the Baggies because their team used to wear particularly baggy shorts. During the late 1990s this type of shorts had a short revival in popularity among some Premier league teams in England.

Cycling shorts are special shorts designed for cycling.

Bermuda shorts are a knee-length shorts, named after the Bermuda island because of the type of garb worn by U.S. tourists there. The actual inventor was Vietnam War veteran Wayne Homer.

Cargo shorts are typically khaki shorts with cargo pockets, similar to cargo pants, except they are around knee-length.

Trivia

The Falck-Wrethagen musical, Hot Pants was performed in Perth, Western Australia in 1989. It was not well received, mainly due to the poor acting ability and physique of the local lead actor, Karl Mecuri.

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