Wearing shorts
John E. Peterson
Originally published 02:29 p.m., January 24, 2008
Updated 02:29 p.m., January 24, 2008
I am delighted that the wearing of shorts regularly has become so common in our culture. So you are pleased about it, I hear someone say, but why are you writing about it in the winter? And why write about shorts anytime?
I am writing about shorts in the winter because I think a lot about them then. That is because it is the basketball season and basketballers wear shorts. They are long, droopy, ugly shorts. Not the handsome shorts we used to see on basketballers, but they are still shorts. So that makes me think about shorts and my experiences with them. I would tell you about those experiences, if I had my way.
My first real experience with shorts was in 1944, when I was 23 years old. I was a naval officer on an island out in the Pacific. We Americans had little knowledge of what the Pacific climate was like when we had to go out there for World War II. Our clothing, therefore, was not suitable for the hot, humid jungle climate in which we found ourselves.
Our regular work uniforms consisted of long pants and long-sleeved shirts. They were tan in color and made of rather heavy, khaki-like material. We even had to take our heavy, dark-blue dress uniforms along, but we never wore them. They just got moldy while they were tucked away somewhere in our tents.
Our clothing was not comfortable in the Pacific. Several months out there made that clear. But one day, a British ship came into our island harbor. The officers were all wearing white shorts and white short-sleeve shirts. The enlisted men, also, were in shorts and light shirts.
After we saw that, we cut much of the legs off our khaki pants and half of the sleeves off our shirts. We were much more comfortable. That was my introduction to shorts and I have been a shorts person ever since.
After those navy days of the 1940’s, I did wear shorts. But only on special occasions. Not many men wore them at all, except when playing tennis or working around the yard.
In 1970, my shorts-trend got a big boost. We went off to South Africa for three months. I was given laboratory space at the University of Cape Town, but we traipsed all over as I gathered soil samples to take back to the lab and isolate myxobacteria. That meant we saw much of South Africa.
The wearing of shorts was extremely common there. Business men and professional men wore them regularly. They also wore ties and jackets and stockings up to their knees, but shorts were common. Some years later, I saw the same thing in Australia. Lawyers, doctors, business men regularly wearing shorts.
One South Africa shorts experience has always stayed in my memory. We were out in a small country town for an overnight stay. The dining part of the small hotel was in a separate building right beside the hotel. As we went over to dine that evening, we noticed a sign on the door. It said that a man must wear a coat and tie. But below that, it said “Or a Safari Suit.” A safari suit, of course, is shorts with a jacket-like, short-sleeved shirt worn outside of them. That told me how acceptable shorts were.
From the South Africa experience on, I really became a big shorts wearer. I never wore them in the classroom or on campus, but I wore them often around town and to informal social affairs. Most men did not.
We came to Emporia in 1971. Almost nobody else wore shorts then. I recall an evening social event at the ESU president’s house. It was an informal, mostly outdoor affair. I wore shorts. I was the only one of the 30 or 40 men there in shorts.
I remember this occasion particularly because of this incident. An attractive woman, a good bit younger than me, told me that I had very sexy-looking legs. I had never heard such a thing before, but I found it intriguing. That woman had three husbands over the years, so she must have known what she was talking about.
There, then, you have my memories of my experiences with shorts. And that, also, gives you an idea of why I am pleased that the wearing of shorts has become so common.
One aspect of the current wearing of shorts, however, does not please me. Most of them are too long, too floppy and worn too low. That is what is generally seen on the campus and on young people in general. They are long enough so that they are even worn in cool winter weather. Sloppy or not, that is the wearer’s prerogative, of course.
Even though I am not keen about the appearance of present-day shorts, I am pleased that they are so commonly acceptable. I said that at the beginning of this column, but I am saying it again, if I have my way.
shortypants (anonymous) says...
I really hope it does catch on big time. As a UK resident and avid shorts wearer (although admittedly not so much in Public as I would like).
I would really like to see the day come when the wearing of shorts by adult Males, would become common place here in the UK - the weather perhaps does not encourage it but this may change with Global Warming (infortunately).
I do understand that such shortswearing is becoming more popular in the South of England.
Shortypants
January 25, 2008 at 7:16 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )