Clothing Definitions — definitions of garments and clothing terms from Apparel Search
Shorts are a garment worn by both men and women over the pelvic area and the upper part of the legs, but not 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. The category is defined purely by length, so it covers garments of very different purposes, from sportswear cut to the upper thigh to tailored walking shorts reaching the knee.
Shorts are a garment worn by both men and women over their pelvic area and the upper part of the upper legs or more, but not 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:
"Skorts" are shorts that have a piece of fabric in front so that from the front it resembles a skirt. It is a contraction of "skirt" and "short".
Learn more about women's shorts, men's shorts and children's shorts.
| The above article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/shorts). 11/1/04 Modified for the fashion industry by Apparel Search. |
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Because shorts are defined by what they do not cover, the useful distinctions are length and purpose. At the shortest end, track shorts and hotpants free the whole thigh for running and movement. Mid-thigh is the general casual length for warm weather. Walking shorts and Bermuda-style shorts ending just above the knee are the dressiest form, made with the construction of trousers, waistband, belt loops, pockets and a finished hem, and accepted in settings where shorter shorts are not. The same trouser vocabulary applies throughout: rise, waistband, fly and pocket styles are shared with full-length trousers, which is why shorts are best understood as trousers built to a shorter leg.
Each market shapes the garment differently. Women's shorts range from tailored city shorts and cotton drawstring and gym styles to the very short Daisy Duke style named for a television character. Men's shorts divide between athletic shorts, cargo and walking shorts with substantial pockets, and swim shorts. Children's shorts favour elastic waists, hard-wearing fabrics and lengths that allow play. Fabric follows use in all three: denim for cut-off and casual styles, cotton twill for walking shorts, light synthetics that dry fast for sport and swim styles, and linen blends for hot-weather dress shorts.
Choosing shorts is mostly a matter of matching length and fabric to the activity. A finished hem and a length near the knee read as deliberate dress; a frayed cut-off reads as leisure. Pockets and belt loops make walking shorts practical for travel. For sport, freedom of movement and quick-drying cloth matter more than appearance. Cared for like the trousers they are cut from, cotton and denim shorts wash in the machine and need no special handling, while tailored styles keep their shape best when hung rather than folded.
Track shorts reach only the upper thigh and give maximum freedom of movement in sport. Walking shorts reach to the knees, usually have pockets and belt loops, and are made for casual wear. Cut-offs are homemade shorts made by cutting the legs off trousers, typically jeans, above the knee and leaving the cut to fray. Hotpants are very short, close-fitting shorts, and skorts combine shorts with a fabric panel in front so they resemble a skirt from the front.
Cut-offs began as a practical salvage: trousers whose knees had worn through were cut down above the knee and given a second life as shorts, with the unfinished cut left to fray. The look became a recognised style of shorts in its own right, sold ready-made as well as made at home.
A skort is shorts with a piece of fabric across the front so that from the front it resembles a skirt. The name is a contraction of skirt and short. Skorts give the appearance of a skirt with the freedom of movement and security of shorts underneath.