Rumination: My friends and I have been mystified for some time about those strange garments called "Shorts" when in fact they should be called "Longs". But thankfully, trends for men seem to be moving back into the territory of what looks more natural and comfortable. Sometimes 11" is just too much. More below the fold.
First, Men's shorts have for such a long time been "descending", now to the point where ordinary shorts can only be realistically be called "Longs".
Here are "Longs", with what is probably like 18" inseams.
Take for instance "Basketball Shorts" and "Cargo Shorts" - both look like some sort of wayward bag that's been wrapped around a waist in lieu of something that actually fits. Inseams for the basketball shorts look about 11", cargo shorts to 9" - the 9" 'cargo short' inseam seems to be the standard from Abercrombie and Fitch to Patagonia and Gap. 11" Long is just too long for anyone.
Men's legs are truncated in these long-shorts, and make sure that skinny legs look skinnier, and fat legs look fatter. Basically unflattering, "baggy monstrosities" according to the NYT, and frankly, one step away from capri pants. Like these super-masculine "Army Fatigue" Capri pants
Why this "descent"? Somehow to me it's all about demasculinizing men as completely as possible. No facial hair, no body hair, no legs (no leg muscles) at all, if possible.
Let's take a quick check. What did basketball shorts used to look like?
Why? Why did they suddenly grow 3x as long? These things keep me up at night.
Now, what did the precursor to cargo shorts used to look like?
Interestingly, and tellingly, this short to many "looks gay". As opposed to looking straight?
It's very hard to find reasonable-length shorts, about 5-7" inseam though now I come across them, or even see pictures of them. They're coming back regardless of what people believe:
WashingtonPost
Joe: Yeah, and while we're at it, let's bring back mullets, mock turtlenecks, Sansabelt pants and satin dress shirts. Along with these other style disasters, shorter shorts make the wearer look ridiculous and make the rest of us uncomfortable. Unless you're a tennis player (or European), your campaign to reintroduce them is inexcusable. Oh, and stay out of the kids' departments.
I'm just hoping we get to basic mid-thigh '70s style shorts which make men look good
Stubbies were of course a bit extreme:
Though highly entertaining - and from what I see in the video, the opposite of gay. So 4" is too short, but 11" is definitely too long. Men need something right in the middle when it comes to inseams.