Short trousers for all schoolboys

Robert,

I was in a similar situation to others, not because my parents broke up but because my parents worked abroad for a number of years between me being 13 and 18. I was sent to boarding school but during the holidays had to stay with my aunt, my mother's sister and her two daughters.

Upto 12 I had my own clothes which were mainly shorts which I'd worn to age 11 and got some long trousers for school upto 13, but when I went to boarding school that required shorts again and a short trousered suit for Sunday chapel and outings at school.

My long trousers got left at my mothers house but my other shorts were taken to school as weekend leisurewear as that was permitted. We also had kilts as an option as the school was Scottish and these were often insisted on during winter terms and for any school outings or displays.

When I went to my aunt's I had a choice of taking clothes when I travelled in the holidays and always "forgot" to pack the kilts or the short trousered suit, but I had to turn up in something and that meant travelling and wearing shorts in the holidays.

My aunt thought that was what boys should wear and I could hardly complain, and she added to my "leisure wear" with more shorts, often in corduroy although another dress suit with shorts was purchased for a wedding and became a fixture for any formal items thereafter.

I can't say it ever developed into a fetish at the time, it only really developed in my 40's as a deep interest looking back.

At the time, while it was embarrassing in the late 70's and early 80's wearing shorts I could hardly argue with my aunt when all I had was shorts, so more shorts was seen by her as the norm and I couldn't really argue as I had to wear them all the time when at school.

When i did ask for longs at about 15 my aunt just replied "what for?" and I didn't really have an answer other than no one else my age was wearing them.

The usual retort was growing boys are better in shorts if for no other reason that they quickly grow out in longs and in any case i had plenty of shorts.

This was at a time when it was not completely unusual for older boys to wear shorts, but it was becoming more rare by the year and even I was starting to notice the odd bigger boy in shorts increasingly rarely and of course wondering how old the boys was, as he looked at me likely thinking the same thing.

I've never attended an adult school, to be honest, do they exist and what do they teach? Its an interesting concept - do they wear uniforms?

So while shorts wearing was probably seen in the early 70's as "rufty tufty" hard wearing boys wear which some did wear as a badge of honour by the late 70's and being considerably older they were very much seen as "little Boy's" wear, particularly on the style and length that prevailed at the time and that might have been fostered or at the very least reinforced by "cooing women and mothers" who always thought they were "very smart and practical".

Alan

I went back to shorts around 14/15.

I was born in 1978.......usual childhood, UK, nothing odd. My twin brother and I shared a room and we grew up in the usual way, we wore shorts (very short nylon sports shorts) in the summer and trousers in the winter. As an aside we wore briefs. I say that as we wore what our parents bought. As we got older and we were about to enter secondary school we realised that older boys wore longer shorts, boxers were in etc.....

We went to secondary school in long trousers eventually, though in the first year we were sent to school in shorts like lots of other boys.

I remember going to C&A with our mum and we asked for boxers and around that time we stopped wearing shorts to school too.

Some years later I recall finding some old but brand new y-front style briefs in our wardrobe - my brothers and my size. When we told mum and dad we wouldnt wear them we were told we would........money was tight and there was nothing wrong with them, they had been purchased "in advance"! My brother refused but I realised we didnt have much money so decided to wear them as my parents had bought them. It was embarrassing but only my brother knew - we shared a room, him in boxers and me in briefs at around 15 years old.

Around this time we also found some advanced purchased nylon short shorts in the wardrobe or the back of drawer, and again we were expected to wear these as they had be bought, they were for an older teen. Fashion had changed and boys were wearing much longer style shorts. These were basic cut, thin, elasticated waist PE pull up style from the 80's....no buttons/zip/fly/drawstring etc.

Again my brother refused to wear them, but our dad said we had to try them on. My brother did, and his boxers stuck out beneath the hem of legs - they had an inseam of around 1-2". I was wearing briefs, and when I tried them on had no such problem.

It was so decided that I could therefore wear them, and my brother again was excused. He got modern long shorts and I had to wear out-dated short nylon shorts.

One pair was white and you could see I was wearing briefs through the thin material. My parents didn't think this was an issue...........decision was made. So my brother got to wear modern clothes while I was wearing pants and shorts that you wouldn't be seen dead in.

I got used to wearing them, but usually only wore then at home, and now I only wear short shorts and love them and wear them anywhere. It's my choice.

I have to thank my brother for not wanting to wear briefs too.........that was the start of my love of short shorts.

Mos2 Welcome and thank for your post. Sorry this reply is late. I have always found it important to wear the right underwear with shorts. Both as a schoolboy and a mature adult I have always worn Y-Fronts. As a young adult I use to the much brighter and briefer M & S slips. i use to have to remember to keep the white ones for if I wore white shorts. I have never liked boxers from a comfort or fit point of view. I do not think that boys should have the option o.f boxers until at least they are working and earning their own money.

Those nylon shorts with no draw cord were sold at BHS as school PE shorts long past the time they were in fashion. I treated myself to a pair in the 1990s and they really were as short as the 1970s. I think most 1990 teenagers would of found then mercilessly short.

I see nothing wrong with your parents making you wear Y-fronts and short shorts. I do however question why they treated you and your brother differently ?.

Robbie

Hi Robbie,

As a boy I wore briefs/y-fronts up to around 11 years (1989) with no problem, it was starting secondary school that brought on the urge to be cool, fit in and becoming more aware of fashion that changed things, and I think this is true for most boys. I can recall both my brother and I being desperate for boxers as more and more boys started wearing them. Despite my parents being terribly outdated in the fashion stakes and notorious for buying clothes in bigger sizes that we'd wear in a few years time (nothing like a bargain when money was tight) they did buy us boxers - maybe aware of how boys can be cruel and teasing etc. though this doesn't stack up some years later.

We got the very loose 'zero' support style - truth be told I never found them comfortable but they were 'cool'.

Going back to briefs at 15 years (1993) was embarrassing - very few boys wore briefs by that time from what I could tell, yet alone Y-fronts. They'd been bought and we were both expected to wear them. My brother refused but I suppose I was more acquiescent by nature. I don't think my parents treated us differently on this occasion - as long as the clothes were being worn it was no longer an issue. Once I started wearing briefs again I did much prefer them and switched back to briefs completely - mostly Y-fronts.

I do think our parents treated us differently when later it came to shorts. It was again another case of 'we've bought them, you wear them'. As I said, these basic PE shorts were very thin, and very short - very out of fashion. As you put it they were 'mercilessly short'. This time my dad refused any choice requiring us both to wear them. However when we were made to try them on, my brother with his boxers longer than the shorts looked ridiculous with his underwear on display. On the other hand, as I was now wearing Y-fronts, I could wear them with no such concerns. I think my dad could have made my brother wear them too by also wearing briefs but again as long as clothes were not going to waste and being worn he was probably happy. So on my shoulders it fell.

So I ended up with several pairs of pull up short nylon shorts - he got new modern style ones. I don't think there was any favouritism displayed by our parents - I just think they didn't understand boys of our age, or the changing times and attitudes to fashion, but agree they could have made my brother wear these clothes too rather than one being in modern clothes and the other not. I mostly wore the shorts for PE and at home, but eventually would wear them when going out as I was comfortable enough with them.

I certainly initially resented wearing Y-fronts and short shorts but after a bit it was just a case of these being normal clothes for me, despite some teasing from friends and at school. Ever since these have been my preferred choice of underwear and shorts - as I find any other style either unsupportive or just too much excess material.

I would agree that there was nothing wrong with my parents making me wear Y-fronts and short shorts, and I would probably say I was better behaved too as a result - maybe wearing what were considered more juvenile clothes than other boys my age made me more passive for want of a better word.

I agree wholeheartedly that all boys should wear briefs until at least 18 years, it would be a leveller and reduce the competitive nature of boys fashion - which generally is impacted by parents levels of wealth etc. I also think it would remind growing teenage boys that they are not men at 12/13 years of age, yet alone 17/18 years of age, and would improve their behaviour - though perhaps I am reading too much into my own experience.

As a side note, thankfully M&S are still going strong as they are practically the last place in town where you can quality traditional Y-fronts.

You mentioned you treated yourself to a pair of shorts from BHS in the 90's - did you continue to wear short shorts after?

Mark