Althouse: A "men in shorts" atrocity.

२ ऑगस्ट, २०११

A "men in shorts" atrocity.

Presented as good, by The Sartorialist.

१०३ टिप्पण्या:

Fred4Pres म्हणाले...: Titus?; २/८/११, ४:४२ PM
Original Mike म्हणाले...: It's the new hare krishna getup. What? You no like?; २/८/११, ४:४४ PM
Fred4Pres म्हणाले...: I am kidding Titus, I know you would not commit such a fashion felony (it is way beyond a faux pas).

Maybe that is the elusive literary critic J, man-boy about town.; २/८/११, ४:४६ PM
themightypuck म्हणाले...: Too many words. "Atrocity" covers it.; २/८/११, ४:४८ PM
Calypso Facto म्हणाले...: I would argue both your description of that jumper as shorts and that fem as a man.

But atrocity we can agree on.; २/८/११, ४:५१ PM
अनामित म्हणाले...: If I ever think I want to wear that, please, somebody shoot me.; २/८/११, ४:५२ PM
Cheryl म्हणाले...: Thanks a lot. Now I can't unsee it.; २/८/११, ४:५३ PM
Trooper York म्हणाले...: Cool.

Jason (the Commenter) has a new
avatar.; २/८/११, ४:५४ PM
J.R. म्हणाले...: No one could carry that one off!

Atrocious is the only word for it.; २/८/११, ४:५४ PM
john म्हणाले...: Just feel good for the guy that he's able to get outdoors. Its also good that he doesn't hide his condition.; २/८/११, ४:५६ PM
edutcher म्हणाले...: Ann, that has nothing to do with shorts.

Even with long pants, that is ghastly.; २/८/११, ५:०० PM
Crunchy Frog म्हणाले...: WTF???

Seriously, WTF????

wv: ermente - nothing to add here; २/८/११, ५:०२ PM
Aridog म्हणाले...: GAAK!!; २/८/११, ५:०३ PM
Carol_Herman म्हणाले...: Gee, I'd bet someone would borrow the Eisenhower jacket. And, if I was there, I'd check to see if his fly zippered. Or if it buttoned closed.

When I was a young kid ... my dad wore white boxer shorts. Yes. Around the house!

I never liked them for that reason. And, when my son was young I put him into white briefs, as soon as he was out of diapers.

You know I got so surprised when he, as an adult, switched to boxers.

Today, they sell them in fancy colors.

My son tells me the boxers are way more comfortable than the white briefs.

Maybe, women like tight panties?

Where I grew up thinking white boxers are ugly.

Here? Don't the shorts just cry out for a neutral color tee?

Oy. And, this man needed to shave his head? Maybe, his mother told him to "go out and get a haircut." So he did!; २/८/११, ५:०५ PM
Paddy O म्हणाले...: Looks like a UPS driver wearing warehouse camouflage.; २/८/११, ५:०९ PM
dick म्हणाले...: Someone should tell him you are not supposed to wear shorty pajamas outside, especially not el cheapo ones.; २/८/११, ५:१२ PM
Bob_R म्हणाले...: I just spent the weekend at Floydfest, a hippie music festival. Lots of strange outfits - kilts, thong and cape (don't ask). Tie dye, shorts almost qualify as conservative. But most people had tongue planted pretty firmly in cheek. Print boy and the Sartorialist don't seem to have enough of a sense of humor.

BTW, do men get a waiver from the shorts rule if they have elaborate leg tattoos? (Is it called a "sleeve" if it's on a leg?) How about if it's only one leg? So little time, so much to know.; २/८/११, ५:१५ PM
Greg म्हणाले...: Ah, so that's what've meant when you say you don't like men in shorts. Now I understand.; २/८/११, ५:१८ PM
Greg म्हणाले...: correction: what you mean . . .; २/८/११, ५:१९ PM
MaggotAtBroad&Wall म्हणाले...: The androgyny in shorts is an atrocity.; २/८/११, ५:२२ PM
BJM म्हणाले...: The new blog design is the real atrocity...too busy and difficult to navigate... mouse over tags are annoying and so passe.; २/८/११, ५:२८ PM
Palladian म्हणाले...: Almost everything The Sartorialist presents as good is an atrocity.

You can't throw a rock in New York these days without hitting one of these sorts of douchebags. Which is why I love throwing rocks.

And may I add that it's usually straight douchebags that dress this way.; २/८/११, ५:२९ PM
Steve M. Galbraith म्हणाले...: I think this pretty much wins Althouse's argument right here. It's over.

Now she can move on to sandals.

Men with Fred Flintstone-like feet wearing sandals.

Man, talk about terrorism.; २/८/११, ५:३१ PM
The Crack Emcee म्हणाले...: I saw the word "atrocity" and thought, "Oh Gawd, I've GOT to see this,.." and, yep, it was that bad - the man and the outfit.

Atrocious.; २/८/११, ५:३१ PM
ricpic म्हणाले...: It's one of the great mysteries of the universe that guys like that are often seen squiring 10's.; २/८/११, ५:३१ PM
Palladian म्हणाले...: "Now she can move on to sandals.

Men with Fred Flintstone-like feet wearing sandals.

Man, talk about terrorism."

I wear sandals only with socks.; २/८/११, ५:३५ PM
Chuck66 म्हणाले...: I thought it was going to be shorts, sandels, and wooley socks.

Occasionally I see an older guy with the circa-1972 jumpsuit. (no, not Soglin); २/८/११, ५:३५ PM
Palladian म्हणाले...: "It's one of the great mysteries of the universe that guys like that are often seen squiring 10's."

I saw a man yesterday wearing an entirely pink outfit: pink hat, pink sunglasses, pink shirt, pink shorts, pink socks and pink sneakers... walking arm-in-arm with a beautiful woman. I said "too bad your woman accessory isn't pink, it really spoils your outfit."; २/८/११, ५:३७ PM
ricpic म्हणाले...: Where I grew up thinking white boxers are ugly.

It's a rough trade. Think of how much uglier the unthinking white boxers get.; २/८/११, ५:३७ PM
Gene म्हणाले...: I sometimes think Ann doesn't like to see men's bodies, which makes it lucky she lives in Wisconsin--the swim season is so short.; २/८/११, ५:४० PM
Mick म्हणाले...: Gaydar. Blip... Blip.... BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP

wv: xenesm---- and the art of motor cycle maintenance.; २/८/११, ५:४१ PM
traditionalguy म्हणाले...: It is another metro renegade.

He reneges on his role of being a man.

No wonder women have to find male strength from other women.; २/८/११, ५:४९ PM
The Elder म्हणाले...: Oh, my!!!

This even violates your exception to the rule against men in shorts when they are worn in athletic settings.

Can you imagine meeting that guy on a golf course or a pickup hoops game?

The horror. The horror.; २/८/११, ५:४९ PM
Lucius म्हणाले...: En route to join Lady Gaga in the right foreground on her civilian cig break?; २/८/११, ५:५८ PM
bwebster म्हणाले...: My eyes! My eyes!; २/८/११, ६:०९ PM
gadfly म्हणाले...: To paraphrase singer and songwriter, Randy Newman: "Shorts people got no reason to live!"; २/८/११, ६:१४ PM
Shanna म्हणाले...: That outfit is ugly, but it has nothing to do with shorts.

(And since it's 105 today, 107 tomorrow, I have a hard time caring about your anti-shorts campaign-although I personally find dresses far more cool in hot weather and will be wearing nothing but all week!); २/८/११, ६:१६ PM
Kirk Parker म्हणाले...: Wow. Where's the "NSFW" label? Where's the "I hope your employee benefits include long-term psychological counseling" label???; २/८/११, ६:२५ PM
caplight म्हणाले...: It is 109 degrees today and I am wearing long pants. I want extra points, Professor.

France. Ugh.; २/८/११, ६:२७ PM
caplight म्हणाले...: Does anybody know how you get vomit out of the spaces between keys on a keyboard?; २/८/११, ६:२८ PM
Michael K म्हणाले...: Is that person entering or leaving a fashion show ? In that world such dress seems normal.; २/८/११, ६:३६ PM
Carol_Herman म्हणाले...: Oh, Patio, @ 5:09 PM. That's MARVELOUS!; २/८/११, ६:४२ PM
Big Mike म्हणाले...: As Will Smith would say, "that's not much of a disguise."; २/८/११, ६:४३ PM
Big Mike म्हणाले...: (The shoes give it away.)

8-D; २/८/११, ६:४४ PM
dbp म्हणाले...: It is an atrocity, but the shorts are low on the list of why.

1-5 The material! Combine the primary colors found in a more disreputable abattoir, with a print which is, what? One can only assume the fabric is something uncomfortable just on the basis of what someone chose to print onto it. Perhaps the designer thought, "This material is so scratchy, unbreathable and poorly draping, I will get even with it by making it look as bad as it feels".

6. Long sleeves with shorts? Really? Why? What possible reason is there to have long sleeves when you have already taken the step of wearing shorts?

7. White basketball shoes. I would think dark colored shoes that have a lot less to them would be better.

8. The guy: Not pleasant to look at and should therefore wear something that allows him to blend in with the crowd.

9. The shorts. This is really only a sop to Althouse. A fit man looks good in well made shorts.; २/८/११, ६:४७ PM
sonicfrog म्हणाले...: Well, when we invade Venus, at least we'll have the camouflage ready to go!; २/८/११, ६:५६ PM
Lyle म्हणाले...: It's fashionable and acceptable for Southern men to wear shorts. Yankees just can't fathom it, have no reason to manifest it, and therefore are culturally incapable of appreciating it.

It's a kind of bigotry really.; २/८/११, ७:०८ PM
Hoosier Daddy म्हणाले...: I don't think those were men.; २/८/११, ७:१५ PM
Triangle Man म्हणाले...: They used to sell outfits like thatin the hotel gift shops on Waikiki. Whole matching family sets. Of course no one who purchased them was fashion-forward enough to tuck in the shirts.; २/८/११, ७:१५ PM
F म्हणाले...: Businessmen and high-level government officials in Dahomey (now called Benin, but I'll stick with the original) used to wear outfits like this, only with long pants and lost of yellowish color. And in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo, but, well you know) Gov't officials used to wear an almost similar outfit but tailored of heavy suiting material and costing several thousand dollars each -- to flaunt their riches. Mobutu had dictated that senior officials must wear this aba-cos (literally "down with business suits") as part of their ZANU party "colors".

This guy probably belongs to some party too -- the Tasteless Party?

wv = messi. Shore is; २/८/११, ७:२८ PM
FleetUSA म्हणाले...: egads!!!!!; २/८/११, ७:३२ PM
FleetUSA म्हणाले...: egads!!!!!

revolting.

he can wear that where no one sees him.; २/८/११, ७:३२ PM
Palladian म्हणाले...: "It's fashionable and acceptable for Southern men to wear shorts. Yankees just can't fathom it, have no reason to manifest it, and therefore are culturally incapable of appreciating it."

You people have rather low standards of both fashionable and acceptable down there...

Look at images from the past. You will NEVER see grown men wearing shorts in public in the US (with the acceptable exceptions of sports, camping, beach, etc.) before 1950. Not in the South, not in the North, nowhere.

Unless you have gorgeous legs and a sporty demeanor, shorts always look awful and infantilizing. Pants of light, breathable materials such as linen offer just as much "ventilation" as shorts in non-sporting situations.

Women don't even look very good in shorts.

If you want to show off your legs, wear a skirt or kilt. But you'd better have the legs to pull it off.; २/८/११, ७:३४ PM
F म्हणाले...: Palladian:

"you better have the legs to pull it off." Don't you mean "you better have the hands to pull it off?" Or do you have opposing toes?; २/८/११, ७:४६ PM
Sprezzatura म्हणाले...: Wow, did folks read the comments over there?

"Not sure if I like this. The look may be better with different sneakers…"

That's vicious. So harsh.

P.S.
Relative to the boring approval that is typical in those comment treads the above comment translates to: "That is the most disgusting trash-for-clothes I've ever seen."; २/८/११, ७:५१ PM
The Crack Emcee म्हणाले...: caplight,

It is 109 degrees today and I am wearing long pants. I want extra points, Professor.

France. Ugh.

Yep. Been there, done that. Stifling.

What bureau are you in?; २/८/११, ७:५३ PM
Trooper York म्हणाले...: France. Ugh.

New poll.; २/८/११, ८:०२ PM
Shanna म्हणाले...: "Not sure if I like this. The look may be better with different sneakers…"

The sneakers were the only thing I liked.; २/८/११, ८:०२ PM
ddh म्हणाले...: I didn't know that anyone would use a Marimekko pattern for a suit. A bit twee, yes?; २/८/११, ८:१२ PM
Bruce Rheinstein म्हणाले...: The look just isn't complete without Guy-liner and Manscara!; २/८/११, ८:२० PM
Joe Schmoe म्हणाले...: He looks like a twenty-something Dr. Evil who's going through a curious phase. There's probably a hairless cat in his oversized man-purse.; २/८/११, ८:२८ PM
Luther म्हणाले...: "Unless you have gorgeous legs and a sporty demeanor, shorts always look awful and infantilizing. Pants of light, breathable materials such as linen offer just as much "ventilation" as shorts in non-sporting situations."

I don't believe, technically, that this can be correct. Close maybe, but 'any' material versus no material hinders ventilation.

Also, I wouldn't use the term 'gorgeous' to describe my legs, manly, I think, would be a better descriptor and I have received compliments on same.

Agree though, no shorts, except for children previous to the fifties. Then some marketing genius realized that he could charge the same price for shorts as long pants... using less material. The rest is history as they say.; २/८/११, ८:४१ PM
Beth म्हणाले...: That's a onesie, isn't it?; २/८/११, ८:४६ PM
MadisonMan म्हणाले...: I am reminded of Went with the Wind, the Carol Burnett skit, wherein Harvey Korman (Rhett) tells Carol Burnett (Scarlett) that she loves her dress, and she says she saw in the window and she couldn't resist it.

My Great-Aunt Doris had curtains in that fabric in her rec room.; २/८/११, ८:४६ PM
Luther म्हणाले...: Oh, one more thing. Back in the day no man wore pants. It was trousers. Not until women became 'pants' wearing did the term become generic. My DI's were very emphatic about that.

I forgot to mention the topic. I have nothing to say, it speaks for itself.; २/८/११, ८:४६ PM
Palladian म्हणाले...: "Oh, one more thing. Back in the day no man wore pants. It was trousers."

I should have noted that...

In a lot of places "pants" connotes underwear, or shorts.

It's kind of a hateful word. But what's worse is when people use the singular "pant" to refer to a pair of trousers.; २/८/११, ९:०९ PM
Sal म्हणाले...: Well, when we invade Venus, at least we'll have the camouflage ready to go!

The karmic union of gays in the military and the invasion of Venus.; २/८/११, ९:१२ PM
Michael म्हणाले...: The use of the term "pant" is nauseating. Many, many of the outfits in The Sartorialist are dreadful and worn by what i assume arw dreadful people.; २/८/११, ९:२२ PM
Fred4Pres म्हणाले...: In the Marine Corps, the use of term pants was sure to bring down a rash of shit from a DI. Men wear trousers. Girls wear pants.; २/८/११, ९:२६ PM
Stosh2 म्हणाले...: Street pajamas!; २/८/११, ९:३३ PM
Palladian म्हणाले...: Besides, "trousers" has a good solid Goidelic origin, while "pants" is a dirty Romance word.; २/८/११, ९:३६ PM
Synova म्हणाले...: That fellow looks ill. So much so that I can't bring myself to make fun of his outfit.

Granted, it could be cancer or AIDS or it could be he's vegan. But if I assume vegan and it's something more dire, I'd feel guilty, even if vegan is most likely.; २/८/११, ९:३७ PM
chickelit म्हणाले...: Oh, one more thing. Back in the day no man wore pants. It was trousers.

The day men wear blouses instead of shirts will be one sad day.

Robert Plant pulled off the blouse thing pretty well but still...; २/८/११, ९:४० PM
Sprezzatura म्हणाले...: Yup, "pants" sucks.

I'm a "pantalones" man.; २/८/११, ९:४५ PM
MadisonMan म्हणाले...: But what's worse is when people use the singular "pant" to refer to a pair of trousers.

Allen Sherman said it best: You'll pant, and pant once more
And that's a pair of pants!; २/८/११, १०:१३ PM
Luther म्हणाले...: "Goidelic"

Thank you, I learned something new for the day.; २/८/११, १०:१४ PM
Luther म्हणाले...: "The day men wear blouses instead of shirts will be one sad day. "

Sorry, chickenlittle. But here too, the Marines have been wearing blouses, and trousers, for years. It's an old term that, with roots in seafaring.

I'm too lazy to make this a real link...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Corps_Combat_Utility_Uniform; २/८/११, १०:४६ PM
Irene म्हणाले...: Even including a smoker in this shot cannot make it seem "cool."

He does have a splendid snapshot of a woman from the 1940s in shorts among the "Vintage Photos."; २/८/११, ११:३० PM
chickelit म्हणाले...: Sorry, chickenlittle. But here too, the Marines have been wearing blouses, and trousers, for years. It's an old term that, with roots in seafaring.

You mean they wore those dainty little things like Robert Plant wore? That's why I put the link there-to show what I meant.

But if you're breaking the news to me that they did, I will stand corrected, sir.; २/८/११, ११:३२ PM
From Inwood म्हणाले...: Good grief. Except for the color, it looks like one of those photos of the liberation of the POW camps at the end of WW II.

[Pls, no comments about Godwin's law.]; २/८/११, ११:५२ PM
Penny म्हणाले...: The Sartorialist needs more "bliss"...COUNTRY style.

Pigeons gonna miss you, honey.

But the doves?

Just waiting to turn your world upside down.; ३/८/११, १२:०२ AM
Palladian म्हणाले...: chickenlittle, that's a bolo jacket that Robert Plant is wearing in that video, not a blouse!

This is a blouse.; ३/८/११, १२:१३ AM
jr565 म्हणाले...: He gives a bad name to limp wristed caricatures.; ३/८/११, १:०९ AM
Jennifer म्हणाले...: Doesn't The Sartorialist always say he photographs interesting as opposed to good? Interesting, this is.; ३/८/११, १:५४ AM
Ralph L म्हणाले...: Pants
Trousers
Shorts
Boxers
Jeans
Briefs
Dungarees
Khakis
Cargos
Pajamas

Nothing singular about menswear.
No wonder the slang "trou" seems so outre.; ३/८/११, ५:२२ AM
test म्हणाले...: You look at that outfit and conclude the problem is the shorts? There's something seriously wrong with your sense of style.; ३/८/११, ५:४४ AM
Toad Trend म्हणाले...: Among the people I rub elbows with, this 'person' and his outfit would be labeled 'douche'.; ३/८/११, ५:४८ AM
अनामित म्हणाले...: No, a thousand times no. The look is "Voldemort comes out as a homosexual".; ३/८/११, ७:२८ AM
Christopher म्हणाले...: "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"

Isaiah 5:20

Oddly enough thats the first thing that came to mind.; ३/८/११, ७:३७ AM
DaveW म्हणाले...: That picture is making me rethink my opposition to the professor's position on men in shorts.; ३/८/११, ७:५४ AM
अनामित म्हणाले...: Ann, I've never quite understood your visceral aversion to men in shorts, but THESE shorts, I understand.; ३/८/११, ८:५४ AM
Amy Schley म्हणाले...: Palladian,

Please, for the love of God, do not wear socks with sandals!

Socks are for when it is cold. Sandals are for when it is hot.
Pick one!

Also, as someone who sells comfort shoes -- anyone can wear sandals. But make sure that they fit properly. The only unattractive feet are the ones with red blotches all over, the toes creeping over the end of the shoe, the width creeping over the sides, and bunions/corns/hammer toes/mallet toes disfiguring the too tight leather.

I don't care about amputated toes or surgery scars, just make sure they fit!; ३/८/११, ९:०८ AM
Sorin म्हणाले...: All he needs now is to shave his legs.; ३/८/११, ९:०८ AM
Freeman Hunt म्हणाले...: You all are wasteful.

Obviously his aunt had old curtains and a pattern she last used to make him an outfit when he was four years old. I think she is very intrepid for figuring out how to upsize it and putting those old curtains to use rather than in the trash!; ३/८/११, ९:३५ AM
Freeman Hunt म्हणाले...: I wear jeans all the time. Yes, even when it was 110 yesterday, I wore jeans. That is what I do.; ३/८/११, ९:३६ AM
bagoh20 म्हणाले...: The commenters over there sound like the Emperor's subjects whenever he took a fashion risk.; ३/८/११, ९:४९ AM
bagoh20 म्हणाले...: ही टिप्पणी लेखकाना हलविली आहे.; ३/८/११, ९:५५ AM
bagoh20 म्हणाले...: Although it's only a 10 minute walk, I rarely go to the beach swimming anymore, but I had visitors from back east this week and that's what they wanted to do.

Althouse's fevered hatred of shorts has kept me out of them for many months. The resulting mismatch between my legs and everything else produced a deep anger in me. She still has enough liberal in her to be substantially wrong about some things. It comes with the ideology. Your whole body deserves to see the sun occasionally.; ३/८/११, १०:१५ AM
अनामित म्हणाले...: Nothing singular about menswear.

Codpiece: singular.

Jockstrap: singular.; ३/८/११, १२:१६ PM
jr565 म्हणाले...: This is the outfit you wear when you want to go out and get beaten up, either by gay bashers or people with fashion sense who are outraged that someone could be such a dick fashion wise.; ३/८/११, १२:३७ PM
Clyde म्हणाले...: He has absolutely no chance of getting to first base with the smoking chick on the right... Not like he's probably interested in breeders anyway.

WV: redsoo. As in A Boy Named Redsoo. Either that, or X didn't get the last square.; ३/८/११, १:५२ PM
Indigo Red म्हणाले...: The new leisure suit and this, too, shall pass.; ३/८/११, ३:२९ PM
Tari म्हणाले...: I am a great supporter of the "men in shorts" idea generally (living in Houston does that to you) but this is an abomination against nature.; ३/८/११, ३:५३ PM