Figure 1.--This unidentified family snapshot shows an American boy and his mother at home in 1983. The boy wears a T-shirt with text (hockey) and dark blue OP cord shorts.

Short pants became standard wear for American boys in the 1980s. Boys no longer wore short pants suits to any extent. Dressy shorts were no longer common although we see some exceptions like wedding outfits for younger boys or First Communion suits. What we do see is a wide range of casual shorts. There were many different styles such as camp shorts or OP cord shorts. And a wide range of athletic shorts in various styles and bright colors. A factor here was the increasing popularity of basketball and soccer, two sports with short pants uniforms. The style was short cut shorts. Boys alo wore tube socks with colored bands amother sports crry over, a item that became popular for wear with casul shorts. Short pants, shorter than the Bermuda shorts that were popular in the 1960s and 70s. The Boy Scouts changed their uniform and the new shorts, camp shorts with cargo pockets. Cubs had blue shorts and Scouts brown shorts. Not to many Cubs wore the shorts pants uniform and knee sockst in the 1980s this began to change. Boys began wearing shorts to school again. This was virtually unknown in the late-1950s through the 70s. Shorts began to appear first in California and the South. Gradually we begin to see shorts being worn in primary schools. The shorts worn to school did not differ much from play short except that the school shorts tend to be purchased new and the play shorts were the older shorts. Some public schools by the 1980s had begun to adopt voluntary uniforms. The long and short pants worn with the uniforms were more deressy. And then we begin to see shorts in secondary schools, first in California asnd by the 1990s in secondary schools. A 1983 California block party gives some idea of the casual short pants American boys were wearing in the 1980s. A home snapshot again in 1983 shows a boy at home wearing blue OP cord shorts (fgure 1). By this time girls were also wearing shorts and pants, altough skirts were also common. Dresses began to decline in popularity.

Prevalence

Short pants became standard wear for most American boys in the 1980s. Jeans were also very popular, but many byswore shorts, especially during the summer. A 1983 California block party gives some idea of the casual short pants American boys were wearing in the 1980s.

Conventions

Boys no longer dressed up in short pants suits to any extent. Dressy shorts and knee socks were no longer common although we see some exceptions like wedding outfits for younger boys or First Communion suits. What we do see is a wide range of what may be called casual shorts, salrgough they were bot just worn for play and casual occassions.

Types

There were many different styles such as camp shorts and OP cord shorts. A home snapshot taken in 1983 shows a boy at home wearing dark blue OP cord shorts (figure 1). There were alao a wide range of athletic shorts in various styles and bright colors. A factor here was the increasing popularity of basketball and soccer, two sports with short pants uniforms.

Style

The style was short cut shorts. Short pants, shorter than the Bermuda shorts that were popular in the 1960s and still worn to some extent in the 70s.

Tube Socks

Boys commonly wore knee-length tube socks amother sports carry over, a item that became popular for wear with casul shorts.with colored bands THese were mostly white socks with colored bands. Thee were some dark-blue tube socks, but most were white.

Scouts

The Boy Scouts changed their uniform and the new shorts, camp shorts with cargo pockets. Cubs had blue shorts and Scouts brown shorts. Not to many Cubs wore the shorts pants uniform and knee socks in the 1980s this began to change.

School

Boys began wearing shorts to school again. American children wore their regular clothes to school. Usually new clothes were bought for the bew school year. The weather is still warm in Sepember when school begins. This varies somewhat as cold wether comes earlier in the northern states and is only mopderte in the southerrn sttes. Shoirts could be worn year round in he South, but were seaonal wear in the North. Shorts were virtually unknown in the late-1950s through the 70s. Shorts began to appear first in California and the South. Gradually we begin to see shorts being worn in primary schools. The shorts worn to school did not differ much from play short except that the school shorts tend to be purchased new and the play shorts were the older shorts. Some public schools by the 1980s had begun to adopt voluntary uniforms. The long and short pants worn with the uniforms were more dressy. And then we begin to see shorts in secondary schools, first in California and by the 1990s in secondary schools. Secondary scools tended to have strict dress codes such asprohiobiting jeans, but this changed in the 1960s. We do not, however, begin see shorts in secondary schools until the 1980s.

Gender

Girls by the 1980s were also wearing shorts and long pants, altough blouses and skirts were also common. Dresses began to decline in popularity. Both boys and girls wore short cut shorts. Theus began to change in he 1990swiyh noys beginning to wear longer-cut vsdhorts. Girls continuedearing the hort cut shiorts.

Created: 3:49 AM 5/8/2017
Last updated: 3:56 AM 11/25/2025