Exploring if folks who wear shorts in the winter are making a bold fashion choice or if it’s pure madness.
Written by Izzy Aparicio
As the months grow darker and colder, most of us have begun to bundle up. Comfy hoodies and warm sweatpants are gracing campus more and more frequently. Though, there are always the outliers. The students who don’t want to succumb to the norm. I am talking about people who wear shorts. Everyone has seen them and wondered, “Are you not cold?” I am determined to give an answer to this uncomfortable phenomenon.
What are good reasons to wear shorts? How can being cold feel comfortable? Is it only for optics? These are all questions I had when approaching this marvel.
In defense of my short-wearing peers, research from the JAMA Network suggests that body temperature can vary person-to-person. Some people may get warm quicker than others based on a multitude of factors.
I received a few answers in defense of the pantless populations themselves.
One Cleveland State University (CSU) student explained that he does it because “it starts conversation” and “shows off the calves.”
Wearing shorts as a conversation starter and way to express individuality seems to be a common theme. It’s a way to show no fear.
However, individuality can be expressed in many different ways besides this when your weather app says it feels like minus 2 degrees Fahrenheit. Try a bright yellow puffer jacket.
“[Wearing shorts] feels nice and just feels right sometimes,” Kris Pan, another CSU student, said.
A feeling. Not looking to show off, but looking to feel comfortable. There’s nothing wrong with that even if it may abhor the eyes of people on campus.
Speaking of the opposition, no one has a problem with shorts wearing in general. The main issues are that winter weather is deemed “too cold” to don anything other than full-length pants and the notion that people are “pretending” not to be cold.
Almost everyone agrees that it looks ridiculous and that people who wear shorts are “crazy,” but what if they are actually comfortable? It may seem odd, but what if it is just their vibe, so to say. While you may not see many top fashion houses adopting this trend, it may be time to worry about ourselves instead because it will not stop happening anytime soon.