What was he thinking of?!?

Oh well, here in Australia shorts are normal all year - my husband favours rugby shorts - thick interlock and medium length, teamed with a polo shirt. Not that he is interested in either sport - only cycling (and that is in the past).

I used to cycle in shorts, and so did he, in the Yorkshire winter sometimes. It is easier to ride in shorts.

The worst fashion, and DH loved it, was tailored shorts with long socks and a short-sleeved business shirt. Some Aussie males still dress like that.

I do remember wearing mini skirts and coats all thru winter and not feeling cold. Mind you, when I spent 18 months in Vienna as a young 'un, where the winter wind blows direct from Siberia, I wore thick maxi-coats and fur lined boots.

Men in shorts should not be allowed off the beach.

At my school boys had to wear shorts until they were five feet tall.

Is it do with being sporty perhaps? My eldest son stays in his shorts as long as he can, but as he's a rower/cyclist he's actually used to being out in light clothing in cold, wet weather.

Think it's about being younger....or ' No sense, no feeling'!

GA you are most probably right as DS1 rides his bike to work every day in shorts,even in wet weather he says he has to dry off when he gets in so why make for more work by having to dry trousers or jeans he has worn on his bike on the way in, so I suppose it makes sense to him anyway.

Yes, I can see the postman or cyclist finding shorts an easier option, but at the supermarket, the cinema WHY

Yes to the sporty aspect. We have a PE/rugby teacher living across the road and he often makes me shiver just to see him. He seems to live in shorts and a tshirt under a padded gilet.

My neighbour wears shorts from March to October incl. even if it's snowing, apart from when he is in very fetching Lycra on his racing bike or in leathers on his Harley Davison - he is 76

Maybe people who wear shorts to the cinema or the supermarket are just wearing what they find comfortable and don't give a damn what anyone else thinks of their sense of 'style'. Good for them, I say. Cinemas and supermarkets are hardly Formality Central.

I know bags, but it's so cold!

The informality aspect is fine....it's how do they cope with virtually sub zero temps that intrigues me! They're off to NYC today for five days to celebrate dd's 40th and he's packed shorts!!!

It's sort of 'mad dogs and Englishmen' in reverse!!

Depends on your definition of 'cold' Iam.

Our postman Joe wears shorts all year round and says there is a bit of competition between postmen to see who gives in first and goes into long trousers so he never does!

I feel the cold annodomini. I sometimes wonder if I should have been born in the med or some southern clime, rather than t'north west

DH wears shorts all the time in Summer he has casual pairs and smart linen pairs and has even been know to wear them out for a meal in the evening.
Not when it's cold though !!
I've often wondered about the postmen, it makes sense for them now.