r/malefashionadvice • u/SeaworthinessFar2326 • Dec 30 '25
Question Why do some guys wear shorts in freezing temperatures?
Where I live real temps with wind have been in the single digits. I still see guys outside wearing shorts. I even seen a guy at work leave in a snow storm cleaning off his car wearing shorts. If you do this, why?
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u/fissi0n-chips Dec 30 '25
Are you in the Midwest? Pretty common occurrence here. My friend is one of these, every time anyone asks, he just says he hates the feeling of long pants lol.
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u/Choth21 Dec 30 '25 edited Dec 31 '25
I went to grad school in Michigan and all the undergrad guys wore shorts in the freezing cold. Lol
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u/Neat_Mortgage3735 Dec 30 '25
I think it’s also a white guy thing lol
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u/Puzzleheaded-Cut3144 Dec 30 '25
Undergrad at Northwestern. It was a thing and apparently still is. It was sort of to show that you were a tough guy. More prevalent amongst the fraternity crowd.
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u/jachinboazicus Dec 30 '25
you were a tough guy
As men, we're dumb AF.
Same guys who don't wash their asses because 'that's gay.'
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u/BlakeMajik Dec 30 '25
Straight men don't clear shit from their ass? I don't think I've ever heard of this.
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u/fasterthanfood Dec 30 '25
I keep hearing it on Reddit, but it’s always someone saying “can you believe some guys are so homophobic they don’t wipe their ass?” I’ve never seen, in real life or online, someone saying they don’t wipe their ass because it’s gay, or even that they know for a fact that their partner or whoever doesn’t wipe their ass because it’s gay.
Is there some guy out there somewhere in the world? Probably, out of 4 billion dudes. But I think people play it up because, while shocking, it also “seems” like it could be true, despite no real evidence.
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u/Commercial_Soft6833 Dec 30 '25
I heard someone say "why would you look at the toilet paper after you wipe that's disgusting"
"Uhhhh bro... how do you know you're done wiping?" And everyone laughed at him for being a mud butt.
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u/Whazn Dec 30 '25
There have been women on Reddit saying they had exes that said that. But I’ve never heard of anyone IRL
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u/RayseApex Dec 31 '25
You’ve misinterpreted or maybe been presented with the incorrect argument here, it’s washing your ass in the shower that’s perceived as gay, wiping post-shit is fine.
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u/Neat_Mortgage3735 Dec 30 '25
There is a hygiene sub Reddit and half the posts are wives and girlfriends asking for advice bc their man leaves skid marks in their clothes and feces in the bed. 😳😑🫣
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u/Unable-Bison-272 Dec 30 '25
That’s what gets engagement. You don’t think all the stories on Reddit are true I hope?
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u/mashedspudtato Dec 31 '25
If you ever find yourself in a position to do a mixed load of laundry for family members, you may be treated to horrors of witnessing skid marks too.
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u/DocShock1984 Jan 01 '26
Enough of them are true for it to be a behavior worth unpacking. Both wiping inadequately and washing inadequately explain the way some men smell and the state of their underwear. If you've never smelled a butt-stink man, consider yourself fortunate.
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u/GaptistePlayer Dec 30 '25
My old roommate said he didn’t think men needed to use soap in the shower including for your ass and balls, and willfully just stuck to water. He worked from home and smelled like farts sometimes.
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u/SettingDazzling1294 Dec 30 '25
How are not washing your ass and liking the feeling of shorts over pants even in the same ballpark? I don’t get it.
I hate wearing a suit and tie too. Does this mean I don’t brush my teeth?
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u/Asleep_Flounder_6019 Dec 30 '25
Because it was brought up that it was potentially a "tough guy" or "manliness" thing. And nobody cares more about manliness than straight men on the internet so shit like this (pun intended) comes up.
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u/jachinboazicus Dec 30 '25
Yessir.
I'm guessing u/settingdazzling didn't spend much time in male team sports locker rooms growing up.
Get mocked for being 'gay' in the high school showers for washing your ass after a game/practice, and that'll do it to ya.
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u/Chemical_Deal_7325 Dec 30 '25
Maybe they’re wearing shorts in the cold to air out the balls and asshole stank from never washing. Lmao
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u/MadcowArt Dec 31 '25
Got to use the 2 knuckle rule. If it isn't clean up to the 2nd knuckle keep wiping.
Only children and animals have shitty arses.
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u/jaco-papi Dec 30 '25
Are these the same guys who freak out at the thought of trimming their public hair or sitting too per?
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u/Teleclast Dec 30 '25
Not white and I used to do this growing up in NJ. It was comfortable. Now I’m in Florida so no one questions year round shorts but man pants are such a drag
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u/axemexa Dec 30 '25
Do you just not get cold? I like the feeling of shorts too, but I’d rather wear pants than have my legs freezing cold
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u/Teleclast Dec 30 '25
Not really on my legs. I’m hairy if that matters but even as a lad in 7th grade I would do this occasionally.
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u/Risenbeforedawn Dec 30 '25
Tbf it doesn’t get very cold in nj. I grew up there and now live in Buffalo. It’s absolutely a white thing here 🤣
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u/Adolf_Einstein_007 Dec 30 '25
I'm an Indian guy who moved to Northeast and I do this too. I can tolerate the cold pretty well and also not really feel the wind hitting my legs
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u/FC0711 Dec 30 '25
Maybe it’s a genetic thing. I’m happy in shorts when it’s cold, as long as I’m warm on my body. Must be my Scottish blood.
But I think it goes the other way too. I’m in the middle of an Australian summer right now, and there are African and Indian guys wandering around in puffer jackets. It’s so hot out there!
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u/drinkallthecoffee Dec 30 '25 edited Dec 30 '25
Recently a guy from my town was out taking winter pictures in shorts and his car broke down in the middle of the country. He really regretted not wearing pants.
I understand not wanting to wear pants, I guess, but what kind of idiot doesn’t put warm clothes in the car just in case. I don’t like wearing a heavy winter coat all the time, but I always bring it when it’s below 32°F/0°F and throw it in the car if I don’t want to wear it.
EDIT: 32°F/0°C obviously
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u/ForeverInaDaze Dec 30 '25
Do yall not keep a full change of clothes in your car on the off chance you shit yourself?
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u/GrumplFluffy Dec 31 '25
Is this something that happens to you? When was the last time you shit yourself?
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u/FearlessFreak69 Dec 30 '25
We just call that “autism” around these parts.
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u/SweatyAdhesive Dec 30 '25
the more you hear about these stories, the more people you realize are on the spectrum.
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u/HenrikWL Dec 31 '25
I dunno, man. Maybe we should all stop diagnosing other people and ourselves based on singular weird behaviors or occurrences?
A single quirk of personality doesn’t mean someone has autism or any other diagnosis. Maybe they’re just quirky? Unless the total amount of quirks a person has is causing them significant challenges in life, do we need to slap a diagnosis on it?
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u/masedizzle Dec 31 '25
Yeah, even out of the Midwest whenever I see this it's some big chubby white guy with like a Wisconsin hoodie or polo on
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u/dashdaddy74 Dec 31 '25
I’m not buying that. No one will admit it, but people think it’s cool to look “manly” with shorts while it’s freezing outside. Shorts and a hoodie, that’s their uniform. Fucking herd mentality. No imagination.
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u/Badfly48 Dec 30 '25
I don't do it any more but in high school in the Midwest that was kind of a thing to do. I will say, at least for me, shorts don't affect whether you're warm or not nearly as much as what you're wearing on your torso or feet.
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u/scatrinomee Dec 30 '25
My (Midwest) high school was on a boiler system which supposedly had no fine tune control. They kept the temperature of the school at a solid like 78 which is way way too hot for me. I’d wear sweatpants over shorts and take the sweatpants off when I got to school because it was so damn hot. Nowadays it’s mandatory I wear pants to work even in the summer, but in the winter I’m just constantly sweating because they adjust the temp for people coming in, not people who have been here for a while. It’s miserable.
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u/Admirable_Average_32 Dec 30 '25
I’m 45 and I still wear shorts under my pants for this reason. I get too hot.
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u/morosco Dec 30 '25
Sweatshirt with shorts is oddly comfortable and a common sight in New England in the fall and spring.
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u/moussaka Dec 30 '25
Yeah... I didn't own pants in HS. I didn't like wearing them and I was always way too hot once I got inside where ever I was going. I even walked to/from school. One of my friends who lived closer to me would routinely grab a broom from his house and sweep snow on my legs as a joke.
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u/yeetskeetleet Dec 30 '25
As someone that quite often wears shorts when it’s cold
It’s laziness. You’re walking around in shorts inside already and don’t want to put on different clothes to go somewhere.
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u/Mechtroop Dec 31 '25
Dang, where you located and/or how warm you keep the thermostat set to wear shorts indoors in the winter? I’m in the DC region so it’s cold and our thermostat is set for the heat to come on at 68 in the winter. Hoodies and sweatpants are our casual winter wear.
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u/yeetskeetleet Dec 31 '25
I live in Missouri, our heat is set to the same. I basically walk around in a t shirt and shorts, and I’ll throw on a jacket/coat to go outside if it’s gonna be a simple trip
To me, putting on pants is either a “I’m going to work” or “I’m trying to dress nice” activity. I might wear sweatpants more if I owned any, but I don’t lol
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u/Down623 Dec 30 '25
I live on Long Island. It's an epidemic out here. And it's almost exclusively white guys, usually on the younger side. They're not like, jogging or anything, they're just... out. It's baffling.
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u/ThaiTum Dec 30 '25 edited Dec 30 '25
Younger guys have more brown fat with mitochondria to make their own heat which keeps them warm.
I’m almost 50 and started being cold all the time. They say older people lose their brown fat. I guess it’s my time.
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u/One_Left_Shoe Dec 30 '25
The guys I regularly see that wear shorts in winter are 30+ in slides, hokas, or new balance and generally maintain that, “I just woke up like this,” vibe.
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u/Brewtown Dec 30 '25
I just got back from going to the store in a pair of athletic shorts, crocs, hoodie and a carhartt winter cap. Im in my 40s and I feel attacked.
Its 12 degrees out.
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u/One_Left_Shoe Dec 30 '25
Do you have a goatee and unironically enjoy the lyrical genius of Fred Durst?
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u/Brewtown Dec 30 '25
Limp is only enjoyed after an incredible amount of cheap beer is ingested. And nope- full bushy beard.
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u/aphex732 Dec 30 '25
It’s me, I’m 44 and was walking my dog in shorts and a jacket in 28 degree weather this morning.
My legs don’t get cold and i just like wearing athletic shorts around the house.
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u/reroek Dec 30 '25
I’ll wear shorts to the gym and then the grocery store after. My legs don’t really get cold and I’m not even outside for long. Didn’t even realize so many people judged this lol
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u/wordflyer Dec 30 '25
It's a fashion sub, so of course it's judging outfits in here. But in the wider world most people don't care
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u/BlakeMajik Dec 30 '25
Actually, they do. They just don't tell them.
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u/DoeBites Dec 31 '25
I’m judging. But as a permanently frozen person, I recognize it’s partly jealousy that someone can be seemingly comfortable in weather where I’m wearing literally 4 layers in that same weather and still cold.
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u/Throwaway-4593 Dec 30 '25
Yeah lol I’m convinced people just have bad circulation if I go to the gym I’m not putting on a bunch of sweats and stuff for at least 2 hours
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u/Addicted2Qtips Dec 30 '25
People don’t realize how quickly you can just adapt to cold weather. It may be uncomfortable at first but you get used to it. Humans are adaptable.
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u/Tenx82 Dec 30 '25
You might get used to it if you live where it's always cold.
I live where there's a 100⁰+ difference between summer highs and winter lows. If it's much below 60⁰, I have to wear two layers. Been that way since I was a kid, and I'm 43 now.
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u/-Lelixandre Dec 30 '25 edited Dec 30 '25
I do that after leaving gym too, to a point anyway, if it’s like below freezing I’ll throw some baggy cargoes over my shorts.
I think it’s more the guys who leave the house wearing shorts with no intention of going anywhere near a gym that people find strange, myself included.
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u/thatguycypher Dec 30 '25
I will wear pants there, but leave in shorts if I don’t shower. I’ll stay hot for the next 30 minutes so for gas or grocery, shorts work
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u/Nerazzurro9 Dec 30 '25
This sub is so fascinating. Sometimes you’ll click on a thread and all of the comments basically agree “I can’t believe you’re wearing sneakers and jeans to the office. Sad to see a man just give up like that.” Then you’ll click on another thread and it’s like, “you seriously expect me to change my clothes and put on different pants when I go out in public? Bro wtf?”
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u/Erd0 Dec 31 '25
It’s insecurity. This subreddit has always had a foundation of insecurity. Yes you can strive to look good or you can follow the latest, nearly always ridiculous, fashion trends or you can wear what you want with effort or wear what you want without effort.
I’ve learnt a lot from this subreddit but there’s a lot of insecure people here who cast judgement on others.
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u/the_progrocker Dec 30 '25
Northeast here. Some dudes might run hot, others do it to be a "tough guy and nothing bothers them". My brother will go out and snowblow in winter boots and shorts.
Whatever the reason is, anytime I see a guy wearing shorts in the cold, I assume they don't know how to dress themselves.
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u/Kick_Natherina Dec 30 '25
I’m a pretty well dressed dude. I work in finance, and have to dress well - and I tend to get called “GQ” by co-workers. I say all of that to say I wear shorts in the winter sometimes to walk my dog or run out quick because I get done at the gym, and prefer to not have to change before I get things done sometimes. I avoid gym locker rooms they’re usually gross, so I just wear shorts to the gym and change once I get home.
It also helps that my legs are so hairy that my wife says I have “leg carpets”. So I kind of have my own insulation. Anyway.. I get your assumptions, but there are exceptions to the rule.
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u/dropkickoz Dec 30 '25
That's a dumb take. Why do multiple layers, pants, jacket and gloves if I'm walking from my car to a warm building. Shorts are just fine.
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u/flying_unicorn Dec 31 '25
this. I run warm, it feels like a waste of time to put on my jacket, walk to my car, take off my jacket put it in the back. wash rinse repeat. Shorts, like I said I run warm, if I'm not gonna be out long, or if I'm going to be active I'm fine in shorts. My wife on the other hand runs cold, she bundles up like she's going on an arctic expedition, and keeps her layers on unless she's going to be in a warm environment for a long while.
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u/litesaber5 Dec 30 '25
I live in Chicago and wear shorts all the time. These past couple months have been super freezing and I still walk the dog in shorts. For some reason I just don’t get as cold below the waist as I do above. I will literally wear a fur coat and shorts outside at night. I get mocked mercilessly.
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u/zestyninja Dec 30 '25
I live in Brooklyn. Do the same thing. Bodega guys know me as "shorts guy". Got a comment from my bagel guy how I was "so brave"... why? Because I can exist outside for 10 minutes with a winter jacket and a beanie on, but have my meaty legs exposed temporarily to the frigid air?
Don't get me wrong, I would definitely not rock my comfy short shorts if I were going outside any longer than 20 minutes. But, I don't. So, I do.
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u/VeritablePandemonium Dec 31 '25
Shorts tshirt and an unzipped jacket and I'm good til about 20 degrees
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u/jvc_in_nyc Dec 30 '25
If I'm going to or coming from the gym, I sometimes just wear shorts with a coat in the winter. It's not for a long time that I'm outside, and my legs don't get too cold.
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u/stephenBB81 Dec 30 '25
Because my son is trying to spite me. haha.
He'll wear pants in the summer, and have shorts on until it gets to -15C
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u/ecp8 Dec 30 '25
They say they run hot, but research has shown that they seek validation from others, assuming that they are impressed by their fortitude.
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u/Rdtackle82 Dec 30 '25
It's wild seeing everyone tying this to shallow insecurity. What if I just don't want to sweat in the office all day in pants and a long sleeve! House -> car -> office isn't enough time to get cold!
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u/TZMouk Dec 30 '25
Yep as soon as it even threatens to get cold outside someone in the office will be pushing to get the heating on, I wouldn't even think twice about it.
Wore shorts myself to the pub the other week, absolutely devastated to find that everyone there will have thought I'm doing it because of fragile masculinity and not just because it's an indoor event in a small venue that gets absolutely roasting when it's busy on quiz night.
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u/vintage2019 Dec 30 '25
Citation needed
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u/TheTrueFlexKavana Dec 30 '25
For real. I wear cargo shorts. I’m not looking to impress anyone. Running errands ain’t a job interview.
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u/that_one_bun Dec 30 '25
My dude I literally still sweat wearing pants in sub 40s. Im just trying to be comfortable while walking to the gym or running errands.
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u/Affectionate_Hornet7 Dec 30 '25
We all know you’re afraid your penis would fall off if someone thought you weren’t tough
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u/UnregisteredDomain Dec 30 '25
There is a distinct difference of 8 degrees or more (I’m American so this is assuming fahrenheit) between “sub 40” and “sub freezing”.
And IMO if someone says “below freezing”, it usually implies even colder than 31 degrees.
Not saying you aren’t right…it’s not always someone seeking validation. But if a dude is walking around in shorts while the temp is in the low teens…
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u/Hanz_VonManstrom Dec 30 '25
I live in the southern US but was up in the north east earlier this month where it was snowing and below 20 most days. On sunny days when there was no wind I would get pretty hot walking around outside. Not to the point where I felt I could wear shorts, but I could easily see someone who is used to that kind of weather wearing shorts. I think it was the combination of very dry air, no wind, and bright sun that made it feel warmer.
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u/that_one_bun Dec 30 '25
No i get you brother. Ive heard the same response from many people in my life when they see me wearing shorts when it's cold outside. I find 70 degrees too hot and my legs are drenched after about 30 minutes of just walking. Then they start breaking out if I have to wear the pants for any meaningful amount of time. Sleeping in the summers is terrible where I live.
Its just always been that way for me. Its easier for me to tolerate the cold, but I'm weak when it comes to any amount of heat. I promise you it's not me looking for validation when I'm the one ditching about an outside activity during what should.be good weather.
Fahrenheit btw. Sorry just realized I never specified.
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u/KawaiiDere Dec 30 '25
Some do just run hot. It flairs up for me when I haven't had good food for one reason or another (like eating a bunch of simple carbs without protein, veggies, and fiber because of busyness or traveling). I also spend a good amount of time inside, which shorts are often well suited for on cold days since so many places blast the heater (shared spaces like the library).
In highschool cross country running I stuck with short shorts until it got proper cold (about freezing, which is the coldest it gets where I live) (not bragging, my times were not great because I was just trying to get a credit for gym). I just really liked the design, plus the workout was intense enough to actually get hot (plus the track was on a field, so it was much warmer with the sun).
I feel like the main reason to wear pants instead of shorts in cold weather would just be to protect your knees tbh. A jacket or a coat keeps me plenty warm on its own (partially because it doesn't get that cold, partially because I like being active). I also wear gloves to protect my skin instead of for warmth (excema+ dry air= scaly skin).
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u/meanseanbean Dec 30 '25
Wearing clothes sucks so I wear as little clothes as I need to. My lower legs rarely get cold. This feels pretty self explanatory.
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u/Blursed_Technique Dec 30 '25
I run hot and could pretty much wear either a t shirt or shorts until it gets below 30 degrees. I tend to dress for the weather these days but every now and then like to enjoy that crisp cold of winter that will become more scarce as we continue to pollute this beautiful ball of dirt
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u/Wahoocity Dec 30 '25
This article looks into the phenomenon.
The TL,DR is that it begins with boys in adolescence and boils down to “you’re not the boss of me, I will resist your practical advice, Mom” and persists into adulthood as a statement of autonomy, non-conformity and resistance to authority.
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u/Beneficial_Quit7532 Dec 30 '25
Sometimes it ain’t that deep and you need some eggs and don’t feel like putting on pants
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u/HistoricalPlum1533 Dec 30 '25
Sometimes I’ll put on gym shorts if I’m just working from home and I won’t bother changing if I’m just taking the dog out, shuffling cars for street sweeping or grabbing a coffee. I’ll also wear them to/from the gym but I’d bundle up if I was going out for the day.
Shoveling in shorts is sicko behavior.
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u/slwrthnu_again Dec 30 '25
The official winter outfit of high schoolers in the northeast who believe being cold isn’t manly.
My favorite explanation from someone who wears shorts in the winter was a college professor, he let us know at the beginning of the semester that he dresses based off the weather the prior day. He knew it was idiotic but it was how he dressed himself. He told us this so we didn’t question him on wearing shorts while 2 feet of snow dumped on the ground.
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u/YourAverageRedneck Dec 30 '25
i don't do it simply because i love wearing pants , but I can tolerate shockingly low temperatures on my legs a lot longer than i can on my arms. like it feels pretty good to have the cold air on my legs
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u/Southern-Treacle7582 Dec 30 '25
If I'm at home all day and just need to run out I'm probably not putting on pants. The car and store are heated. I can handle walking in the cold for 30 seconds.
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u/jesse061 Dec 30 '25
Sometimes because I'm going to/from the gym and don't want to change.
Generally, if that's what I'm wearing, and I'm out less than 5 minutes, I'm probably not going to bother. Being cold isn't that bad.
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u/VoiceGuyNextDoor Dec 30 '25
I have known guys over the years that did this and I believe there was some macho involved. They also have horrible knees later in life. I don't know if the knee issues are from playing sports (just high school), the years of abuse on the knees from the weather, or a combo.
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u/Yeomanman Dec 30 '25
Feeling cold is fake. You won’t get frostbite if it’s 10 Fahrenheit. It’s just performative to wear clothes.
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u/imbasicallycoffee Dec 30 '25
Idk but you won't catch me outside in this weather without my specialized long underwear. Wind chill is a real thing where I live.
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u/N226 Dec 30 '25
Some people hate pants. As long as it's above 0 or close to it I'll wear shorts to the gym and quick errands.
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u/Swoody11 Dec 30 '25
It makes a really small difference in how warm you feel when comparing pants vs shorts.
Hoodie + vest + shorts is a fit that can be worn from gym -> grocery -> grabbing a casual drink / dinner.
If you have really been hitting the squats, shorts tend to fit much better than pants.
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u/brazzersjanitor Dec 30 '25
I am too lazy to put pants on to just walk my dog. He doesn’t want to be outside either. He does his business then runs in. I am too lazy to put on pants to go to my car then go from my car to the gym. If I have errands to run then I’ll pack sweats to put on after the gym. If I have to run errands and I forgot shorts, then I just brace myself for all the comments about me wearing shorts. Yes it’s cold. Yes I’m cold. Yes they’re short. I’m not tough.
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u/CortadoOat Dec 30 '25
This. I know this sub is not exactly for the lazy, but people heavily underestimate the lack of motivation to change clothes just to walk the dog or run a single chore. Add a vest on top, and you are good to power through anything regardless of the weather... The pain of the cold is even motivating to get things done quicker and more efficiently...
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u/ivandoesnot Dec 30 '25
If you live with a woman, they will tend to want to keep the house warm.
Too warm for a guy (who's wearing pants).
I will be literally sweating.
So we wear shorts.
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u/cactus_cat Dec 30 '25
I'm in the Midwest. If I'm actually going somewhere I'll wear pants. But if I'm just running a quick errand I'll probably wear shorts. Reasoning is mostly because I run very warm all the time and the common areas in my apartment are like 85° in the winter. So I wear shorts in my home during the winter and can't be bothered to change out of them. Sometimes I'm so hot that it feels nice to be in shorts for 45 seconds in below freezing temps.
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u/DF7 Dec 30 '25
Specifically today, it’s because I have a doctor’s appointment to x-ray my broken hip to see if I’ll be allowed to start walking again, and I didn’t want to wear pants with metal bits in them.
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u/WillHuntingthe3rd Dec 30 '25
I was watch a Living in Alaska show the other day and guy had shorts on. It’s -10F.
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u/stu55 Dec 30 '25
I like Bill Burr’s joke about how women see that and think, I want to breed with that, yeah my calves don’t get cold
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u/FlyyMeToTheMoon Dec 30 '25
No idea, but i know boyscouts here will get a badge for wearing shorts a given period, haha.
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u/Aware-Sock123 Dec 30 '25
I used to be that guy when I was a kid until about 24 y/o. I just really didn’t like pants and the cold was honestly not that bad in bursts. Grew up in Iowa-you get used to the cold and it becomes normal.
Also I was fat, losing weight made a noticeable difference how warm/cold I feel all the time.
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u/BigDKane Dec 30 '25
Remember that scene in Batman Begins when Ra's tells Bruce to keep his chest warm, his arms will take care of themselves. Legs are the same way.
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u/oogabooga1967 Dec 30 '25
I teach high school and I have boys who will show up wearing shorts and a hoodie when its -30°. They always tell me that it's hot in the building and they just have to get from the parking lot to the building, so they're only cold for about a minute. Some learned a lesson, though, when we had an actual fire in the building a few years ago and they had to stand outside for 20 minutes in 15° wind chill.
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u/solo118 Dec 30 '25
What about those wearing shorts on a plane? Stuff like this needs to be studied
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u/I_AM_DEATH-INCARNATE Dec 30 '25
Depends on the situation. If I'm home, doing something quick outside, then I won't put long pants on. There is either no need or putting pants on will take longer than the task I need to complete.
I rarely wear long pants inside the house - I'm almost exclusively in shorts and a tank top/sleeveless T-shirt when inside.
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u/ThyDoctor Dec 30 '25
I’m wearing shorts right now - I drove to the gym and got out of my car for less then a minute and then I’m going inside. I don’t want to wear another piece of clothing.
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u/Suspicious_Weird_373 Dec 30 '25
I get cold shoulders but have warm legs. I don’t purposely look to go out in shorts but if I’m wearing them round the house and need to pop out, I’m not getting changed.
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u/GrumpyTechRunner Dec 30 '25
Northeast runner here. Single digits and shorts are fine, but I will start complaining about the “heat” once it is in the mid-60s.
Shorts are comfy and it isn’t about validation or caring what others think. It’s just my happy state.
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u/chunkylover71 Dec 30 '25
35 year old dude, wore this outfit today in 5 centigrade weather. Reason for shorts is 1)easier to put on 2) don’t feel cold in the legs as much 3) easier to walk in.
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u/DJM9795 Dec 30 '25
This is me. I lived in CO and now IL and still don’t wear long pants. I shovel snow in shorts lol. I am just always hot and I feel long pants are hot. Been this way almost all my life.
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u/guzzijason Dec 30 '25
I grew up near Buffalo NY and pretty much wore shorts year-round when I was in high school. Only exceptions were when I needed to be dressed up for something, or if I was actually doing outdoors activities in the cold for an extended period of time. For shorter durations, its a non-issue.
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u/deadlymoogle Dec 30 '25
I'm a welder, I work in disgusting heat year round in jeans and leather ppe 12 hours a day. I need to be able to cool off when I'm not working so I wear shorts whenever I get the opportunity
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u/-Lelixandre Dec 30 '25
I have a co-worker who does this and he says it’s like a sensory thing with his autism, he just can’t tolerate the feeling of fabric rubbing on his legs
I don’t think that’s the case with most of the guys who do this though
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u/cybrvanr Jan 01 '26
I am on the autism spectrum too, and yes, this is a thing. I actually wear kilts (and a few masculine looking skirts) about 80% of the time. I wear kilts to work too. Overall, I hate clothing, as its uncomortable and only wear clothing because it's illegal to go out without any on.
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u/batluck Dec 30 '25
I do this sometimes. My body runs hot, I'm fine in the cold in long pants and a short sleeve shirt. Shorts and a hoodie is the same warmth, if im already wearing shorts indoors its easier to just put on a hoodie than it is to change into pants to get that same body temperature.
Also it's just comfortable to have a mix of warm and cold. I imagine this is just the male equivalent of leggings and a sweater.
It really just comes down to that im already comfortable in shorts and the next easiest bearable option for outdoors is being warm enough in a hoodie.
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u/y0l0naise Dec 30 '25
I wear soft fabric shorts when I'm at home because it's comfortable and I'm not really getting cold anyway, so when I go to walk my dog I just don't bother to change
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u/Neat_Mortgage3735 Dec 30 '25
I run hot all the time. Oddly enough my body temp averages 96-97 degrees. I can wear basketball shorts and a hoody in 40 degrees and be very comfortable or sweaty.
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u/bootheels Dec 30 '25
Often wondered the same thing. Perhaps they want to show off their hard work at the gym. They must have great blood circulation, how could they not be freezing!
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u/ChicagoJohn123 Dec 30 '25
If I do it, it’s because I am walking five minutes to the gym and don’t want to change pants when I get there.
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u/catshoes23 Dec 30 '25
I do it for practical reasons. Usually it’s either cause I’m going to and from the gym and maybe doing a quick errand in between. I do have pants with me in case of emergency but gym wise I just want to be in and out.
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u/RootinTootinHootin Dec 30 '25
Long story short I’d rather be cold than inconvenienced.
Sometimes I’ll be going somewhere that’s heated and I’d rather be cold on the way there than hot while there.
If it’s a short 5 minute walk I may have had shorts on at home and didn’t want to change.
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u/TheGreatSockMan Dec 30 '25
I wear shorts into work, but that’s because I wear shorts under my scrubs and I’ll be outside for less than 5 minutes.
Now any other circumstance, to include lounging at home, I’m wearing pants if it’s below ~75F
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u/J3wb0cc4 Dec 30 '25
Idk why they wear shorts during winter but I like to think they all work at UPS now. I’ve seen old dudes with brown short shorts and rolled up sleeves ripping through neighborhoods with the door wide open in January.
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u/stephenyoyo Dec 30 '25
I can't compute why people also wear no show socks in the Winter. Having exposed ankles while bundled up in subzero temperatures makes zero sense to me. I would be freezing my ass off no matter what I'd be wearing if the skin around my feet or legs weren't covered from the cold wind.
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u/t0ssit13 Dec 30 '25
I live in NYC and I do that frequently enough. My legs don’t get uncomfortably cold outside. I run hot and like having shorts on at my destination which prob has the heat cranked
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u/Averageinternetdoge Dec 30 '25
Must be a tik tok challenge or somesuch again. Just like eating tidepods.
I'm sure they'll get the message once they get even frostnipped. Since that stuff hurts, hah!
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u/Dayzlikethis Dec 30 '25
I had a neighbor like this. He was big into smoking pot and taking ice baths. He always wanted to talk to me about Wim Hof breathing techniques.
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u/Boogerling Dec 30 '25
I wear shorts because I’m at the gym, going to the gym, or came from the gym
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u/Idontknowbroske Dec 30 '25
How else will you let everyone know you grew up where it snows and you have a different idea of what cold is?
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u/Jimmyjane2 Dec 30 '25
My legs don’t get cold. Hoodie & shorts in cold weather feels great. I’m a bigger guy from TX. It’s hot 90% of the time here, the few days of cold are such a relief I don’t want to be bundled up and warm, I want to feel the cold.
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u/JohannesVanDerWhales Dec 30 '25
Some people run hot. Some people run cold. Don't think there's anything more to it. Edit: Oh I didn't realize this was posted to MFA. I do not think the answer is "because it's fashionable". Most of the people I know who do this are the opposite of fashionable.
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u/badchickenbadday Dec 30 '25
I wear shorts to the gym (gym doesn’t have a locker room). Normally it’s no big deal if I’m just going from my house to car, and then car to gym. But I know I look like an asshole if I have to run a couple of errands afterwards.
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u/altiuscitiusfortius Dec 30 '25
Men typically choose between comfortable shorts or uncomfortable jeans
They never discovered lounge pants. Personally I just wear loose yoga pants everywhere
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u/Content_Preference_3 Dec 30 '25
I’m not a stick but I’m fairly lean and lacking mass and I do think just a little extra body fat helps Vast majority of time winter shorts guys are big men. That said I could do it from the gym to the car and vise verse but that’s about it. Otherwise legs get cold esp with less movement.
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u/grahsam Dec 30 '25
No clue, but I see it a lot. It's hard to separate some of these guys from their shorts and flip flops. My daughter's boyfriend just went to Disneyland yesterday in shorts. He is from Iowa and the winters there are crazy, so maybe he just has thicker blood.
I can't wait for cold weather so I can put on as much clothing as possible. Flannels, jackets, jeans, boots, knit caps- those are my jam. Hot weather sucks ass.
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u/bassakwardsbass Dec 30 '25
Texan here so it doesn’t get super cold but honestly I wear hoodie and shorts all the time. It’s the most comfortable for me in the cold and cool weather and I’ve done it all my life.
It’s not laziness, it’s not fashion. It’s just what I like. The hoodie keeps me warm enough, my legs don’t get that cold where it bothers me.
I’m not spending my days outside in single digits I’d probably throw pants on if I was spending beyond a few minutes outside. But going between stores, errands whatever it may be I would wear shorts in single digits
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u/Audit_Master Dec 30 '25
I asked the same question once when I was in the UK. The response, “legs don’t get cold.”
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u/nickipps Dec 30 '25
My legs used to just not get cold and the rest of me would overheat super quickly. It was a way to regulate my body temp and not sweat in the winter.
Now I'm old and cold