Figure 1.--Camp shorts were one of the styles of short pants that American boys wore to school. As this boy is not wearing tube socks and the shorts are not real long, we would guess that the photograph was taken in the early 1990s. Blue was a popular choice.

Camp shorts were not just worn for play, but also were worn to school. Primary-age boys commonly wore them to school. Some primary school boys did wear short pants to school in the 1960s, but this varied by region. I think that many mothers, especially in the 1960s, did not hink cut-offs appropriate for school. Camp shorts seem appropriate formal to mothers and approprately informal to boys. This was even more common in the 1970s and 80s. Camp shorts were one of the styles of shorts chosem. They were odten paired with tube socks. Ankle socks became more common in the 1990s.

Created: 12:34 AM 12/14/2004
Last updated: 12:49 AM 12/14/2004