Short shorts, as their name implies, are shorter than average. Such garments had been known since the 1930s when female Hollywood stars wore them for publicity photographs, and in New York City, a by-law (repealed 1942) was passed banning women from wearing them. They were principally worn for sports and active purposes, such as cycling.

Shorts that terminated at the upper thigh became increasingly popular as informal leisurewear and sporting attire throughout the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s for both men and women.

In the early 1970s short shorts began to be made in fashion fabrics, in which form they became known as hotpants, a term popularized by Women’s Wear Daily. The terms hotpants and short shorts have since become interchangeable.

In the 1980s, men and women wore shorts that by today’s standard would appear uncomfortably short. Even though women still wear short shorts today, it was really the men that wore short shorts in the 1980s that make it an ’80s fashion style many would soon love to leave in the past.

Take a look at these vintage photos to see people wearing short shorts in the 1970s and 1980s.