shorts

Shorts are a garment covering the lower body, extending from the waist to somewhere between the upper thigh and just above the knee. Parameters: (1) cut-off point is above the knee — this is what distinguishes shorts from longer lower-body garments; (2) they are split between the legs (unlike a skirt); (3) they persist through textile manufacturing and fashion convention — the pattern of a two-legged, knee-above cut is reproduced by tailors and manufacturers and taught as a standard clothing type. Shorts are human-made because the specific length and split construction are cultural design choices, not natural necessities; the same body can be covered differently (long pants, a skirt) without functional penalty. [formal: brevia | substrate: matter | horizon: seasons | explicit: yes | epoch: 0.01]