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Original poster

Skorts - Unisex or Girls Only

59 replies

DoggyBird · 11/04/2026 20:09

Skorts for kids - some suppliers (like Canterbury) say they are unisex - other suppliers (like Slazenger) say that they are exclusively for girls. Any opinions on this? I say they should be unisex.

OP posts:
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Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 14/04/2026 04:39

Girls

BreakingBroken · 14/04/2026 03:39

Skorts and skits are feminine.

ScaredOfFlying · 14/04/2026 03:12

Rather than get boys wearing skorts surely the best approach is for everyone just to wear shorts, which are unisex anyway?

JMSA · 14/04/2026 02:42

They’re for girls.

angelikacpickles · 13/04/2026 23:05

DoggyBird · 12/04/2026 19:42

Just a couple of points. I'm not talking about skirts - we are a long way from those being universally accepted as anything other than for girls. But a skort is a hybrid - it has features of both a skirt and shorts and surely it makes the perfect unisex garment. There is only one reason for a boy not wanting to wear a skort and that is because it is at this moment unfashionable to do so. There is nothing intrinsically feminine about a skort.

Second, I am not advocating anyone "puts a boy" in anything. I am advocating for re-categorising the garment itself as unisex, just as jogging bottoms are not a unisex garment, or even jeans can be worn by both genders. Once it is accepted as such, then people can still wear what they like, but those boys who choose a skkort will at least know they are not wearing something made and marketed exclusively for girls.

What you are saying makes no sense though. Most clothes are not intrinsically gendered so anyone can wear them. In practice though, certain items of clothing are generally worn by women and girls and others are worn by men and boys. In that sense, skorts are no more unisex than skirts are - both are usually worn by women and girls but can be worn by men and boys if they wish.

ColdAsAWitches · 12/04/2026 20:16

Skorts are not unisex. They are designed to look like skirts, so they are for girls. There was a big protest in Ireland at camogie players having to wear them. They are uncomfortable and can be difficult to wear with sanitary products. Now that players actually have a choice, less than 5% of players at all ages continue to wear them. Everyone else now wears shorts.

They are definitely not designed with male anatomy in mind. Face it OP, you're on a hiding to nothing with this.

Trampoline · 12/04/2026 20:15

.

Trampoline · 12/04/2026 20:15

DoggyBird · 12/04/2026 19:58

I'm talking about the general principle - can skorts in general be regarded as unisex or are they exclusively for girls? Or are you saying PE skorts are OK for both boys and girls but uniform skorts are only for girls?

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Aren't Skorts designed to look more feminine than shorts? I may get flamed for suggesting this but surely that's where the original idea comes from? I think of tennis or hockey when I think of a skort - but I can't picture Roger Federer wearing one! Canterbury are surely staying PC with their unisex description.
Skorts provide more modesty than shorts - although as i said, not when they barely skim the bum cheeks! Our school has taken them off the uniform list for this very reason.
Shorts, joggers or leggings are allowed. Both boys and girls can wear shorts with or without base layer leggings beneath.

Thatcannotberight · 12/04/2026 20:07

Read the Skorts thread on Craicnet. Even women don't want to wear them.
Skorts for boys seem pointless. I tried to find out if boys DO actually wear them in New Zealand, and it doesn't seem so.

Keroppi · 12/04/2026 20:07

You can say any item of clothing is unisex really but in reality skorts are for girls right now. Of course fashions can change and there may well be a male skort movement but certainly in schools boys would not wear skorts even if it was on the uniform list under the boy section.

user2848502016 · 12/04/2026 20:04

DoggyBird · 12/04/2026 19:42

Just a couple of points. I'm not talking about skirts - we are a long way from those being universally accepted as anything other than for girls. But a skort is a hybrid - it has features of both a skirt and shorts and surely it makes the perfect unisex garment. There is only one reason for a boy not wanting to wear a skort and that is because it is at this moment unfashionable to do so. There is nothing intrinsically feminine about a skort.

Second, I am not advocating anyone "puts a boy" in anything. I am advocating for re-categorising the garment itself as unisex, just as jogging bottoms are not a unisex garment, or even jeans can be worn by both genders. Once it is accepted as such, then people can still wear what they like, but those boys who choose a skkort will at least know they are not wearing something made and marketed exclusively for girls.

You seem very over invested in this, do you own a skort manufacturing company?

Joggers and jeans are unisex, skorts are just not

But how about just leaving it at if a boy wants to wear a skort or even a skirt that’s fine?

Tryagain26 · 12/04/2026 20:02

DoggyBird · 12/04/2026 19:48

Look again at the examples I mentioned - one example was Canterbury brand junior skorts which are shown as unisex. I emailed them and they confirmed they are designed to be unisex.

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It says unisex but all the photos are if women or girls wearing them and the fuller description talks about women's sport .
Wouldn't most boys just prefer to wear shorts. What would be the advantage in them wearing them?

Original poster
DoggyBird · 12/04/2026 19:58

OneTimeThingToday · 12/04/2026 19:53

You are conflating PE kit with uniform.

Plus... those style of skort are extremely tight at the front.

I'm talking about the general principle - can skorts in general be regarded as unisex or are they exclusively for girls? Or are you saying PE skorts are OK for both boys and girls but uniform skorts are only for girls?

OP posts:
SweepLovesSoo · 12/04/2026 19:58

DoggyBird · 12/04/2026 19:48

Look again at the examples I mentioned - one example was Canterbury brand junior skorts which are shown as unisex. I emailed them and they confirmed they are designed to be unisex.

Show quote history

Maybe they are trying to widen the client base as they have absolutely loads of skorts that nobody wants to buy.

I don’t know what else they could say. They can hardly say it’s forbidden for boys to wear them.

Tryagain26 · 12/04/2026 19:53

Meredusoleil · 12/04/2026 18:24

What do we think about boys wearing cardigans?

Nothing wrong with that. Many men wear cardigans. I don't know any who wear skorts

OneTimeThingToday · 12/04/2026 19:53

You are conflating PE kit with uniform.

Plus... those style of skort are extremely tight at the front.

Original poster
DoggyBird · 12/04/2026 19:48

Tryagain26 · 12/04/2026 19:45

They are designed for girls. If boys want to wear them they can but it's the same as wearing a skirt

Look again at the examples I mentioned - one example was Canterbury brand junior skorts which are shown as unisex. I emailed them and they confirmed they are designed to be unisex.

OP posts:
Tryagain26 · 12/04/2026 19:45

They are designed for girls. If boys want to wear them they can but it's the same as wearing a skirt

Original poster
DoggyBird · 12/04/2026 19:42

Just a couple of points. I'm not talking about skirts - we are a long way from those being universally accepted as anything other than for girls. But a skort is a hybrid - it has features of both a skirt and shorts and surely it makes the perfect unisex garment. There is only one reason for a boy not wanting to wear a skort and that is because it is at this moment unfashionable to do so. There is nothing intrinsically feminine about a skort.

Second, I am not advocating anyone "puts a boy" in anything. I am advocating for re-categorising the garment itself as unisex, just as jogging bottoms are not a unisex garment, or even jeans can be worn by both genders. Once it is accepted as such, then people can still wear what they like, but those boys who choose a skkort will at least know they are not wearing something made and marketed exclusively for girls.

OP posts:
BauhausOfEliott · 12/04/2026 19:28

bridgetreilly · 12/04/2026 18:34

Equity is what you want, not equality. It’s not fair to treat everyone identically, because people are not identical. It’s fair to treat everyone well, in this case, by giving girls all the options available to adult women, and boys all the options available to adult men.

But adult can wear what they want, including skirts, dresses, skorts and anything else they choose. There’s not law against a man wearing a dress just like there’s no law against women wearing trousers. Therefore by your argument a boy should be allowed to wear what they want, just like an adult man can.

Thatcannotberight · 12/04/2026 19:21

Anyone can wear smart city shorts at my son's Secondary school, a few boys do. I was a bit surprised that DS didn't want to as he's gone through Infants and Juniors in shorts all year round, through choice. 🤣

drspouse · 12/04/2026 19:17

Bjorkdidit · 12/04/2026 18:27

How is this possible? Surely as his mother she would have seen otherwise?

If there are boys who want to wear skorts then there's no reason why they shouldn't. I saw a male shop assistant wearing a long skort in Uniqlo a couple of weeks ago.

Its good to see that boys can wear shorts because often girls can wear dresses, skirts or trousers but boys only have the option of trousers. These are too hot in summer and on occasion, groups of boys have worn skirts to highlight the unfairness.

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She was told by idiots online that because her son wanted to wear pink he must be a girl.

bridgetreilly · 12/04/2026 18:34

Equity is what you want, not equality. It’s not fair to treat everyone identically, because people are not identical. It’s fair to treat everyone well, in this case, by giving girls all the options available to adult women, and boys all the options available to adult men.

Bjorkdidit · 12/04/2026 18:27

drspouse · 11/04/2026 20:57

There is a boy who was in my DS year at primary school whose mother thought he was a girl. I wasn't sure if they had given up on this notion when he left primary but when I found a request from this mum in a school uniform group for a skort I knew they hadn't.

How is this possible? Surely as his mother she would have seen otherwise?

If there are boys who want to wear skorts then there's no reason why they shouldn't. I saw a male shop assistant wearing a long skort in Uniqlo a couple of weeks ago.

Its good to see that boys can wear shorts because often girls can wear dresses, skirts or trousers but boys only have the option of trousers. These are too hot in summer and on occasion, groups of boys have worn skirts to highlight the unfairness.

helpfulperson · 12/04/2026 18:27

The men in Star trek wear skorts. There would be a lot less 'trans issues' if we stopped gendering clothes. High heels used to be for men.