Girls and boys shorts? Why are girls short short?

[sweetkitty]

I have 3 DDs, one almost 16, one 14 and one almost 12. Every year when I go to buy shorts the girls ones are always short or thigh length and the boys knee length.

The older one is happy to wear shorts up her bum lol but the other two won’t. It’s easier now DD2 is woman sized she can wear longer shorts for women. The 12yo is skinny and tiny so even a size 6 would drown her. She hates the really short shorts and the shortie PJs. So the only option is boys ones, denim might be ok.

So AIBU that young girls shorts are up their thighs/bums yet boys are knee length? Smacks of sexism to me?

And girls tshirts tend to be shorter and tighter than boys' ones the same size!

My daughter is 12 and hates how short girls shorts are. Her 8 year old brother has knee length shorts in nice sort fabric and the girls equivalent are micro shorts in comparison.

I hate this as well. My dd has longer ones from converse.

Another difference that makes my blood boil, is vests. Why do girls vests have a bow on the neckline and boys ones don't? There is no answer to this question which isn't quite load of sexist shite.

Thanks for the recommendations I’ll have a look. DD2 has always preferred boys or unisex clothes so she’s quite happy in boys shorts and even at 14 she’s tiny so I just get her teen boy’s shorts.

It’s so difficult getting DD3 clothes she likes, she hates leggings, jeans and skirts! Wants to live in jogging bottoms and T-shirt’s/shorts. Hates cropped tops (how many girls T-shirt’s are cropped??) or anything right or fitted. She says “Mum I don’t like clothes that show off your body I want plain clothes!”

She’s almost 12yo, 5foot tall and just over 5 stone, all legs.

As a middle aged woman I don’t want shorts up my bum, I’ve found M&S good for shorts.

This is just one reason I tend to buy boys clothes for my 12 year old DD. Especially jeans, shorts and Pjs and T-shirt’s.
H&M boys clothes still fit her but she’s grown out of the girl sizes.

I got my DD shorts while in the US from a shop called carter's on holiday last year. Much longer and more practical.

I get my 8yr old DD & 7yr old DS shorts in H&M boys section, they're nigh on the same size so I grab a few denim ones and a few jersey/jogger material pairs in different colours & they share. DD is not a 'girly' girl anyways and prefers shopping in the boys section for clothes

Same here - I always buy shorts from the boys section for the DDs. It's infuriating. And yes I have the same problem buying shorts for myself - I want ones down to the knee! Jut ordered some nice "boys" ones from John Lewis for the kids.

Oh I hear you. They’re barely bigger than a pair of knickers.

This drives me up the wall too. DD is happy to wear boys ones unless she thinks there's a chance she'll see a group of particular girls from school as she knows they'll tease her for wearing boys clothes.
Boden have started to really annoy me as they have a few styles which could easily be marketed as unisex but are all in the boys section.

There's these in H&M. m2.hm.com/m/en_gb/productpage.0838753001.html
They may still be tight though.

I was in looking for some the other night. DD1 doesn't mind short shorts, but she's 10 and will be up a tree flashing her arse

I thought teens were into that that (bad!) showing the bottom of arse cheek look

My teen daughter certainly isn't. Slight generalisation @Rosehip10

I noticed this with the shorts my twins were bought just before Christmas, DS’s shorts, just above the knee, DD’s shorts - show off her bum - they’re only 2yo and DD’s shorts are “short shorts” . At least for now she can borrow her brothers spare pairs.

DD (8) asks for boys shorts, longer, softer material, brighter colours. Easy pull on.

Fatface had some excellent ones.

Yanbu. I buy all of DD age 11 shorts in the boys department. I don't tell her they're boys. The girl shorts are up their bum, the cycle short trend is not to bad.
Same with track bottoms it is hard to get joggers, they are all tights.
I shop plain boys.

I've always brought my toddler girl shorts from the boys section. Its ridiculous how the girls seem so short yet boys ones are longer, baggie and so much better for play

@Rosehip10 I have 2 teens and one almost teen only one does the showing off her arse thing. Her poor father doesn’t know where to look sometimes when she has short PJs on. But if your almost 16 and 7 stone you can almost get away with it, unlike me lol

I noticed H&M often coordinate lovely girl top colours that match up to boys shorts. Khaki boy shorts with the khaki flower top go great together.

The selection of girls shorts has always irritated me too. When we are going on holiday and I look for shorts for them all there is is tiny impractical shorts with no pockets or those useless pockets that you can’t actually keep anything in.

Oh I hate it! I try to go for the peddle pusher type leggings for DD

Related gripe - girls clothes are always thin and flimsy. Boys get thick joggers and jumpers and girls get thin leggings and sleeveless tops. All my friends who had boys first then girls are like “how the hell are you supposed to keep them warm in winter and then stop their shoulda burning in summer?”

So girls are supposed to be cold as well as sexy. Grim

I had 3 boys before my dd and have to buy her a lot of boys stuff because girls stuff is too focused on pretty rather than comfy. The difference on age 3 boys and girls pants, tee shirts and shorts is mind blowing.

Same issue here - boys ones only work if they fit (so before puberty and hips) and won’t lead to teasing (hard for me to know, but dd has definitive views).

Uniqlo has some good ones this year, which are practical and fairly long and come with colour and pattern options some of which are unisex (though note the girls shorts are mid thigh compared to the identically named boys style which is knee length).

Dd loves short shorts but i prefer her to have longer alternatives so buy her shirts from the boys section sometimes

Yes to this! Cut really high. My daughter has long skinny legs but a little waist so I have to size down sometimes which makes them even shorter. She wears lots of cycling shorts and 3/4 cropped leggings

Yes x 1000! I bought my DSD 'boys' shorts last summer because I couldn't find a pair of denim shorts that didn't look like hotpants. She was only 7