Can we have a Mumsnet campaign about girls’ shorts?

[DazzlePaintedBattlePants]

I am So. Fed. Up. of trying to find girls’ shorts that do more than cover their arse cheeks (okay, I’m exaggerating here, but not by much). I don’t want to pay £40 on some North London mummy designer shorts hand sewn by nuns, I just want to order from M&S, or H&M or any high street shop some shorts that are a decent length. And yes, I could just buy some from the boys’ section (and I have done) but why can’t I get bright colours and nice prints in the boys’ section?

Perhaps I should have put this in AIBU.

Alternatively- do you have any recommendations for high street shops with decent length shorts for girls?

I generally buy shorts and joggers from the boys section. I've bought cotton chino shorts from girls section of H&M with a designed turn-up on the leg and just unpicked the turnup to improve length.
Hate all the 'hot-pants' being marketed for young girls. It's a bit sick

I would very much be on board with this campaign. Can we also try to get girls' underwear that's not going to disappear into places it oughtn't go if they move too much? And tops that aren't so much tighter and higher cut than boys' equivalents?

And bloody sewn shut pockets- my two year old should be able to put things in her pockets, it doesn't matter if it would make her hips look big.

For PP who are asking why is this an issue, my 12yo dd wants a) pockets (which you don’t get in tight fitting styles) b) to not stick to chairs in hot weather and c) to not have to sun cream her whole legs. She also doesn’t like the look of tight, short shorts. And she knows that they might well attract unwanted attention on public transport (shouldn’t happen, but it does). And she can’t wear boys ones, she’s got hips and they aren’t comfy unless they’re too big on the waist. She’s still too small for women’s sizes, so it’s quite limiting.

But so what if our children of either sex are in shorts "not covering their bums"? They are children 🙄 What does it matter?

Ever watched the NSPCC pantosaurus song?
'What's in your pants belongs only to you, your pants cover up your private parts...'

Bums are a part of the body that we teach kids are private. It's understandable that girls may therefore be uncomfortable showing it. And they shouldn't have to, just because they're girls and their comfort doesn't matter as long as they're aesthetically pleasing. I think it's a mixture of it being cheaper to produce clothing using less fabric and wanting to appeal to paedophiles.

They're kids and their clothes should be practical and well-made, not revealing and skimpy.

Skimpy shorts are impractical for active kids.

Mountain warehouse ones are good

I totally agree with what @HamFisted said. Do you have daughters @Sunbelievable? Would you want to ride a bike or go climbing on climbing frame with your bum hanging out? My 9 year old would be incredibly embarrassed if I bought her shorts which showed her bum and she would not be comfortable at all. Children in the 70s may have worn them, but that doesn't make it ok now.

But you can't see their bum! 🤷🏻‍♀️

Let me post that link again:

go.mumsnet.com/?xs=1&id=470X1554755&url=www2.hm.com/en_gb/productpage.0922713003.html

The girl's bum is NOT "hanging out" (what a terrible expression) and is not on show 🤷🏻‍♀️ These are shorts that cover the bum and even with a hypothetical climbing harness, you'd not glimpse a bum cheek.

I agree with @Sunbelievable. Those girls shorts are perfectly respectable for little girls! Nice a cool in summer, lovely colours and cover all that needs to be covered, they are hardly hot pants.

Same OP. I've bought DD's shorts from Mountain Warehouse for the past few years. These ones: www.mountainwarehouse.com/shore-kids-shorts-p12351.aspx/Dark%20Purple/?utm_source=google_shopping&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=GB+Whoop+-+All+Products+-+Mobile+-+SHOPPING+UK&utm_term=&utm_content=s|pcrid|249794115832|pkw||pmt||pdv|m|slid||product|022666021008|&gclid=CjwKCAjwgZuDBhBTEiwAXNofRGCNnu5ZHoY-Z-yimHjNHWznPgDWPDIOjEPov6MozTTZaRuj5naSehoCz_4QAvD_BwE

I also really dislike the change in style now that she's in age 9-10 clothes. I used to be able to buy her really lovely clothes from TU. Now I'm buying her clothes from more expensive places because the TU range for girls over 7 are so incredibly tacky. Slogans, leopard print, crop tops. Yuck.

@Buttybach thanks for that link. I sew for my girls and those look like what I want.

I’m another one who buys from the boys’ section (not always, sometimes they want to wear short shorts). Boden have cheerful colours and adjustable waists in their boys’ chino shorts.

Why are you all buying shorts? Have you been outside? It’s freezing!

@blowdryrat - I was going to say exactly the same as you. I am so fed up of trying to find nice clothes for my 10 year old DD. There is such a huge difference between the styles on offer since she has moved into the next age group and Tu are one of the worst offenders. I used to find lots of nice stuff for her there, but it's now so tacky. My daughter is not girly, doesn't want crop tops or slogans, she just wants comfy, normal clothes. Even girls hoodies are cut differently from boys and are just not as comfortable.

@Sunbelievable

But you can't see their bum! 🤷🏻‍♀️

Let me post that link again:

<a class="break-all" href="http://go.mumsnet.com/?xs=1&id=470X1554755&url=www2.hm.com/en_gb/productpage.0922713003.html" target="_blank">go.mumsnet.com/?xs=1&id=470X1554755&url=www2.hm.com/en_gb/productpage.0922713003.html

The girl's bum is NOT "hanging out" (what a terrible expression) and is not on show 🤷🏻‍♀️ These are shorts that cover the bum and even with a hypothetical climbing harness, you'd not glimpse a bum cheek.

We were replying to the quoted poster who said it wouldn't matter if their bums were on show. Blatantly it would.

I happen to agree with you that the shorts linked aren't indecent and wore similar as a kid (not that there was much choice IIRC). However, girls should be able to purchase shorts of a variety of lengths- tiny shorts are not the most practical of items.

I have two girls but struggle to understand the issue here.
I think we are projecting our own discomfort on to kids. There is nothing inappropriate about a girl or boy with shorter shorts - they are kids!

To the posters protesting there is nothing wrong with the shorts the OP linked - I agree there isn’t, but what people are saying is they want to have girls options, in shorts and other clothes, that offer the same coverage, quality, looseness and pocket options as boys’ clothes - but with some colours and patterns girls might find fun. In an era when girls are being sexualised younger this is important and it is also often what tween and early teen girls want.

To the PP commenting that boys wore short shorts in the 70s - yes both boys and girls did - that’s the point, back then (an era when there was a real movement to not gender stereotype children) kids casual clothes were pretty gender neutral, whereas now they are not.

@HamFisted that was also me. My girl does triathlons and I was actually thinking of her when I said "what does it matter".

DD mostly wears a tight swimming costume to do all the parts to the race (running and swimming, sometimes shooting) if it's summer. Occasionally that's a hot pant style one, but sometimes just an ordinary looking swim suit. She's a child, doing a very physical activity and it's not holding her back. Knee length baggy shorts however, would 🤔 and the boys don't wear baggy long shorts either.

I really have not seen child's shorts that would be an issue. Older Teen's sure, following celebrity fashion, but I'd defend the right of an older teen to wear whatever they like, and do with my teen.

I don't know why a variety of shorts lengths are not easily available for both girls and boys, but I don't think a campaign is necessary for this.

I think the issue is that there should be choice. I said upthread that my DD, who is 11, wears the H&M jersey shorts. They are short but they in no way show her bum. She was actually wearing a pair this week when it was hot that are a size too small as I dug them out from last summer. I was just looking at a photo that I took of her that day from behind and they fall well below her bottom. She has longer shorts but doesn't like to wear them - she prefers this style as she finds it comfortable, to the extent that I just had to order several more pairs in her new size. She is at the age now where she likes to have a bit more say over what clothes she wears.

However, some children/parents may find other shorts of different lengths/materials preferable so I agree that there should be a wider choice in the shops. Maybe some boys would be more comfortable in shorter shorts that are difficult to find.

On the same day my DD was in her jersey shorts, I saw three teen girls wearing denim hot pants that most definitely had their bum cheeks hanging out and were clearly designed to do so. I'm sure I'll be horrified if my DD ever goes out in those but I guess there comes an age when parents have no say in the matter.

The shorts that @Sunbelievable just linked are fine, but once you get into the next age range shorts become harder to in a similar price range.

It's not about me projecting thoughts on my own body image onto my DDs, I'm fine with my own body! But my eldest DD is at an age where I can teach her that her body is for her own eyes only and to have some respect for herself by not wearing shorts where the bottom of her bum cheeks are on show if she's riding her bike or climbing. If I buy her clothes like this then it's saying that it's ok to show her bottom to people. I wouldn't want to stand out in the street while she's playing out in revealing shorts, so why should she

I went shopping in Tu for shorts for my 4 year old ds yesterday and found this exact problem actually. Sensible style shorts in boring colours in the boys section, or short shorts with slits cut right up the sides but in nice patterns in the girls section, and absolutely nothing in between. Why can't there just be a range of different clothes? Longer cut, thicker, plainer styled shorts (as in without pompoms or slits etc) but in bright colours or fun patterns for girls who want more coverage and boys who like feminine designs? I can't personally afford to shop at places like frugi, tbh I can barely afford Tu, so it'd be great if the supermarkets could be a bit more inclusive and not so rigid in the gendering of their items.

Maybe we just need to stop gendering clothes and make clothing in a range of styles, patterns and fabrics? Lump them all together in the, 'shorts' subsection of the 'children's' section?

That what they do on the Mountain Warehouse website @HamFisted

I just buy shorts from the boys section for my daughter and often end up buying sparkly shoes from the girls section for my sons. I am sick of the gendering of kids clothing. It is reinforcing outdated gender stereotypes and isn't helpful for anyone.

@NotOnMute

For PP who are asking why is this an issue, my 12yo dd wants a) pockets (which you don’t get in tight fitting styles) b) to not stick to chairs in hot weather and c) to not have to sun cream her whole legs. She also doesn’t like the look of tight, short shorts. And she knows that they might well attract unwanted attention on public transport (shouldn’t happen, but it does). And she can’t wear boys ones, she’s got hips and they aren’t comfy unless they’re too big on the waist. She’s still too small for women’s sizes, so it’s quite limiting.

I'm not asking why this is an issue. I'm saying it's not an issue. I have never had a problem buying girls' shorts that are not too short or tight.

I buy my daughters longer length denim shorts from H&M. Literally never had an issue finding longer shorts although admittedly they’re denim.