I’m not built to wear short shorts. I never have been. In fact, even when I was in high school and at my thinnest weight, my thick thighs prohibited me from certain clothing styles.
But it wasn’t uncommon for friends and classmates to sport short shorts. So it surprised me to see just how upset Target’s selection of shorts recently made one mom – so upset, in fact, that she took to social media to post about it.
In the Facebook post on Assignment: Mom, this woman expressed her frustration with Target over their athletic shorts options, claiming they are too short for her 10-year-old daughter to wear to basketball camp – and wondering where have all the long shorts gone?
“I get that shorts are, by definition, short. But where are the mid-length shorts? The approaching-knee-length shorts? The shorts that don’t require built-in underwear she’d undoubtedly find uncomfortable?” mom asked.
But there are other options, including athletic capri pants and leggings. They’re even visible in pic she posted, hanging right by the offending shorts. Apparently her daughter doesn’t like leggings, so those aren’t an option for her – but they are an option for every other tween or teen girl.
Of course, mom’s rant continues – but she really hits a nerve with me now.
“I don’t fancy myself a prude, but neither do I take the responsibility to teach my daughters about modesty and appropriate dress lightly,” mom said. “We live in a culture sexualized enough as it is; I wish I could go shopping for my tween and not have to worry about her backside or her underwear showing in a pair of athletic shorts.”
It seems to me that you’re sexualizing your own daughter, mom. She’s not going be wearing these shorts with 5-inch hooker heels while she dangles from a stripper pole. She’s wearing them to basketball camp with a bunch of other girls who are likely wearing the same exact shorts.
Just when I though this rant couldn’t get any more annoying, I started to read all the comments agreeing with mom. Lisa Storinger Karr’s comment takes the cake, though. “I have raised and am still raising three daughters too. Ages 22, 19 and 17. They do not like to wear their shorts that short, either. I raised my girls to be ladies, not sluts. Thank you for this post!” she wrote.
Really? Just because a girl chooses to wear short shorts doesn’t mean she’s a slut. And just because a young woman opts to wear knee-length shorts doesn’t mean she’s a prude. Why do we feel the need to let our clothes define our character?
These shorts are no different from the shorts places like Target sold when I was a tween and teen. I think this generation of mom needs to lighten up a bit.
What do you think of the shorts options for tween and teen girls? Do you agree with this mom that they are too limited or does she just need to relax? Tell us in comments.
