# Men's Tennis shorts. What Happened?



## tintin (Nov 19, 2004)

After 10 or so years, I've returned to Tennis. A lot has changed. My question: What the heck happened to the shorts. I refuse to wear the basketball shorts being sold as tennis shorts. Anyone have a source for the short shorts of old?


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## chadn2000 (Aug 4, 2006)

I wholeheartedly agree and wonder exactly the same. Tennis apparel companies need to get back to making Bjorn Borg-like gear. Polo's got some decent stuff...have a look:

https://www.ralphlauren.com/product...h=false&hasPagination=false&parentPage=family


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## lostinaustin (Jul 27, 2005)

The style these days is towards longer shorts. You can find some shorts in the 6" to 7" range, which is what I wear. If you're looking for the Bjorn Borg era tighties, you may have to resort to ebay. (Exception: see the Fila shorts below)

The fabrics are almost all poly blends now. This doesn't bother me that much. My old white cotton tennis shorts become soaked through and somewhat translucent during match play. Sadly, however, most of these poly shorts are made with a basketball shorts fabric. A few, classic, models have more of a cotton-like feel.

Here's a classic Fila short that might work for you:
https://www.tennis-apparel.com/products/102425-02

A few others:
https://www.midwestsports.com/adidas-mens-essex-short/p/Q406EssexShort/
https://www.tennis-apparel.com/products/101273-02

If you're looking for hardcore trad, you might consider:
https://www.grasscourt.com/bin/store.cgi?category=slacks


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## Benjamin.65 (Nov 1, 2006)

tintin said:


> My question: What the heck happened to the shorts.


Mate, one might as well ask what the heck happened to the sport itself. Answer that, and the shorts question will follow.

Cheers,

Ben


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## tripreed (Dec 8, 2005)

I got a pair of the for playing squash. When I got them, they were heavier than I expected, but I've been pretty pleased with them. I don't think there is much chance of sweating through them so that they would become translucent. The only problem I could forsee with using them as tennis shorts is that I found the pockets to be kind of small, so I'm not sure if how comfortably you could fit a tennis ball in there.


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## Tom Buchanan (Nov 7, 2005)

tintin,

I have to say that I am very glad to see the short-shorts go out of fashion. Can anyone look at the old pictures of Bjorn Borg and not get a bit of a chuckle?

I do agree that some more tailored shorts would be better than the basketball style generally sold. Some of the addidas and other brands linked above look good to me.


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## chadn2000 (Aug 4, 2006)

I'm not glad to see them go. Short shorts are as cool as it gets, in my opinion. Even when I buy khaki shorts today, I'll go get them tailored because I can't stand 9"ers. Even 7's pushing it.


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## Untilted (Mar 30, 2006)

5.5 inches for me.


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## Tucker (Apr 17, 2006)

Untilted said:


> 5.5 inches for me.


TMI!!!


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## Untilted (Mar 30, 2006)

well, 5.5 inches for me is like 7-8 inches for you. I'm short. Not scary at all.


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## chadn2000 (Aug 4, 2006)

I'm 6'1" and prefer at most 6 inches on my shorts. Gotta show off the Greek statuesque legs somehow.


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## GMC (Nov 8, 2006)

*So many things were better in the olden days*

But short-short shorts were not one of them. I don't care how functional or appropriate to the sport they are: Shorts of less than 6 inches in length -- much less 9 inches -- will never reside upon my person.

Shorts that close and that tight. And being out in public in them? Just ... no, no, no ...


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## Mike Petrik (Jul 5, 2005)

I'm with GMC. Short-shorts on a man? Ugh! Double ugh!! Young boys and girls -- ok I suppose. Same with old women. Young women -- huzzah! Grown men -- no way.


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## Thomas (Jan 30, 2006)

Just buy any shorts and have them altered to your desired length. The alteration shop is always the first place I head after buying a new pair. 

I’m 5’11” and usually have them taken up to a 5” inseam


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## tintin (Nov 19, 2004)

Benjamin.65 said:


> Mate, one might as well ask what the heck happened to the sport itself. Answer that, and the shorts question will follow.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Ben


Cheers, big ears.

I went into a golf/tennis outlet in Orlando and all they had was golf stuff. Manager told me no one ever came in looking for tennis stuff. Anyway, thanks to you guys for the great leads. I guess I look like Grandpa when I play in Boast shorts and a Fred Perry shirt.


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## chadn2000 (Aug 4, 2006)

tintin said:


> I guess I look like Grandpa when I play in Boast shorts and a Fred Perry shirt.


What in the world is that Boast symbol anyways. I couldn't tell. Looked like a marijuana leaf.


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## Tucker (Apr 17, 2006)

cenelson43 said:


> What in the world is that Boast symbol anyways. I couldn't tell. Looked like a marijuana leaf.


Japanese maple leaf.

I recall wearing Boast tennis shirts in high school. The stoners always had a good laugh at my expense.


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## Ron_A (Jun 5, 2007)

cenelson43 said:


> What in the world is that Boast symbol anyways. I couldn't tell. Looked like a marijuana leaf.


I, too, always thought that it was a cannabis leaf (back in an era -- the late 70s and early 80s -- when this sort of an emblem would have been condoned, if not openly embraced by certain members of the pot subculture).

As one can observe by watching Wimbledon, the current tennis players generally dress like a bunch of slobs. Rafael Nadal looks like he jumped off a pirate ship, and Federer, arguably the most conservative of the bunch, sports long hair and the bandana. It doesn't seem like it was that long ago that everyone, other than Agassi and a few obscure players, looked pretty generic (e.g., Pete Sampras and Michael Chang).


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## chadn2000 (Aug 4, 2006)

Ron_A said:


> Rafael Nadal looks like he jumped off a pirate ship


Hilarious! I couldn't describe him better...


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## jackmccullough (May 10, 2006)

Benjamin.65 said:


> Mate, one might as well ask what the heck happened to the sport itself. Answer that, and the shorts question will follow.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Ben


Yup. They should never have let them hit backhands with two hands.


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## FLMike (Sep 17, 2008)

jackmccullough said:


> Yup. They should never have let them hit backhands with two hands.


Really. Zombify a 12 year old thread?! An "Honors Member" should know better, right?


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## Oldsport (Jan 3, 2012)

Better yet, I’d like to know what’s wrong with modern tennis??


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## Captain America (Aug 28, 2012)

I'm an active tennis player and I use basic shorts from Wal-Mart. Of course, I'm in a small town with not many options. I used to use swim trunks, since they have a shorter cut and did well with perspiration in the summertime.


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## MikeF (Feb 26, 2010)

Captain America said:


> I'm an active tennis player and I use basic shorts from Wal-Mart. Of course, I'm in a small town with not many options. I used to use swim trunks, since they have a shorter cut and did well with perspiration in the summertime.


I use shorts and shirts from Wal-Mart too, mainly because they are cheap. Anyone who tries to play even semi-seriously wearing cotton needs to switch to wicking synthetics. Traditional cotton clothes and shoes like Stan Smiths have no place on the court now.


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## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

Technology moves on, after all.

Can you imagine cycling in the leather helmets of the '50's? Don't value one's brain much, maybe?

_shudders visibly_


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## jackmccullough (May 10, 2006)

Oldsarge said:


> Technology moves on, after all.
> 
> Can you imagine cycling in the leather helmets of the '50's? Don't value one's brain much, maybe?
> 
> _shudders visibly_


Fair enough, but I still keep an eye open for a Molteni jacket that will fit me.


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## richard warren (Dec 10, 2015)

MikeF said:


> I use shorts and shirts from Wal-Mart too, mainly because they are cheap. Anyone who tries to play even semi-seriously wearing cotton needs to switch to wicking synthetics. Traditional cotton clothes and shoes like Stan Smiths have no place on the court now.


On. Guess I better quit, then.


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## MikeF (Feb 26, 2010)

richard warren said:


> On. Guess I better quit, then.


Not trying to be snarky at all but, yeah you probably should. It's not that cotton and Stans are terrible, it's that the new clothes and shoes are so much better. Wooden rackets are not coming back.


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## Dhaller (Jan 20, 2008)

Lululemon has white, 5" tennis shorts, but in a more modern, sport-friendly material.

Are rare case of "why not both"?

DH


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## Oldsport (Jan 3, 2012)

Dhaller said:


> Lululemon has white, 5" tennis shorts, but in a more modern, sport-friendly material.
> 
> Are rare case of "why not both"?
> 
> DH


No, just no.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

Paraphrasing the late, great General George Patton, "Only a two bit pimp in a New Orleans Whore House would wear a pair of flower covered tennis shorts to a public court." LOL.


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## At Law (Apr 15, 2008)

George Patton was a fine gentleman and an even finer tennis player.


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## Kennedy Jr. Jr. (May 31, 2018)

At Law said:


> George Patton was a fine gentleman


Debatable.


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## smmrfld (May 22, 2007)

Kennedy Jr. Jr. said:


> Debatable.


Not debatable. Simply untrue. Laughable, in fact.


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## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

George Patton's inability to relate to the soldiers under his command was inexcusable. He treated them as rounds of ammunition. Mark Clark was equally culpable. Neither of them held a candle to either Eisenhower or Bradley.


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## 89826 (Jun 22, 2016)

Oldsport said:


> Better yet, I'd like to know what's wrong with modern tennis??


Not much except the lack of serve-and-volley play.


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## At Law (Apr 15, 2008)

89826 said:


> Not much except the lack of serve-and-volley play.


I am a pretty avid tennis player. It is a great sport and an excellent workout.

I think professional tennis went downhill when Andre Agassi revealed that he was actually a little unattractive bald man and was wearing a wig for many years.
In fact, Brooke Shields divorced him because she didn't know this when they married.


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## FLMike (Sep 17, 2008)

At Law said:


> I am a pretty avid tennis player. It is a great sport and an excellent workout.
> 
> I think professional tennis went downhill when Andre Agassi revealed that he was actually a little unattractive bald man and was wearing a wig for many years.
> In fact, Brooke Shields divorced him because she didn't know this when they married.


Man, it must be hard being so perfect.


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