On August 8, 1976, the Chicago White Sox committed a major baseball fashion faux pas when they walked out onto the field wearing shorts instead of the traditional baseball pants. It was the first game of a doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals and the surprise fashion change prompted much audience laughter and a taunt by Kansas City’s John Mayberry, stating “You guys are the sweetest team we’ve seen yet.”

Bill Veeck had just regained ownership of the White Sox on December 10, 1975, a time when the team wasn’t performing well and had lost some of its fan base. In a misjudged attempt to make the White Sox more exciting and appealing, Veeck dreamed up the shorts gimmick. Unfortunately, the shorts did nothing for the team, who lost that Kansas City game and ended the season with a miserable 64-97 record, one of the worst in their history.

Fortunately for one of the most-loved warm-weather fashion choices, the history of shorts has not been so bumpy. In the United States, beginning in the 19th century and continuing into the beginning of the 20th, shorts were worn mostly by young boys until they reached maturity, when they would begin to wear pants. However, during World War II, American men began to wear shorts to combat the unaccustomed heat of the tropical locations in which they were stationed. Slowly, it has become appropriate and accepted for women to wear shorts, as well, though shorts have remained strictly suitable for informal environments.

In other countries, shorts’ popularity greatly depends on culture. In the Middle East and Africa, for example, boys may wear shorts, but it is very uncommon (and in certain countries illegal) for girls to do so. In other countries where the use of shorts is not prohibited, the choice is all about style, and both women and men use their best judgement in choosing what to wear.