What is the lowest temperature suitable for wearing shorts outside?

Poll Question: What is the lowest temperature (In Fahrenheight) that you consider warm enough to wear shorts outside???

Me personally, I agree with 61 Degrees or higher? But I’ve been outside in 53 degree weather before and seen people wearing shorts here in that temperature range?? Polls lowest choice is 21 degrees: If you’re wearing shorts in below 21 degree weather: You must have some death wish to freeze to death at that point?

How low does the temperature have to be where you live to consider “Shorts appropriate” weather?? Thank you!!!

 

Well, I have barefooted in 14 Fahrenheit, so I suppose I could manage that in shorts too, even though shorts aren't my absolute favorite thing to wear, even when it's summer.

 

Perhaps some contributors didn't read properly and defaulted to their national temperature units - as I did when I wrote:

Perhaps you should clarify the units of measurement?
21C is perfectly fine for wearing shorts.
Some people are wearing them two days ago when the weather was 12C.
I am nude outside in 21C. Anything over about 16C, depending on breeze/wind chill.

And then after re-reading and given that freezing point is 32F, I doubt there would be many wearing shorts in 21F

 

If you are going out for a short duration (less than 10 minutes), shorts can be the wisest choice. The veins in your legs will shrink deeper into the flesh, then when you get home again and put warm clothing on, things will quickly return to normal. Wearing pants will slow the vein retraction down until your pants get cold, then when you get inside both your pants and legs will need to warm up again. The total loss of heat is greater.

This is even more important if it is raining. If your pants get wet, it will take 540 calories of heat to evaporate every gram of water (5 times more heat than it would take to boil it). If the fabric is a tight weave, it will take even longer. The worst fabric is denim. People lost on hiking trips in wet weather and forced to stay out overnight have died from hypothermia.

 

I believe I did if you read original poll question: I specifically clarify “What Temperature (IN FAHRENHEIT)”: I did not say Celsius??

 

Right now in the UK, including my native Scotland, there is some weird fashion for men to be wearing shorts. It's ridiculous. There could be snow on the ground and guys will be out with coat, hat, scarf and gloves and fucking shorts.
By the way, this is across the whole adult age range not just the young and/or fashion conscious.

 

All this reminds me of the time when a guy tried to heat our 6,000 gallon heat storage tanks to 230 degrees Centigrade instead of Fahrenheit.
With a cushion pressure of 3 bar, the theatre would have turned into a steam room as the water flashed off.
Perhaps the audience would have appreciated the free sauna.

 

I picked 41-50 but it really depends on what you can stand...

I have worn shorts when it was 35 out........

 

So cent ak usa. Also known as alaska. 75to79 saw many wintertime shorts wearers.

 

When I lived in Europe I hardly ever wore shorts. From 64 it was a nice temperature to go without shorts or anything else. I did that once in the snow at 23, on request by my wife who wanted to shoot a funny photo, but that was really too much.
Now I live in Thailand and got used to the climate. When temperature gets below 77 it feels chilly now and I put on a vest and trousers.

 

Caprilength pants generally can work well. As ya can ifn ya dont mind mind silly loox. Long sox. I kinda learned this in ak. While xc skiing. More of a relearn really. As id wispily known of a previous american term for these known as knickers. Wispily as boys whod grown outa these maybe burned em. So by time i was outa diapers. Theyd vanished & prior to mid sept 75. Hadnt seenm cept as antiques. I very quickly got n2 em cept for in school wear. Too much teasing there. Were also called high waters by unimaginitive folks. A few yrs l8r they regained poptlarity under new names. As in america the term knickers said quickly can be be bad word. In igenious fashion designers added buttons or zippers @ bottoms. Actually readed as originals had these to hold the stocks up.

 

The temperature alone doesn't adequately describe comfort conditions. There's dry bulb temperature and wet bulb temperature. Humidity is an important factor.

Also, there's a big difference between a temperature that's the high of the day and morning temperature.

Wind speed is another factor that can really make a difference in comfort.

Sun is out, or sky is overcast...

The material of the shorts - air resistance, thermal conductivity (insulating properties)...

The length... The looseness of the leg openings...

The use of underwear (yes some do) and properties thereof if used...


Deciding on current temperature alone would be similar to deciding which car to buy based solely on color.

 

Whatever a person can tolerate

 

typically for me would be about mid 50s

yet this afternoon it was 37 and foggy and a delivery came in the mail while i was getting ready for a ride, only had bike shorts on, nothing else and went outside to get the rest of the mail, "huh, it's cold but not near as uncomftortable as i had imagined it would be"

thats' been a thing in my part of the us for probably 30 years now. poofy jacket, fleece hoody under, bike shorts or daisy dukes, high tops is me sometimes. it's like, say you're a native born washingtonian without actually speaking so......

 

I guess it depends on if I'm just, say, walking to the car, getting in, and driving off to go somewhere warm, then it almost doesn't matter. But to be outside for extended period of time, it would have to be at least the 70s for me.