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Shorts...
- Thread starter Ekulati
- Start date
Silly, isn't it?
Where's the dead horse image again? Oh, here's one for the people who so strongly feel their opinion is fact.
I'll take a kick. I have played outside in 100ºF+ heat all over the country and currently live in California. I burned all my cargo shorts years ago but I like Chino shorts and you can look classy with the right footwear. Comfort and fashion can intersect if you give a $#^*. Yes, it's important to look good but there's a line where comfort and safety takes over.
Wives prefer us to wear cargo shorts as they are widely known as groupie repellent/ birth control.
Said one that never played outdoors south of the Mason Dixon line in the summer. If you ever had to play gig in triple digits heat indices, you would charge your tune, not to mention your pants, socks, undershirt, and jockeys after each set.
I used to live in South Carolina, walked everywhere, and wore long pants year around. The worst was playing an outdoor gig where you have to wear a suit, but I persevered.
That said, if you really want to wear shorts, there are ways to do it well and ways to do it poorly. As with any clothing, make sure it fits and that you look like you made an effort. Look at some fashion websites - or magazines, if the internet (other than Talkbass) confuses you - and see how people are styling their shorts. And I don't mean how 20-year-olds are styling their shorts, unless you're 20. Find something aimed at people your age and see what they're wearing. It really does make a huge difference in how other people see you, and in how you see yourself, when your clothes make you look better. I get that it's cool to not care but there's a difference between being aloof (cool) and being apathetic (kind of disrespectful, to be honest). When you dress like a slob, you're being apathetic.
Oh, I agree you can’t look like a bum and expect people to pay. Don’t get me wrong.
But in regard to the picture of the dudes in the T-shirt’s, that attire performed in front of similarly attired boomers it more fitting that if they showed up in tuxedos. And yes, boomers ARE allowed to have their preferences contrary to popular belief LOL!!
As for for S.Carolina. Bless you for doing that. A Suit?? Wow.
I am going to take issue here as after 15 minutes in those conditions, I would be complete drenched head to foot (no joke, like just took a shower with my clothes on) sweat running in streams down my forearms into my electronics until I collapsed with a heat stroke.
BTW, On one gig in particular was up 1-95 a bit at Kings Dominion, 115 degrees, on blacktop, no shade, with high humidity. I wore presentable shorts, like what they wear in most parts of the world in those conditions.
But to your point, shorts are not my go to, and even at 68 still dress well for stage.
I want to go ahead and say that I'm actually all for t-shirts and casual pants! My point was not that you should be wearing a tux all the time. My point was instead that you can still elevate simple, classic looks by wearing fashionable versions of them. If you want to look good wearing casual clothes, see how professionals are styling other people your age (very important) in casual looks. Rock stars your age are great references. Absolutely go for boomer style, because dressing like a teenager when you're not is worse than a stained t-shirt and cargo shorts. But boomer style can still be hip.
I guarantee you the suit was never by choice. But when the gig says "suit" and you need the money, you wear a dang suit and drink lots of water.
I'll also go ahead and say that I do wear shorts now. Fashionable shorts, but shorts, which can absolutely be a thing (just look how pros are styling people your age in shorts). Unless the gig required a suit, but then I probably wouldn't play it because I don't need the money. As for that King's Dominion gig, I was lucky enough to play with people who made sure to have contracts, and made sure those contracts stipulated shade.
Uh...wrong, Mr. Self-Appointed Triple Digit Guru.
Born/raised in SoCal then lived and gigged 35 years in Phoenix. Here in Virginny in August when folks whine, it still cools into the 70s at night. Phoenix in August often doesn't get BELOW 90 -- overnight. That's because -- contrary to popular opinion -- it get humid, July thru Sept. It's called a "monsoon." Humid air holds heat. 110 in the day, 90 overnight low.
Thank you your most informative post. In the mountains you can state that Not true on the piedmont. You are sorely misleading. Plenty of nights with temps lowering in the mid to upper 80’s that happen usually after midnight. I was there for 23 years, BTW. You’ve been there how long?
Secondly, there is a huge difference between the moisture content in the air in SoCal, and Arizona, compared to the southeast. That’s why we don’t go by temperatures, we go by heat indices. If you know anything about human anatomy, the effect of 100 degrees in a sauna is different than 100 degrees under a heat lamp.
Geepers. Why does everybody need to be so stinking argumentative is beyond me.
Secondly, there is a huge difference between the moisture content in the air in SoCal, and Arizona, compared to the southeast. That’s why we don’t go by temperatures, we go by heat indices. If you know anything about human anatomy, the effect of 100 degrees in a sauna is different than 100 degrees under a heat lamp.
Geepers. Why does everybody need to be so stinking argumentative is beyond me.
Good reply. Is that a fact or an opinion? The last I heard, both are acceptable her.
BTW, have you ever heard the expressions “Let sleeping dogs lie”, or “discretion is the better part of valor”, or better yet, how about cutting your fellow member a little slack?
It's an opinion, like yours.
I scroll past things every day here that I don't agree with, without making a comment. No problem. You asked why are folks on TB so argumentative and I posted an opinion on it.
This entire discussion on shorts is just the best example of OPINION vs FACT on TB so I weighed in. Your band is your band so do as you want, play what you want, dress like you want.
Just not sure of your tone, a good reply but let sleeping dogs lie?
Thanks much for the reply. Good point about “tone”. It does not convey well over the internet, and in a lot of cases misunderstood by the recipient. In your case leaving an undefined impact, but others may assume it was a negative personal comment when that was not the intent of the sender at all.
My point is this is a public forum supposedly to foster discussion for the benefit of all. I’m certainly not accusing you of this, but put downs, calling people out of trivial matters, snarky comments, venting, being argumentative and condescending, do not foster discussion. If you read through this entire thread, you will find it all there and it’s not needed nor warranted.
My comment about sleeping dogs lie was a part of the chain of thought implied. To clarify, unless there was something posted totally damaging or harmful if somebody took it an ran with it, maybe the best the best thing to do is type a response, but don’t post it. JMO.
As per the OP...dudes over 50 can wear most styles of shorts and not embarrass themselves if (a) the shorts are at least close to knee length, and (b) the dude is in shape. I don't gig, so I'm addressing the "in general" part.
Wouldn't wear shorts on stage (did wear denim shorts in the 90s a couple of times). Wouldn't wear shorts to work.
Have decided that I'll likely never wear cargo shorts again in any capacity. I do like golfing shorts.
I live in California. We wear shorts. During Pandemia I wore little else.
Have decided that I'll likely never wear cargo shorts again in any capacity. I do like golfing shorts.
I live in California. We wear shorts. During Pandemia I wore little else.
