Kid's Shorts (Bottoms)

Every pair of shorts is described by its inseam, the measurement from the crotch seam straight down to the hem. Children's inseams usually run from about 3 inches on toddler sizes to 7 inches on older kids. Two makers can both call a pair a size 8 while the legs differ by three full inches.

Construction splits into three groups that behave nothing alike. Woven chino and denim shorts hold a shape, take a belt or an adjustable waistband and scuff instead of tearing. Knit athletic shorts move air, dry fast and often carry a mesh liner sewn inside, which removes the need for a layer under them. Mesh basketball shorts are the loosest and lightest, and they snag on splinters and hook-and-loop straps because the knit is open.

Joggers cover the ankle and trap warmth. Skorts put a skirt panel over a short leg. Leggings do the covering job in stretch. Shorts are the only bottom here that leaves the knee exposed. This is the whole reason they feel cool and the whole reason they lose to gravel.

Hot climates, camp, summer sport and any child who overheats in long pants are the plain uses. Schools that set a minimum inseam or a fingertip rule need the number checked before the size is chosen. Playground surfaces and mosquito hours are the arguments for a longer leg, since a bare knee meets both.

Measure a pair your child already wears and buy to that number rather than to the size name. Waistbands with an inner adjustable tab handle a slim waist far better than a plain elastic casing, which either digs in or slides down. Pockets that close, by zip or button, keep a pool locker key where it belongs. Liners need washing inside out, since that is the surface the water has to reach.