The worst nightmare to any boy growing up in the Seventies was being called to the chalkboard whilst sporting wood. Hey, you’re full of hormones, so one could spring up at any given moment. How unfortunate that the shorts of that time were not up to the challenge of keeping things contained. Even if you managed to keep it under wraps, there was still no hiding what was going on down there. The horror.
This page comes from the 1981 Sears Catalog…. do you notice anything peculiar about it? It would appear that the men are either (A) Ken dolls or (B) they have expertly tucked away their genitals.
As silly as this seems, can you imagine if had they not hidden the junk? You would have been innocently perusing the Sears Catalog when suddenly there’d be four dicks in your face. Startling to say the least.
Jack Wagner, soap star (General Hospital)
One more problem with these tight fitting short-shorts is that the pockets become useless. As godawful as modern day shorts are, the pocket space is plentiful. You can basically store food for the winter in a hefty pair of cargo shorts. In Seventies shorts, however, you’d be lucky to wedge in your house key.
Of course, people were pretty comfortable with their bodies back then. Perhaps we’ve gotten a little prudish over the years. All clothing – not just shorts – were tight fitting and designed to leave very little to the imagination. Unfortunately, most men have physiques that could benefit from concealment.