I love in the land of harsh winter even for Canadians, but one thing I'm never worried about are my legs. So long as the core and head are protected, I could wear shorts no problem. Legs are not the spot we are losing heat, especially the calves.
I have raynauds syndrome and hyperhidrosis, as a result I'm terrified of inappropriate clothing on my feet and hands.
On a lovely 24°C day I made the mistake of wearing crocs to work without socks. When I got home and took my crocs off my feet were grey and the skin was already starting to slough off. I'd given myself trench foot in a single shift. And it's not like I was working in a muddy field. I'm an IT teacher.
It was 38°C last week and I was wearing short shorts, a wife beater, a sun hat .... And snow boots, because I like the skin on my feet and want it to stay there.
We don't get harsh winter's here in Australia (we get nippy winter's, mostly because we suck at insulating our houses here for some reason) so I've never thought twice about making sure my legs and arms are protected from anything other than sun exposure. If my legs are cold, oh well, their cool temperature doesn't really seem to effect the temperature of the rest of my body. But core, head, feet and hands are my big concerns!
I'm heavy and my calves are like rocks from supporting all this mass. Those bastards are working their ass off when I'm walking they're often dripping with sweat. If it's over ~5c it will look like I slogged through a shallow stream - my pants will be visually wet within no time at all.
I was diagnosed with leukemia a couple years ago and a funny moment during treatment was my toes getting cold for the first time relative to my body temperature. I'd never experienced that before - it blew my mind and I became such a baby about it. It was totally intolerable. I finally understood what all the women in my life complain about regarding cold feet. ... Who knew?
I have lived in a cold climate area my whole life and have severe reynauds syndrome. It can be 100F and the second I touch an ice cube all of my fingers turn deathly pale. Nearly 100% of the time, no matter the temperature, I will have an extremity that has no blood flow. It is severe enough that it is physically debilitating. I can't play in the snow with my kids for very long, or play guitar without running my hands under a hot tap. Right now I have a cheap box fan running on low, 10' away, and four of my fingers have cut circulation. Because there is no blood in my fingers or toes, touching anything freezing cold feels like they are being stabbed. I'm also very prone to frostbite and have worried about losing my toes a few times due to it. I actually have little feeling in them and have lobbed of parts of my fingers off which can't even slightly compare to the pain of grabbing a cold steering wheel. When I wash my hands the water has to be scalding hot and have accidentally caused others to scald themselves by forgetting to tell them.
My body though? Can't handle anything above 75f. I'm comfortable in just boxers in 50F. I overheat in long sleeves so easily that I own 1 longsleeve shirt. I had to get the HVAC tech at my work to change the air exchangers so that my work area was 60F so I didnt sweat through my PPE.
Plus, mine is a lifelong curse unlike your wimpy little leukemia. I kid. I just wanted to complain a bit. Glad you beat the big C. I hope to never have that battle and hope it was your last.
I live in country side and have some farm work to do, but because I'm allergic to grass and dandruff ( don't know the exact word for english ) if I go out in short's I will end up with legs full of red spots and itchy af.
When working with hayballs I literally need to have long sleeves and a mask to not have red spots on hands and not start to have problems breathing at times when my allergy is in full throthle at 30-40 celcius weather in summer.
The irony of being in countryside and having a farm but being allergic to what you work with.
I won't speak for all "white dudes" but I know why I do it.
First, my thermostat is just different from average. If it's 70F/21C, there's a very high chance I'm going to be sweating, especially if I'm indoors and there's limited air movement or I'm outdoors and there's any bit of direct sunlight. Shorts make that a bit more bearable.
Second, given my warm nature, the climate where I live and my lifestyle make wearing shorts practical for much of the year. In the "colder" months of the year, it's usually a case where it's cold in the morning but warms up to a reasonable extent during the day. Guess what? I have an indoor, office job. I don't give a flip about how cold it is during the early parts of the day because I'm going to be indoors where the temperature is pretty much guaranteed to be above the 70F/21C limit I mentioned in my first point. By the time I'm off work and out of the office in the evening, it's warmed up to the point where shorts are totally appropriate and comfy (for me). Sure, I could waste time and energy doing multiple wardrobe changes throughout the day, but that's just bullshit and quite frankly, stupid, if I don't have to do it.
Third, who gives a fuck? Apparently a lot of people -- as it's very common to get questions or comments when I wear shorts during colder weather that lesser humans can't tolerate in shorts. I don't go around acting as the fashion police for your stupid crocs or question your multiple changes of clothes per day like you're Beyoncé doing a concert. So leave my cargo shorts in the middle of winter alone.
Man I have the exact opposite problem I'm always wearing long pants in even the hottest of days because I'm constantly doing physical labor wether it be firewood collecting or shoveling gravel I'm always having shit scraping my legs so I always want some protection also my job has me outside all day long so when winter comes around I'm wearing my pants for the cold it's a part of my company dress code ultimately I've grown accustomed to work clothes to the point that comfort wear like slippers hoodies and shorts are pretty weird and uncomfortable for me for those reasons I just don't own many shorts because I rarely use them ever
simply live in a colder home. Boom, shorts problem solved. Now you can have twice the amount of irritating clothing issues that you already experience.
Third, who gives a fuck? Apparently a lot of people – as it’s very common to get questions or comments when I wear shorts during colder weather that lesser humans can’t tolerate in shorts.
As a teenager, I used to go to the gym in shorts when there was a bunch of snow outside. The amount of looks I got was amusing.
Nowadays my thermostat has adjusted a bit, I even put on a sweater when it's below 5C. No jacket until -20 though.
I went to the gym in shorts last time it snowed here. When I stopped off at a convenience store an old lady asked why I was wearing shorts and I explained the gym thing. She said "well, you have nice legs so you might as well show them off." My annual compliment!
I’m going to be indoors where the temperature is pretty much guaranteed to be above the 70F/21C
21°C is too hot for indoors at least during the winter/autumn/spring
During the summer I'd kill for 21°C
Anyways, I'd like to add that personally I just don't feel the cold that much on my legs. I'm much more likely to get cold ears, hands and arms. If they ever find me dead of hypothermia my legs will still be at room temperature, while the rest of my body, including my feet, especially my feet, will be at absolute zero.
