Dolphin shorts: are they making a comeback?

There is no doubt that styles change radically from decade to decade and sometimes even from year to year. Sportswear or exercise clothes are no different, although every now and then a good design will fade only to regain its strength later on. Dolphin shorts are an excellent example of this phenomenon. Once very popular as exercise wear in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Dolphin shorts disappeared from high school and college track teams, but eventually made a comeback.

These used to look like great sports shorts. Whether for swimming or as general shorts for track and field events, the Dolphin shorts were extremely popular because they showed a lot of leg, giving athletes great freedom of movement. The less constrained the athletes felt, the better they could perform.

These shorts were also often featured in exercise videos of all kinds, from aerobics to workouts to more intensive training videos. Richard Simmons made this style of shorts very popular and is well known for wearing them in virtually all of his workout videos. There are some stories that vary as to how they were originally used or what they were intended for, but whether for swimming or athletics, there was little argument that the freedom of movement made them excellent uniforms for many high school and college athletic teams.

However, there was some controversy with these clothes, the main one being that they showed a lot of leg. To the point where eventually many high schools decided that they were allowing students to show too much leg and that they were inappropriate. As many high schools in the United States banned them in the dress code, the style faded and it eventually abandoned the gymnastics and exercise circuits.

However, around 2007 or 2008, these simple yet stylish shorts made a strong comeback. While the original designs were almost always single-color and simple, modern dolphin shorts designs can go either way. Some follow the original simple designs, while others have more decorative color combinations or patterns.

Now dolphin shorts are once again a very common sight in gyms. These are very popular and the modern style is not that demanding on the amount of leg displayed. These are comfortable garments for exercising and allow the freedom of movement necessary to get the most out of your workout.

While these apparel may not be for everyone, it’s safe to say that the Dolphin shorts are here and back to stay.

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