They ARE the most comfortable shorts you will ever wear. I recently read an article that stated the Marines had banned these beloved shorts and had switched to a longer inseam heavier fabric short. Many Marines were not happy. Here is a snippet of thre article.
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Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, California, Sgt. Maj. David Stocks said he likes the shorts, but they just aren't proper attire in public.
"With current social norms, I don't see silkies as appropriate to wear," he said.
The shorts can be worn in a modest way, but many Marines wear a size that's too small for their body and they look unprofessional. He said he suspects this bad trend would resume if silkies are ever brought back.
"It's unflattering or unsightly," he said.
Even before the service issued a Corps-wide policy, the tendency of some Marines to squeeze into silkies a few sizes too small led some installation commanders to issue their own base-specific bans.
When silkies were banned, Marine Corps Systems Command did not address the issue of modesty, saying only that silkies were out because they did not match the style of new PT shorts which were longer and similar to soccer shorts.Even so, Marines continue to call for their return.
Sgt. Major Karyle Sisneros, the senior enlisted Marine at Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron at MCAS Camp Pendleton said that silkies are nice to wear compared to the currently authorized PT shorts, but the beloved garment doesn't cover much, and some men don't wear underwear or a jock strap when they exercise.
"I think they're way more comfortable, but they're too short," he said.
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It's a shame, because those guys in basic training sure looked good in those things.
Article citation found at:
Marines call on CMC to bring back silkies and tattoos
i wear size medium and love the way they fit. in the summer, it's usually the only thing i run in. daily, they are my after shower / sleep shorts. ALWAYS with nothing underneath! (i even mow the lawn in them!!)
