Shorts to mass when cycling

[Adamek]

why did it occur to the OP that there might be something “off” about wearing short pants to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass?

Until fairly recently, short pants were worn in public by small boys. Adult men would not appear in the street wearing shorts. (except beach or picknick in the park)
But, this is when we were still growups. Now we live in the era of perpetual adolescence.

And women did not appear in public in their undergarments, as they do now.

 

[OddBird]

That’s similar here in Switzerland; just about every guy wear shorts and the ubiquitous scratch sandals in summer, church included. What is acceptable at church depends also on the cultural context, and some countries are more casual than others.

 

[27lw]

That’s similar here in Switzerland; just about every guy wear shorts and the ubiquitous scratch sandals in summer, church included. What is acceptable at church depends also on the cultural context, and some countries are more casual than others.

Okay, I’m curious. May I ask, in Switzerland, would it be acceptable to wear shorts, say to the symphony, or the opera? Let’s say if it’s an unseasonably warm evening in April?
Why, or why not?

 

[OddBird]

Well, except from “posh” cities like Geneva or Zurich - yes.

We don’t even have an opera house in my state, but there are few nice concert halls. I’ve given up on dressing up for concert since we’ve been living here, because I ended up feeling out of place.

Why ? I’m not sure. I suspect it comes from being a country with strong rural roots, where people pride themselves on their “farmers’ good sense”, value simplicity and understatement, and distrust people who “show off”.