Some girls wear shorts in winter months but not as many as boys, according to Daniel. Unthank said her son insists he’s hot but she suspects he gravitates toward shorts as a means of style. “I ...

But boys may have other reasons for sporting shorts, she noted. "My son gets a lot of attention when he wears less than usual clothing in cold weather. He gets to express his autonomy.” ...

Never mind that windchills this winter have fallen below zero, local boys continue to live the French maxim: Il faut souffrir pour etre belle — one must suffer to be beautiful. Or at least macho.

In the dead of Winter. Confused, I asked him what exactly was going through his head that morning as he got dressed. Met with a few grumbles, I shrugged off his response and went to school.