It’s a sight most people notice but rarely understand, mail carriers showing up in shorts while the rest of us are bundled in coats and scarves.
No matter how cold, wet, or windy it gets, the local postman is almost always seen braving the elements with bare legs, raising the same question every year: why?
The mystery resurfaced online when a Reddit user asked, “Why do you wear shorts all year round no matter the weather?” sparking hundreds of responses from postal workers sharing the real reason behind their choice.
Freedom of Movement Matters
At first glance, one might assume it’s just a long-standing tradition or a bit of postal humor. But as many mail carriers explained, it’s actually far more practical than people think.
One postman wrote, “It really is just because it gets hot doing the job. I walk miles every day, and trousers make it unbearable after a few minutes.”
Another added, “My boyfriend is a postie, and he says he stays warm because he’s walking all day. Jeans are too uncomfortable when you’re doing 30,000 steps a day.”
Constant Movement Keeps Them Warm
That constant movement, it turns out, keeps mail carriers warmer than expected. Even in winter. With such a physically demanding job, they often generate enough body heat to stay comfortable without heavy layers.
Another postie pointed out the downside of wearing trousers in the rain, explaining, “It lets your legs breathe; even in cool temperatures it can get warm walking so much. When it rains, your legs can dry faster than wet trousers ever could.”
Delivering mail means bending, walking, climbing, and navigating all kinds of terrain, and shorts simply make that easier.
Not Everyone Makes This Choice
But there’s also a fun twist to the story that few expected. In some mail depots, workers have turned their uniform choice into a lighthearted competition.
One former postman revealed, “The depot had a running bet to see who could go furthest into winter wearing shorts. Everyone paid a pound a week into a pot, and the winner donated the money to charity.”
By the time snow started falling, only two “die-hard” mailmen were left standing, literally. And when spring arrived, they split the prize.
So while it might look like stubbornness or bravado, the truth is much simpler. Mail carriers wear shorts all year round because it keeps them cooler, drier, and more comfortable and sometimes, just for a bit of friendly fun.
The next time your postman arrives at your door in shorts during a frosty morning, remember, he’s not crazy, just practical.
Featured Image Credit: (The Guardian/Wikimedia commons)
