Hammies is an old short for a new generation. The short style was popularized in the late 1960s by surf and skate communities in Southern California. The shorts were worn by skateboard legends like the Zephyr skate team, surf legends like Gerry Lopez, and pop culture icons like Tom Selleck and Chevy Chase. They were worn by rollerskaters, tennis players, camp counselors, computer programmers, and hippies. And they were probably worn by your mom and dad.