Three quarter pants is a commonly used expression to mean pants that are longer than shorts but are not yet pants length. They typically come down to between knee and ankle length. This phenomenon has been in fashion for about the same length of time as skort, layering clothing and other combined clothing fashions. Three quarter pants is a name used to refer to other types of shorts such as Shants or Shankles. Shants are shorts that reach below the knee. It is a portmanteau of "shorts" and "pants". Shankles are oversized shorts that reach all the way to the ankles. It is a portmanteau of "shorts" and "ankles".