Question:
Why are people in the church offended by a man wearing nice, dressy, short pants?

Answer:

We show respect for others (or lack of respect) in part by the clothes we wear and other aspects of our outward appearance.  This is why the king provided special garments for all of the guests to the wedding of his son (Matthew 22:2-13).  By this the king made sure that the poor people were not shabbily dressed and that the rich were not dressed more finely than the bride and groom themselves.  We do not ordinarily see men wearing short pants at weddings or funerals.  We do not ordinarily see business and professional men wearing short pants at work.  What would you think if you went to see your doctor about a very serious health problem and he was wearing short pants?  Would you be able to take him seriously?  So when we come together to worship the Lord Jesus, with the promise that “where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20), would we be demonstrating respect for Him by wearing clothing that we would not wear out of respect for human beings of lesser rank and importance?