More relaxed than jeans and more comfortable than skirts, shorts can be your best choice when it comes to looking feminine and effortless on your casual street style. However, wrong pair of shorts can make you look heavier, shorter, and even shabby. So, keep on reading for our style guidelines on picking the perfect shorts for your body type.
Bermuda Shorts or Knee-length Shorts
Bermuda or knee-length shorts is dressier and more conservative compared to any styles of shorts that you can wear for shopping, travel, and even on your office if your casual workplace allows them. You can now cover problem areas like dimpled or flabby thighs with a slim-fitting pair of Bermuda shorts. If you’ve got lots of curves, shorts that fall on your knees is the most forgiving. If you have long and lean legs, you may go an inch above your knees for a more flattering look. However, petite women should avoid knee-length or Bermuda shorts, as these will swamp your petite frame though you can still balance it out with a pair of wedges for extra leg length.
City Shorts or Mid-Length Shorts
Shorts with a mid-length leg shorts are the most universally flattering, and can have an inseam of 7 or 8 inches. Unlike Bermuda shorts that cut your leg in half visually, shorter lengths make your legs look longer, while still covering problem areas like the upper thigh. However, be mindful of the fit of your shorts and keep fullness under control. City shorts typically have the slouchy and boyfriend fit, so be careful wearing them if you’re bottom heavy. You may look for city shorts without rolls, cuffs, or pleats that will just add some bulk to your thighs.
Form-fitting Shorts
If you’re curvy and wish to show off your bottom part, opt for darker colors of form-fitting shorts that flatter your thighs, hips and bum. Like fashion blogger Blair Eadie, you may still wear a printed shorts with fitting style and team with a brightly colored top to detract attention from your bottom half and bring some trendy vibe into your street style. Remember, shorts with slim-legged style that will make your legs look slimmer too.
High-Waist Shorts
If you have longer waist and shorter legs, high-waist shorts are perfect for you. The high waistband will balance the length of your waist while adding some length to your legs, therefore, making you look taller and leaner. Just create a high color contrast into your top and bottom piece to make your slim waist defined. Whether you go for a pair of bloomer shorts or form-fitting one, high-waist shorts will always be perfect for you.
Cut-off Shorts
Cut-off shorts are sexy shorts designed to show off those sexy curves as the hemline reveals its pockets from the inside. For tall and thin women, cut-off shorts with roll-up hemlines will balance the long thin legs you have making your thin legs look curvier. However, rolled-up styles will make short legs shorter, especially for petite women. So if you’re petite and wish to lengthen your frame, just go for cut-off shorts without rolls or cuffs like frayed and tailored ones.
Bloomer-style Shorts
Athletic body types should look for bloom-style shorts with prints, pleats, or billowy detail to give some shape to your straight figure. The extra space around the thigh in these shorts will instantly make your legs look leaner while the structured waistband will also draw attention to the narrowest part of your torso. Tulip-shaped shorts will enhance your hips, adding instant curves. However, avoid bloomer-style shorts if you’re bottom heavy as the excess material will add bulk to your figure though you may opt for thin and light fabric that will just go well with your curves.
Boxer Shorts
If you have a proportioned body or even a straight one, don’t be afraid to go for boxer shorts in shorter length to show off your leaner legs. Back pocket details will also add shape to your rear and turn-up details will make skinny legs look curvier. However, if you have heavy thighs and legs, better skip this kind of shorts as their pleats and slouchy fit will only make your legs look heavier.
Short Shorts
Shorter than mid-length city shorts and longer than cut-off shorts, shorter shorts will actually make your legs look longer, so go for a four or five-inch seam that’s long enough to give some leg coverage. Whether you have long or short legs, short shorts will look great on you.
Shorts can actually be incredibly flattering, no matter what your body shape is. The key is about finding the best fit for your body type and have the confidence to show off your legs on the streets.