Best Shorts for Women Over 50

If I told you that women over 50 can wear shorts and still be stylish would you believe me? It's true.

Better yet they can be versatile. Dress them up. Dress them down. A warm weather staple, shorts are a necessity in any woman's wardrobe, at every age. Yet, as we get older we become more self conscious about our gams and wonder if we should still wear them.

I haven't bought new shorts in the past three years. Sure I have drawstring, athletic and bike shorts. I realize that my well-worn Costco couture won't cut it for a summer where people will actually see me out and about. We all know hanging out at home has a different dress code.

I went shorts shopping for myself a few days ago. Why does it seem that stores stock only two options? There was no shortage of distressed denim, barely-cover-your-butt-short-shorts designed for the well formed legs of a younger woman. (If you're as old as I am you'll remember Daisy Duke.) The other option abundant in the stores is the biggest style sin of all, the baggy, below the knee, shapeless shorts designed for, well, I really don't know. They don't look good on anybody. 

Length is a legitimate concern. Too short seems just wrong, and too long leaves your legs looking like a tree trunk. Nothing says *old lady* like pedal pushers (end about 2" below the knee) and capri pants (end 3-5 inches below the knee). They might be functional but that's about the only thing going for them.

Seasoned, stylish women like you and I aim for a classic and flattering Bermuda style short, a trim and tapered cut that has a straighter leg and flat front. Your shorts should follow your leg line and end at a place where your leg narrows which is usually 1-3 inches above the knee. I like a good 2 inches as a general rule of thumb. Just like jeans or pants if your shorts are too long you can always cuff them up to achieve the best length for your leg.

And, if you can find them in a breathable stretch cotton that hugs the body and won't stretch out, buy them in several colours and then go buy a lottery ticket.

That's what I did.

Not into shorts? Cropped pants always look great because they stop above the ankle where your leg is narrow.