Well ladies, it’s that time of year again when we start pulling out the shorts. So…I thought I would share some shorts for women over 40.
1. If you don’t want to wear shorts, then don’t wear them. Jo-Lynne Shane did a great post on Alternatives To Shorts. Check out all of her cute ideas!
2. NO Daisy Dukes. Amen?
3. It’s important to find the length and style that is flattering on your body type.
So, if you’re wanting to wear shorts, here are some different short options. Hopefully, one or more will work for you!
If you love an A-line skirt, then these modern printed shorts have a similar silhouette. They almost look like a skirt.
I can not wear them and so I stay away from them. They look best on tall, thin body types. These shorts have a 9 inch inseam.
The hemline should hit right at the middle of your thigh (the narrowest part), and avoid a cuff, which visually adds width. These shorts have an 8 inch inseam.
Let’s grab our sunless tanning lotion and get ready for shorts weather!
Which of these shorts are your favorite style for spring/summer?
I’m so honored that you have taken time out of your day to stop by my blog. I’d love for you to subscribe to my blog through email. You can also follow me on social media. I’m on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest!
Beauty for the Heart~~
Where my soul is filled with sorrow, strengthen me with your words.
Where my heart seeks selfish gain, turn me toward your statutes.
When I’m afflicted and discouraged, fill me with hope and comfort in your promises.
Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.
Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things out of your law.
Give me a love for your word. Make it my meditation all the day.
(Taken from selected verses from Psalm 119)
Have a blessed day!
**There are affiliate links in this post. This does not mean you pay a dime more when you purchase a product through my link. It just means I made it easier for you to find something, so I make a few cents when you purchase it. I so appreciate your support of Walking in Grace & Beauty. Thank yo
Thank you. I grew up in south Florida, so I used to live in shorts; now living in Asheville, NC, I only wear shorts when it gets really warm. Self tanner is the key, as tan legs look so much better than my fair skin in shorts! I am probably close to your size (but older) so your style tips work perfectly for my body shape. I really appreciate your blog and style, and providing us with God’s wisdom is the most beautiful thing we can share! Thank you Cyndi.
I have hideous knees, and my upper legs look like and elephant is an inhabitant so I like to wear what we older ladies call pedal pushers.
Those models don’t look 20 let alone over 40 ha ha. You look really cute Cyndi! Love the outfit.
May I link to this article from my blog FB page? Love the looks you have shared. Especially the longer, vertically striped shorts. Those might even make me look taller and thinner. Loved Jo Lynne’s Alternatives to Shorts post about a week ago. Great minds…
Absolutely Leslie!! Have a blessed day!!
Cyndi
Shorts are tricky, for sure. I pretty much have to try on shorts to know if they’re going to work for me. Generally speaking, anything from 4″-6″ is best on me. But it’s not because I have pretty legs. I get a kick out of hearing people talk about their veins or their whatever–nothing beats having a huge birthmark cover your leg! Yet I’m grateful to be able to wear shorts in the summertime, even if my legs aren’t pretty. Hot weather calls for more attention to comfort, in my opinion.
As for the modesty issue, here’s something I believe strongly. Modesty can best be described as not drawing undue attention to oneself. So sometimes people will bend over backward to wear things of a certain length, a particular fullness, or another particular criterion, and they end up drawing much more attention to their appearance than they would if they’d simply wear a pair of shorts.
Of course, you look great in your shorts, Cyndi. You look good in everything! 🙂
Cyndi the length you are wearing looks nice. May I ask what brand they are?
I’m 5’9″ with long legs, so I can pull off a narrow Bermuda short. My favorite length is the 5-6″ though. I love Loft shorts. Self-Tanner is a must because I’m so fair. You look incredible in the khaki shorts!!! I love that outfit!
When going out, I tend to wear the slimmer cut Bermuda shorts with wedges. At 5’3″ and petite, I’ll throw on a pair of wedges with them to elongate my legs. However, while at home or running errands. I tend to wear the length you’re wearing, and I also wear the length of the patterned shorts. Btw, you look great in your shorts outfit! Don’t you just love sunless tanner?!
Penny
I really like the red shorts. I prefer my shorts to be about 7 “. I dont like to go shorter because shorts ride up when you sit down or bend over and I don’t like exposing that much.
Cyndi, I totally agree with so many that have commented! It all depends on the cut and length of the Bermuda short. I’m 50, 5’0, & 105 lbs. Unfortunately I have cellulite on the front of my legs which is why I must go with a slightly longer length. A few yrs ago I found some great Bermuda shorts from Old Navy that were a great fit for me. Last year I bought some from Loft for petites and they were nice also. I always pair them with a wedge sandal to elongate my legs. You look great in your khaki shorts, but I think you would look just as nice in a longer length. Everything looks great on you!
Thanks for this post! My legs are getting worse and worse as I get older even though I do exercise and strength train, that’s where my weight goes. I found some 9 inch Bermudas last year that I’m comfortable in. At 5’9″ most of the shorter lengths show way too much of my flabby legs. You look great and the options you shared are adorable though!
Amen to #1! I have NEVER looked good in shorts, even when I was a teeny tiny size. So I’ve just decided I won’t wear them – one less thing to worry about 🙂
I also think it’s really hard to find modest ones that don’t look frumpy.
Texas is so hot in summer, that I have to wear shorts daily. I’m not a fan of long shorts either, they make my legs look way to skinny! I usually wear the 5 inch length which look best on my body. I’m 5’5 and 128lbs. I’m a fan of patterned shorts and colored shorts and regular jean shorts, but all in the 5 inch length. The look best with sandals, keds, converse and flats.
Cindi, You look fantastic in your shorts!
I love the sleeveless jean jacket – very cute!
I am not a fan of longer shorts, as they seem to make my thighs look bigger and my calves smaller. I generally do not wear shorts until my legs are tanned. With that being said, I do prefer a shorter inseam, and I have found the shorter inseams to be more flattering on my body. I like a 3-5″ inseam in dressier shorts. My jogging shorts are what they are. Not sure. I do still love denim shorts and wore a pair of denim cutoffs last year at the beach. They just seem to fit in there. LOL I am 49, 5’6″ (on a good day) and about 128 lbs. My legs certainly are not what they used to be, even though I strength train and run. Some things I just cannot change……but I keep working at it.
You look beautiful in your shorts Cyndi. 🙂
LOL, I love my Daisy Dukes, but I think my days of wearing them are numbered. I live a casual life, and my legs are my best asset so I’m not giving them up JUST yet. (I’m 42.) Thanks for linking to my alternatives to shorts post. I’m wearing my cargo skirt and orange tank right now. 🙂 Perfect for our 80-degree spring weather in Philly. I like your khaki shorts. they’re a great length on you.
Thanks for sharing Jo-Lynee! Happy spring!
Blessings,
Cyndi
Finally getting your BLOG again.. Love it
I absolutely HATE the way I look in shorts, but some days it’s so hot and I feel like I need to throw a pair on. I am 32 (almost 33!) years old, but I definitely am pasty white and have cellulite, so I first self-tan, which helps SO much. I like a longer inseam, though – at least 5″. I rock the Bermuda shorts sometimes, too, and always feel more comfortable wearing them. Thanks for all of the options you’ve provided today!
Blessings!
“The Busy Brunette”
http://thebusybrunette.blogspot.com/
I’m barely 5’2″ (51 yrs. old) and I prefer something length wise like the red and white printed shorts, or the white ones. Now, I will confess that I often wear longer shorts – almost to my knees with peep-toe wedges to work. They are nice shorts, and paired with a nice blouse and the heels look far better than some of the dresses and skirts I see in/around our office area. As I’ve aged my thighs are not what they used to be and all the exercise in the world won’t tackle the dreaded cellulite – ick! As for self-tanners, which I’m a huge advocate of – I have used FakeBake for many years, always apply with gloves on and I have great, natural looking color all summer without being a slave to the sun. Exfoliation is the key IMO to any/all sunless tanners.
So, get ‘yer shorts on girls cuz it’s gettin’ hot outside – at least it is here in Knoxville, TN 🙂
Sharon is FakeBake the brand name?
Yes, fake bake.com. I prefer the original formula
I am 5’4″ and small. I love the bermuda shorts and would not wear anything shorter. I have found the trick to bermuda shorts is to wear a narrow cut, never wide. And those black and white striped shorts you feature would probably be ok if they weren’t lowrise. I also like capris and they also look better if they are narrow and not wide legged. I am not talking about skin tight either, just cut narrow.
I wear the long shorts, I am not tall at 5′ 4″. My shorts hit me right above the knee. I think this length looks great on me, other’s may disagree but at the end of the day I have to feel good about what I have on. I think The kind of shoes matter with the longer length.
You look so cute in your shorts 😉 how did the sunless tanner you are using score on the “think dirty” app?? Have a blessed day 😉
I’m 66 and 5’8 and love Bermudas and self tanners. The mid length is so cute, but I have too many visible veins, bumps and lumps to wear them.
although I have very long legs I rarely wear shorts anymore because my legs are white but in an inconsistent way (not pretty) so I actually prefer wearing capris or ankle pants. I see capris get a pretty bad rap but I prefer mine longer so hopefully they don’t look too bad (ha). After I get some sun, I do own a couple pairs of shorts but they are slender bermundas.
Normally I don’t wear shorts except perhaps at the beach, a baseball game, etc. – if I’m gonna be outside in hot, humid NC – and then I do pull out my bermudas (*Gasp*). Although I’m pear-shaped, my “shorts” (and skirts\dresses) are at mid-knee or longer (a modesty preference). I find that the closer-fitting shorts are more flattering when wearing “bermudas” than the wider leg. I have a pair of curvy denim shorts from LOFT that fit closer to the leg (in Tall for longer length), as well as some from Eddie Bauer (also in Tall). I love fashion, but try to keep modestly as the priority. Of course this is different for all folks….this is just my preference! Other than that, it’s ankle pants and skirts for me! Instagram: anitamrobinson
Forgot to mention….of course these bermudas are in dark colors which help the pear-shape dilemma.
I prefer the Bermuda shorts. I do have some jean shorts that I feel good in as well. Because I don’t use sunless tanning lotions and below my knees have numerous permanent bruises, I don’t wear shorts often.
Have a blessed day Cyndi!
Good morning Cyndi, I really like the red print short and the next pair of white shorts. Thanks for sharing, have a great day! 🙂
8-6 inch inseam…….is my vote too. I liked the note on cuffs, hadn’t thought about that but it’s true……and I too had some unfortunate experiences with Bermudas thinking they were more respectful at my age……not flattering at all and if they only look good on tall, skinny people…..that is why! Two things I am not! 😉
I think if you are still happy with your legs…then by golly, wear shorts!! I find, just like with every piece of clothing, that the cut, style & even manufacturer can make one pair of shorts (any length) look good while another looks bad! Cyndi…you still look fab in shorts!!! jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Jodie, You are too sweet! And you are so right, there are so many short cuts and styles, its just about finding one that looks right on each women!
Blessings,
Cyndi
Jodie I agree with you. My long legs have always been something I enjoy. They still can rock shorts at 49. I am all about comfort, so they have to be comfortable whatever length I choose. Never cared for the walking shorts.
I mostly like a 5″ or 6″ inseam as well. Being a runner, my thighs are quite muscular, so anything shorter is not really a good look. I have 1 pair of 4″ that I wear occasionally. My favs are from Loft. 🙂
Sara,
I am all with you on the LOFT thing for shorts, for some reason they always fit right!
Blessings,
Cyndi
AMEN to number 2! As I get older (52), my shorts are getting longer, lol! I’m 5’3″, short torso, longer legs. I like a slim fit almost to my knee.
Thanks for sharing Teri! So glad some of the ones I mentioned work for you!
Happy spring!
Blessings,
Cyndi