Shorts For Women Over 50 : A Dressing Room Review

I don’t wear shorts often, but I know many of you do, so I’ve been trying on several brands to get a feel for what’s out there. I thought it would also be helpful to include some styling tools to help you wear shorts over 50 in the most flattering way this summer.

If you’re new here, welcome. A dressing room diary is when I go into a local store for a try-on session so you can see what’s new and how it looks on a woman over 25. For reference, I am 5’4″ and weigh around 142 lbs. I have broad shoulders with straight hips, a long torso, and long arms. I often buy one size larger on top. You’ll see me try on clothes in colors and shapes that may or may not flatter me because I want you to see what’s in the stores and get some styling ideas. I tell you what sizes I am wearing to help you understand how things run.

Talbots Shorts For Women Over 50

I’m seeing lots of longer, Bermuda-length shorts on the racks these days. They’re great for women who want some extra leg vein or loose skin coverage. Longer shorts can easily be dressed up and worn with a small wedge or heel. These polished shorts are a cotton/spandex blend and come in eleven colors. They’re made from a stretch cotton twill with belt loops and front slash pockets.

These are the “perfect” shorts in navy and white gingham in petite with a 9 1/2″ inseam. I prefer this slightly shorter length on myself. The more leg you see, the longer your legs will appear.

These relaxed chino shorts are in a fresh blue and white 100% cotton seersucker. They have a 7″ inseam in regular and plus and a 6″ inseam in petite. They have a fly and button closure and front slash pockets. Seersucker is such a classic summer fabric it looks great in shorts.

These twill shorts have a causal vibe in a cotton/lyocell/linen blend. This pull-on style comes in 3 colors. The inseam is 6″ in regular and plus and 5″ in petite.

Styling tip – The shorter the inseam, the flatter your shoe should be. Nude or pale-colored sandals and wedges help elongate your leg. The longer the shorts, the more chopped and short your legs will look.

Ann Taylor Shorts

These pleated shorts are a fully lined linen/rayon blend. The belt is made from braided fabric. This regular has a 6″ inseam, and the petite has a 5″ inseam.

Styling tip – Pleated shorts have a wider leg opening which can be more forgiving for ladies with thicker thighs. If you have very thin legs, you may prefer to avoid these because they’ll highlight how narrow your legs are. Pleated shorts are fun to dress up with a lightweight blazer and wedges for a more elevated look.

These boardwalk shorts come in curvy or regular (straight) and regular and petite length. They’re in polished cotton with 3% spandex. They come in four colors, sizes 00-18. The inseam is 11″ in regular and 10″ in petite.

Nordstrom Shorts

These linen/viscose/spandex shorts have a 9″ inseam and a loose, flowy fit. They’re available in four colors, sizes 00-16.

Styling tip – These classy-looking shorts could easily be worn to work, church, or dressier events. I’d add a narrow belt, simple jewelry, and a small crossbody bag. Wider shorts like this need a narrower, shorter top for balance.

Wit & Wisdom Shorts

These shorts are a cotton/polyester/rayon/spandex blend with jeans styling and an unrolled inseam of 9″. They come in six colors, sizes 24-34.

Styling tip – Cuffs on pants shorten the look of your leg, and it’s even more true with shorts.

These Wit and Wisdom shorts are a very soft denim cotton blend with plenty of stretch. They have a 15″ inseam and come in sizes 24-34. The cuff would easily fold up several more times to adjust the length to your liking. While I almost always prefer tops tucked in, I prefer this one untucked so the top and shorts don’t appear the same length. A 50/50 split is never as pleasing as 1/3-2/3.

NYDJ Shorts

I thought these were long shorts when I grabbed them from the rack but discovered that at my height, they look more like pedal pushers. They have a 13″ inseam, which on me, are not shorts. They have a slit on the outside of the hem, so you can’t roll these up easily. If you’re nice and tall or like the below-knee look, they’re terrific.

Chico’s Shorts For Women Over 50

Chico’s make the same shorts year after year. These Brigitte So-Slimming 10″ shorts from 2021 are the exact ones they’re selling today. They come in tons of colors, are super easy to care for and have plenty of stretch.

Where do you like to buy your shorts?