Shorts.  I think they have been the single most difficult thing for me to find for my body.  If they are roomy enough in the rear and thighs, then they gape so much at the waist that you could fit another entire person in there.  I’m not sure what it is about shorts, or why they seem to be made so different from pants, but this has been my experience consistently across almost every brand I have tried.  Most summers I just try to avoid them by wearing skirts and sometimes capris (which are almost as difficult to find), but this summer I decided I was going to search until I found something that worked without needing a ton of homemade alterations.

What I found is that shorts with a partial elastic waist band, or a “tummy control” feature, tended to nip in more at the waist and were more likely to fit the way I needed them to.  Some of the brands advertised things like “slightly curvy” which I found to be not at all and not even close to working.

Unfortunately, it seems that you must shop for shorts sometime in the month of June, because when I looked in May the inventory was not there yet, and now in July it’s almost non-existent.  Next year I’ll have to target June as the month to shop for shorts if I want a decent color in my size.

The pair I’m wearing in the picture below are classic Bermudas by Lee and I found them at Kohls.  Here are links to a few others that I found that worked:

Lee Blitz Knit Waist Easy Fit Walk Short – Boscovs $19.99

Gloria Vanderbilt Mara Cuffed Short (the only colors left are blue and pink) – Kohls $21.99

Where to get the look:

Lee Classic Fit Jackie Bermuda Shorts (only colors left seem to be yellow and white) – Amazon $26.99

Sunwashed Tee – Ann Taylor Loft $12.00

White Mountain Mandarin Wedge Pump in Beige – DSW $29.94