If I had a dollar for every time I heard a woman (or myself) say “I love shorts season by I hate the way shorts make my legs look” I would be a wealthy a woman. There is nothing better than a pair of cutoffs for a barbecue or a dressed up two legged number for a night out that leaves you feeling comfortable, relaxed and most importantly COOL. The trouble comes when we don’t feel confident in the silhouette of our shorts and how they ‘cut-off’ or ‘stumpify’ our legs (yes I made up the word stumpify but we have all been there, don’t lie!) Luckily for you I discovered the secret to flattering shorts and I am going to share it with you!
The answer…. (drum roll please) is in the angle of the hem of the bottom of the short. What on earth do I mean? There is a reason why One Teaspoon shorts have become the go to for celebrities and fashionistas in the know everywhere, they aren’t STRAIGHT ACROSS at the bottom. That’s right, shorts that are cut at an angle, or even have an architectural shape in the front are more flattering than your old straight across pair. THAT is why the ‘envelope’ short of last season was such a hit and continues to live on and is also why One Teaspoon cut offs make every gal’s gams look like a model’s. Seriously, google them if you don’t believe me.
Let’s make three categories out of the main short silhouettes: The angle, the dolphin and the envelope. Stay tuned this week as we discuss how this shorts achieve such magically slimming affects and what are the best examples of those, for all budgets, on the market today. Have a fabulous week and we will you see you back here tomorrow for the first installment!
The Angle:
One Teaspoon really has the corner on this market where the inseam of the short is longer then the outside seam. Ready for the obvious? By keeping extra fabric down over your inner thigh the shorts tend to hide that lovely upper thigh curve that so many of us are self conscious of and instead feature the outer side of your leg. Now instead of your outer leg you could show your bum, but what’s flattering about that? These angled shorts are particularly magical because they part of the leg they show is usually less curvy than your inner thigh and thus create the illusion of a thinner (longer) leg while hiding the bits that make you self conscious. It’s not about the ‘booty’ shorts ladies, it’s the ‘strategic side-leg’ showing shorts that you really want to stack your closet with.
The Dolphin
Runners everywhere have loved dolphin shorts for their freedom of movement and breeziness for countless years, however once we get past their athletic applications (and our dads wearing them in the 80’s) we can really appreciate the slimming affect these shorts can have. Let’s start with the shape. A dolphin short generally is more curved in the front and angles up at the side, surprise, showing more side leg than inner thing. Sound familiar? While less drastic than the angle short, a dolphin short has the same affect of adding more fabric on the inner thigh exactly where we want it and while the distraction of outer leg on a dolphin short may include more of your booty, that isn’t always a bad thing.
The Envelope
Last but not least, this origami style short popularized by Zara a few years ago is still lingering in my closet because wow, do they make your legs look good! Toss out only covering one part of your leg, these skort-like shorts fold over the front of your legs hiding your inner thigh AND a good part of your upper thigh, yet they use pointed fabric pieces to do so. The affect is a slimming linear line on your leg with all of your worry areas hidden, plus this is a dressier cut so its the perfect fit for a night out.
So the next time you find yourself thinking “I hate my legs in shorts” stop, remember it’s all about the silhouette and be proactive, get yourself a pair that makes you look and feel amazing.
Thank you so much for reading and have a wonderful day! Cheers- Rebecca
photocred: photos 1 & 2, Pinterest, 3 & 4 Blogger Not Billionaire
