How to wear shorts when you’re over 40

We’ve recently had a lot of women writing to us to ask us how to wear shorts after 40. Let’s start with what NOT to do:

	Don’t wear baggy cargo shorts. They are better suited to younger gals, and the pockets add extra bulk around your hips and thighs, which we definitely don’t need!
	Don’t pick a short with pleats. Pleats tend to give you a pooch around your hips, and it’s hard to wear a longer shirt over them without bunching.
	Don’t choose a style that is too short. Short shorts may be in for the younger set, but at over 40 this look could be very tacky.
	Don’t choose a style that’s too long. When your shorts hit you below the knee or lower, it will look like you’re wearing capris that shrunk!
	Don’t buy a short with a cuff around the thigh. This draws attention to the widest part of your leg.
	Don’t wear a kitten heel or mule with a short. They tend to shorten your leg, and are too formal for this look.

For an age-appropriate way to wear shorts, try these Dos:

	Do look for a simpler, sleeker line. A straight leg is best, especially when it fitted perfectly to your body. You’ll look taller and thinner!
	Do pick shorts with a flat front. Most women over 40 look better with a shirt tucked out to camouflage a bulge around the midsection, and flat front shorts is more flattering and less bunchy than pleats under a shirt.
	Do choose a short right at your, or just above, your knee. Your knee is likely to be the thinnest part of your leg, so you would want to draw the eye there by having your shorts cut off at the knee.
	Do wear a chunkier heel, wedge, or flat sandal with your shorts. It’s a hipper look and the right formality.