By Brittney Hensman (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: July 16, 2014
Let’s talk about shorts.
It’s a warm sunny day and you, wanting to embrace it for all it’s worth, decide to put on a pair of shorts. Great — but shorts are a tricky thing to sport when you’re not running a race or headed to the pool.
Shorts can be a great alternative option on a hot day when the thought of wearing pants makes you want to faint from suffocation. However, choosing the right pair of shorts is important.
Consider the high-waisted cut-offs, or the loosely fitted romper “bloomers.” It’s a style derived from some of our 1980s fashion trends, utilizing floral patterns or acid-washed denim with fringes and fashionably designed holes.
These styles have a few flaws which are essential to point out before you consider jumping on the “high-rise” short-shorts bandwagon.
Let’s start with the cut. High-waisted bottoms can often give the backside an elongated appearance because there is no separation from the buttocks with the lower back. You can avoid this by wearing an open cardigan or blazer with your high-waisted bottoms. It cuts your back nicely and leaves that high-waisted look for the front.
There’s another drawback in wearing high-waisted short-shorts: the fabric always finds a way to ride up. As there is not enough material on your legs to hold the leg cuffs down, they manage to inch up with every bend you make, and the fabric becomes wedged into all crevices of that region since they sit so high on the waist. If they are of the scrunchy waistband type (which are notorious for cinching themselves up into the smallest part of your body), this gradual rise lifts the portion of your shorts intended to cover the lower half of one’s buttock and therefore exposes your bum.
You can avoid this conundrum by finding shorts that are cut and fitted properly to your body. A cuff around the legs (with at least a half-inch of space between the material and your leg) and a well-fitted natural waistline are great factors to a classy pair of shorts. As for length, keep it five to six inches above the knee. And if worn in a high-waisted fashion, they need to have a bit of structure (denim doesn’t count). Pair them with a simple skinny belt and a tucked-in blouse — or baby-doll buttoned tank — and you’ll have Audrey Hepburn’s chic style written all over you.
