Right Fits: Best Shorts for Athletic Legs

By LL in KC

As athletic ladies, sometimes it can be a challenge to find clothes that fit correctly on a more athletic build. Certain styles, such as cap sleeve shirts, can end up negating a fit body by making it look larger than it really is. I find this to be the biggest problem with shorts. Whereas I am in no way ashamed of my athletic legs, I just cannot be comfortable in a pair of shorts that is too tight around my thighs. The other day I was having a conversation about this with one of my co-workers who used to play soccer at Creighton University. She was complaining about not being able to find shorts that did not make her legs look like sausages squeezed into casings. I gave her some advice on where I shop for shorts and I am going to share that with you all here.

Here are my top three brands for shorts that look good on athletic legs:

1. LOFT (available here)
I like LOFT for multiple reasons, but recently I have been very happy with their options for shorts. They have a few different inseams (my favorite is the 4") and a few different leg openings. I talked about some of the great prints LOFT has available here, causing Jess to go out and pick up a pair. One work of advice, LOFT shorts tend to run a little on the big side, so make sure to try them on to be sure what size you will need.

2. J. Crew (available here and here)
J. Crew can be hit or miss with the cut of their shorts. But, I have had good luck there this summer. They also have a variety of inseams. The 3" is pushing a little too short for anyone over 30, but they also offer a 5" inseam. Currently, the factory store has huge variety of colors - perfect for spring/summer.

3. Old Navy (available here)
Old Navy is another great, cheap alternative. They have a pretty good color selection and have both a 3" and 5" inseam. One issue is that the store sells out of most sizes fairly quickly, so you might need to make a guess as to your size and order online.