How do I put my thunder thighs in some cute shorts?

May 25, 2009 6:37 PM

I'm a fairly petite lady, but I have disproportionately large thighs and butt. Summertime is upon us and I'd love to wear some nice structured shorts (instead of my usual athletic style) once in a while. Fit is an issue. Any recommendations?

A little more info: I'm 5'4 and a size 4 usually, but this all depends on the cut of the particular item (my waist is more like a size 2, but my butt and thighs tend towards a 6 or 8 -- Joe's Honey jeans in a size 27 fit perfectly). Something like these is what I'd like to wear, but I've yet to find a style or brand that can accommodate my body. All the shorts I've tried that fit my butt and/or thighs gap like crazy in the waist.

I know bermudas are often suggested for big thighs, but I really dislike them, so those are out.

posted by telegraph to clothing, beauty, & fashion (6 comments total)

I have a similar butt / waist ratio, and I have found the Gap "curvy" line to be a lifesaver. They're cut to be roomier in the badonkadonk region, and then nip in at the waist. They don't offer shorts- just bermudas- but I imagine it would be relatively simple to get the bermuda's hemmed to the right length. Price is right, too.
posted by charmcityblues at 6:50 PM on May 25

i have a similar figure - i believe sir-mix-a-lot once described this silhouette as "little in the middle but she got much back." damn you bike-riding!

anyway, if i wear shorts, i wear vintage-style high-waisted ones. it emphasizes a nice skinny waist, and elongates the thighs and bum. i like them because they eliminate the gap-ing dilemma - the waist is fitted, but the cut is loose through the cuff. i usually roll the hem up on the longer styles which gives a little preppy/nautical vibe.

here are a couple of examples from etsy - i usually find mine in thrift stores. a search for "high waisted shorts" brings up over 250 listings.

red shorts for $10.00

blue 1950 shorts for $34.00
posted by chickadee at 6:55 PM on May 25

I always just buy them to fit the biggest part of me (thighs) and then I have the waist taken in. As long as they fit the biggest part, the rest is a matter of a good tailor.
posted by Lullen at 7:23 PM on May 25

I second Lullen. Buy a pair of shorts that fits your thighs and hips and have the waist taken in. It's quite simple for a tailor to make this kind of alteration and probably much less expensive than you realize.
posted by theantikitty at 8:44 PM on May 25

I'm somewhat similar to you in build, but a few inches shorter. I usually wear a 2, sometimes a 4.* "Mainstream" pants and shorts virtually never fit me. Then I started shopping at EMS and REI. Clothing from those stores (specifically the EMS and REI house brands, Patagonia, North Face, and Ex Officio) is built for women who have some muscle. I've had infinitely better luck purchasing clothing at those stores and it's really made shopping a lot less miserable. Of course those stores sell outdoor clothing, which luckily happens to be my style (plain, bold, colorful, no ruffles, no text, made in fabrics you can't destroy, high quality construction, environmentally sensitive materials available), but even if outdoor clothes aren't really your thing, most of those brands are starting to produce casual clothing made in the same sizes and fabrics as their athletic clothing. Especially Patagonia, which in my experience makes some really good quality stuff. You could check out some online stores, or go on over to your nearest EMS or REI and see if the stuff there fits you. I recently picked up a casual pair of North Face shorts in size 4 that fit very nicely. Good luck! I know how frustrating it can be to have nothing fit.

*At the GAP, however, even a 2 is humongous on me. This didn't used to be the case. Vanity sizing...
posted by Cygnet at 6:22 AM on May 26 [1 favorite]

doesn't quite answer your question, especially if you are looking definitively for shorts, but i've found that a solution to my own quest for the 'best-fitting-shorts' for my not-quite-perfect physique is a skirt. not super dressy skirts, but something i can wear with a T-shirt, often available at H&M. it meets your requirement of not being athletic, and i've found most skirts to be much more forgiving than most shorts.

sorry if it's not answering your question very well, but i thought i'd throw out how i've solved a similar issue...
posted by Tandem Affinity at 9:40 PM on May 26