How to Wear Shorts When You Have Short and Stumpy Legs?

How to Wear Shorts When You Have Short and Stumpy Legs?

by Anonymous

Hayden Panettiere and her petite figure and short legs/Broad Image

Just wondering what kind of shorts I can wear which create longer looking legs?

I've steered away from wearing shorts all my life as I've got short stumpy legs compared to the rest of my body. They are in proportion with the rest of my body in regards to size/width & weight, it's just the length that is a little out.

I hope you can help, as I've found nothing on this except to lose weight, which is what im already doing!

If you want to elongate your legs you need to aim for one, unbroken looking 'line'. I don't know if you've noticed, but there are specific items that tend to visually 'chop up' your body, making your legs look wider and shorter, like for example contrasting (ex. light blue denim on dark denim) cuffed denim shorts and horizontal fade creases, just to mention a few. These details are what you should avoid.

Now just because women have short, stubby-looking legs, it doesn't mean they're completely restricted from wearing shorts. It's in what style and cut you choose. Here are examples of what type of shorts make your legs look longer and leaner:

Shorts for Short and Muscular Legs

1. Mini Denim Shorts/ 2. Bermuda Denim Shorts/ 3. 3. Beige High Waist Mini Shorts/ 4. Striped Shorts/ 5. Black Dressy City Shorts

Shorts that are above the knee are a flattering length for anyone (well, except for those who have really long legs compared to the rest of their body). The more skin showing, the better. I know it sounds scary to bare it when you're self-conscious about your legs but trust me, your legs will look leaner. My calves are a bit muscular, making my legs look a bit thick but whenever I put on a pair of mini shorts (and wedge/platform heels) they appear slimmer and longer.

Below-the knee and anything that hits the widest part or the top of your calves are a no-no because they bring attention to your wide calves and make you look shorter. If you're Petite then above-the-knee is ideal because longer hems tend to empower your height. An exception is long skirts but these need to be fitted around the hips to have a slimming effect.

High waist shorts tricks the eye into believing your legs start at a higher point than they actually do. But to avoid shortening your waist with high waist I suggest you match the shorts with a top in a similar color to avoid chopping up your upper half.

Bermuda and boyfriend shorts are an excellent choice if you don't like the thought of showing off your thighs. They fall above the knee but are longer than mini shorts and look more dressy-casual than denim shorts.

Shorts with vertical details such as piping, pleats and vertical rows of buttons, create a strong vertical line and make your lower body look longer.

Shorts in a similar color to oyur skin such as beige and tan help elongate your legs without chopping it up like contrasting black and dark blue.

How to Visually Lengthen Your Legs

Shoes that match with the color of your skin (like for example nude, tan/light brown, dark brown/black) worn with shorts, skirts and dresses add inches to your legs. Matching your shoes with the color of your shorts (for example black) looks nice but it is a height suicide for your legs if you're for example light-skinned because the contrast 'chops' them up. Matching your shoe color and your hose color will also provide the same lengthening effect.

For colder months, try wearing black opaque tights with dark colored shorts and black jacket/sweater to create a streamlined look for your legs.

Heels can make any legs look instantly longer and leaner but make sure you pick the right style for the shape and thickness of your legs. The right style for your short and wider-looking legs would be shoes with a little bit of a platform sole and/or sturdy heels will complement them. Compared to very skinny girls you can pull off platforms and thicker-shaped heels without the shoes looking like bricks on thin sticks. Ankle straps shorten your legs unless they're shaped as a 'T' - think T-straps.

PS: Pilates work-out along with interval training and stretching help making your legs leaner. It worked for me!

I hope this solves your worries!