I'll be doing my spring cleaning in two months, and that includes weeding out old wardrobe items. I'm heading toward 50, but not there yet. I am a 10K runner, average weight, not skinny. I look good for my age, but I am not 20 years old anymore.

I am wondering what everyone thinks about shorts on a woman of average shape, fairly fit and not overweight. I've got those long bermuda shorts and 3/4 slim capris, which look pretty good. But I'm wondering if I should totally give up wearing the 5" and 6" length shorts now that I'm approaching 50.

Any ideas or opinions about this? Are many of you wearing knee length cotton skirts or dresses in summer instead?

Also, if you have any ideas about bikinis versus one pieces, I'd love to hear your thoughts. I'm open to new ideas.

I think shorts are always a concession to comfort because (to my eye) they never look as good as slacks but are much better for certain weather and activities. If you're happy with how they look, you should wear them-- particularly longer ones like you're describing. I'd say that even if you weren't in great shape, though it sounds like you are.

I don't think age is a strict guideline in this area-- I'm in my 20s and only wear maxi skirts, slacks and jeans because I have almost obscenely muscular legs and it makes me look big to reveal them. I wore the shorts that came over the knee a few times a couple of years ago when they were available everywhere.

If your legs are decent and without varicose veins, wear em. The older I get, the less I care what other people think.

I think shorts can look great on the certain wearers regardless of age. I, however can't pull them off, no matter the length. I tend to wear light weight cotton skirts and sun-dresses as well as capri pants in the summer.

As far as bathing suits go, I like tankinis. I never feel comfortable in one pieces because of my long torso.



-Noelle

I'm a couple of yrs older than you, also in good shape, and have admittedly made the concession myself to longer shorts -- i.e. at least a 7" inseam and preferably a 9" or anything that skims the top of my kneecaps.
And it was a tough decision --- as I play alot of golf and had to decide that the shorter stuff just had to be purged (no club dress code in this decision). I'm also conscientious about sun protection and decided that
capris, bermudas and longer skorts/skirts (lower thigh area - 2-3" above knee) were the prudent way to go -- easier than slathering on broad-spectrum sunscreen every couple of hours.

I have slightly shorter shorts still in the closet --- as we do a fair amount of cycling, hiking and mountaineering and if it's really warm and we're at lower elevations --- it's appropriate --- and I don't mind if I trash these in the brush or around a fire as well.

That's just personally how I feel about exposing my gams at my age.

Re the bathing suits -- also have a long torso -- and two piecers are more comfortable --- but I don't lie around alot sunbathing (none actually) sooo I have one of each style and just go with the venue (privacy)
as to where I'm at etc etc.

Lauermar, Sofiadurango has a good point--shorts can be fine if activity-appropriate. Even on younger people I don't like seeing shorts in cities or more sophisticated social occasions. For sport or in casual settings among friends and family, if you wear them well--why not?

MOST people know if they look good in them. I think most people will know when to stop.

I think they are perfectly fine - are we supposed to wear burkas after 40? I mean that jokingly, not disrespectfully towards you.

I think the key is to know what you're working with so far as legs and get the right length and cut accordingly. I have muscular legs that will tend to hold weight more now that I've rounded that 40 bend. I need to have mine to hit me at the "best" part of my legs which is wear the quad muscles naturally taper in because they are moving more into tendon but not quite. Experiment with length - it's all about showing exactly what you want and nothing you don't. I'd hate to think that I'd ever just not be able to wear at least knee-length clamdiggers, you know?

It all depends on what shape your legs are in. 40 is very young for ditching shorts for God's sakes. At 40 I was dancing in New York with the best dance teachers in the country. I think people at 40 are actually for the most part really great.

I just hate it when I see REALLY old ladies who are skinny but have sagging skin wear them. In Florida you see it ALL! Trust me.

It depends on how short they are, and whether or not you like your legs!

I'm a guy here and I hope I still look good in shorts after 50 years old here myself personally, LOL!!!

You know your legs better than the rest of us, but I'd guess that if you're running 10Ks, you have no problem. I don't like the way shorts look on me, but even so I won't give them up for exercising in hot weather or for gardening.

I gave up regular shorts with short inseams by the age of 10. Genetics and weight loss have played dirty, dirty tricks with me. My thighs border on the repugnant, and have since I was in my early 20's.

I wear Bermudas (or near-Bermudas), capris, or nuttin'.

Lauermar, I think there are two issues here:
-- are they flattering to your legs?
-- is that style of short still reasonably within fashion?

I used to be a bad one to wear the same shorts for years, just because they were still in good shape and they still fit me fine. But then I realized that the style of some of these things had gone out of fashion and made me look like an old fud.

If that style doesn't look reasonably current, I say treat yourself to some nice new shorts, in whatever length looks good on your legs.

It depends on your legs, not your age. That being said, few women past 45 or so look good in shorts.

I personally don't like to wear shorts. They bunch up on me, if you know what I mean, and I feel much cooler and think I look better in sundresses. However, if I DID think shorts felt cooler in the heat of summer, I would wear them even if I was 80, weighed 300 lbs., and only had one leg.

Uh, have you looked around lately?

If the shorts come to just above the knee, they are no worse than skirts. If they are high enough to expose varicose veins, spider veins and cellulite, then no.

I happily wear shorts - the legs are still good, no veins of any kind. I just have to shave if I'm going out in shorts (Would you believe I have spider veins on my face, not on my legs?).

I don't wear short shorts, but medium length to capri are fine on these legs.

I agree. It's just that you can't put an AGE on what and who looks good in shorts. It may look horrific on some and great on others. It's all about TASTE.
You gotta know when to hold um, know when to fold um............as the song goes.

I don't have time to read all the replies right now - I will later. I'm sure there's lots of good advice here. But I remember my friend went to France recently, and she said that only children wore shorts. The women would wear wonderful sundresses (with scrumptious bras underneath). Very feminine, she thought. I agree.

My legs are just not in the sun enough (even though I live in south Florida) they are too white. I'm not a huge fan of self tanners but......I would if I felt it necessary. If I was on a boat I'd definitly wear shorts. I wear some to walk in on the beach. I do wear capri's. That's about it. Short shorts? Not lately,.

I agree with others who say that the condition of your legs is the most important consideration namely sagging and vein exposure.

I live in a very sunny State and everyone wears shorts. It suits the climate, and we honestly don't mind what the legs on the wearer look like.

We're very used to shorts. (We know it's a sunny state - Queensland - because it has a highest skin cancer rate in the world). Everyone gets out in the sun..........too often.

Our sun is so hot you don't have to get out in it very often to get skin cancer.

We have a campgain that's been going for years - slip, slop, slap, ie, slip on coverup clothes, slop on suncreen and slap on a hat. The trouble is, most don't take any notice, and pay later.

I love little old ladies running around town active in shorts and t-shirts.

Perhaps when we are 20, wearing our Daisy Dukes is about seduction and attraction. But overall, in life, I think that shorts are a comfortable way to stay cool and be active in hot weather. Like wearing a bathing suit to swim. Or snow boots in the snow. Shorts make sense for certain places and times.

Do you actually think men refrain from wearing shorts lest their unsightly spider veins show? Bwa-ha-ha! It's laughable. They wouldn't do it. If shorts are what will make them comfortable, shorts are what they wear. Yet here we have a thread full of women of a certain age who are almost all saying "as long as the legs look ok" or "as long as there's no cellulite". This saddens me. Are women to be tsk-tsk-ed for wearing bathing suits on the beach past their physical prime, too?

My legs look like pure shite in shorts. I am between your 40 and 50 mark. I wouldn't wear them to a social event, because I'm too self-conscious to do so. But I do wear them for hanging about, running errands, etc. in the warm weather, and reserve the right to do so whether or not anyone thinks my legs are "good enough."

Bring on the saggy, baggy little old ladies, I say!

Amen! There isn't anything else to say, afaic.

Ruby said it better than I could have dreamt of , so thirding !

Jill, you said it, girlfriend.

I'm with Jill, too. Well said!

It depends on figure and face if you're asking purely from an aesthetics angle.

I gave them up at about 45. I figured if it was that hot, I'd wear a cotton skirt or a dress.

Jill, on paper I'm totally with you. The world is not the sole province of the young and nubile. Totally agree. Really. But in practice, it's not reasonable. My legs truly do approach the grotesque. Now, while my hips are not as wide as this person's, my thighs resemble the before pic here:



I cannot wear shorts without being stared at. I like being stared at about as much as the next person, which is to say I don't like it at all. So I don't wear shorts. Ain't happenin'.

I don't see why more women don't wear sundresses. They are so flattering and so cool. Most people aren't that active, so don't need to wear shorts.

Altodiva, have you had a consultation with a dermatologist to see about getting your veins removed?

PM, it's got nothing to do with veins and everything to do with sagging skin. It's not a medical necessity (an aesthetic necessity, yes, but a medical necessity, no), so insurance will not cover the skin removal.

Ans sundresses are murrrrr-derrrr for people whose thighs meet. Can you say "prickly heat?" Yuck.

I think it's about 1. practicality and function and 2. proportion and taste. So 1: Do shorts serve best for the activity and conditions you will be using them for? Are they comfortable and do they contribute to better ease of movement. If the answer is yes, then wear them. If you care about aesthetics, then move on to 2: Is the style of the shorts in good taste, and does the length look right in proportion to the rest of my body? In my little world, Daisy Dukes are never in good taste unless maybe you're on the beach and you want to throw something on to walk to the bathrooms, but even then, there are beautiful sarongs one can use instead. My m-i-l is 73 and used to be a tennis pro - she still plays tennis every day in typical short white tennis skirt. She has varicose veins, but I don't begrudge her wearing her tennis outfit to play tennis - it's great that she can still play, and she plays much better than many ladies half her age.

I make a distinction between short shorts and Bermuda shorts. The latter are ok for any age, if you are comfortable in them; the former belong on the young.

A flowing skirt in a lightweight material that catches the breeze is not only cooler and more comfortable than shorts in hot weather but also far more attractive on the vast majority of women.

Take this considering the source, of course. I don't think dyed hair makes anyone look younger, either, but if you want to be blonde or brunette rather than gray at any age, or if you want to wear shorts regardless of how you look, I say, just go for it.

So true! Also, most sundresses are made of light, thin, semi-see through, material that requires a slip underneath (if you are going to be out in public.) I desest wearing slips in hot weather...

I guess this thread freaks me out because I just turned 40 and I see alot of women whose pics look like they would have lovely legs (Mags, for example) posting that they gave up shorts in their 40's. What happened, if I may be forward? Or is just a personal conviction of age-appropriateness? I still wear shorts and I'm not liking the idea that they will be...."wrong" in some sense in 5 short years.

I know many 50 year olds who look great in shorts. When you live in a warmer climate, it's pretty normal for people to dress more casually and show more skin, no matter what their age. If I were 55 and moved into a retirement community in South Florida, and all the 70 and 80 year old chicks were running around in shorts, I wouldn't think twice about wearing shorts. It's all about what is appropriate for the setting and what you feel comfortable wearing (both physically and psychologically comfortable).

I always see plenty of cotton and rayon prints that aren't see through. I never wear anything under them. I wish I could find a seersucker sundress.

I don't think it matters if one's legs look good or not. If you want to wear shorts, wear 'em. If it offends somebody's eyes, tell 'em to look elsewhere. Your legs don't exist for their viewing pleasure.

In other words, what Ruby said.

I like sundresses too - but it's hard to buy them in cotton, with short sleeves and a decent length that aren't cut in a style for someone twice my age - yeah, 100.

I like them to at least be stylish.

I saw a very old little lady today.........wearing shorts. She looked great! Her legs were great and she was very tiny. Obviously exercised a lot.

Oh thank you, but I wish! My legs are strong but not my best feature. Spider veins and the "untight" look that have happened with age don't meet my standards for myself. I look muuuuuch better with clothes on than off.

Hmm, I don't really wear shorts in public any more unless I'm out hiking or running, and I'm 41, pushing 42.

You can always recognize American tourists in France because they are the only ones wearing shorts. ;-) I think as I continue to grow older I will stick with pants or dresses. I know I personally don't enjoy looking at saggy varicose-veined legs, so I won't inflict them on others.

I made my own decision not to wear shorts (fishbelly white , TEH chub), anyone else wants to wear them they can knock themselves out cus I aint lookin'.

Age has nothing to do with it. How do your legs look? I think cellulite should be covered and muscles should be flaunted. I do not like it when I hear people say, "she's too old to wear that". This statement was made about a personal trainer in her 40s who is rail thin and muscular. She's fit and does wear short shorts. Why not, she's worked really hard to look great in short shorts? When I hear statements like that, I think the speaker is just jealous. BTW, three months a regular lunges and squats will do amazing things to transform legs and bottoms. When your DH says, "Wow, nice bottom" you'll beam with pride.

I agree. For active sports, or gardening, or hanging around the house, there's no reason not to wear shorts, regardless of age or the appearance of your legs. For city wear, there are more appropriate outfits, even in the hottest weather, again, regardless of age. A tourist in a big city dressed for the beach should not be surprised if she is not be treated as well as one dressed more formally.

I'm with Sandra on this one. I don't think anyone is telling women not to be comfortable, or to hide their bodies, but it's just a matter of what looks good when you're out in public. Personally, I think shorts look good only on the very young.

In that hilarious but really didactic book Elegance, by Genevieve Darriaux, she says something on this subject, about women and knees:

"Pour vivre heureux, vivons, caches" --"'To stay happy, stay hidden.'

I haven't worn shorts since I hit puberty.

If I had to cover every one of my body parts that might be considered unattractive by our current cultural standards, I'd have to wear a burkha. The older I get, the less I worry about it.

When you're in the nursing home and you dress yourself - anything goes!