Okay, excellent recommendations here. Can’t believe I never thought of The Gap or Banana Republic, especially considering I so frequently go to The Gap for basics.
Also, I may give Ann Taylor Loft another shot. I bought shorts from there last year that were okay, borderline momish, but acceptable. Now that they’re too big for me, they’re not going to cut it, but I’d settle for okay, and if I can find shorts like that again, I’d take 'em.
So all right! The hunt continues. With all the recommendations here, I sincerely hope I don’t have to bump this thread in a week. Gracias, all.
I just went through the same thing. I went shopping in early May, thinking I’d get a head start on shorts-hunting, because all my shorts are now too tight on me. I gave up, disappointed, and figured I’d try again later. June has been no different.
Everything is too short or the wrong shape. If they fit at the waist they’re too baggy everywhere else. Curse my muffin top.
I ended up buying a couple of skirts at TJ Maxx and a pair of capris at Old Navy. The capris give me a baggy butt but I needed something to wear on the weekends, and I give up.
And, for the record, I wear the same style of shorts now at 42 that I wore when I was 18 and I expect to wear when I’m 80. I may not be a fashion maven, but I’m sure the hell not going to start wearing Old Lady Clothes ever. I’m doing what my Mom does at age 75 - she wears what’s casual and fashionable at any age. Jeans, cute t-shirts, cute shorts. Nothing skimpy or teenybopper or slutty, but definitely the stuff you see advertised at many of the places mentioned in this thread.
Aw, you old ladies know I love you! And I know many women who do not enter the Death Of Fashion the day they hit 36. Was just trying to head off any “The elastic waistband shorts I got at Sears were just terrific!” is all.
One more question for those who love their shorts: Were any of these purchases recent? I ask because your favorite shorts you bought last year might not be there anymore, much like the copies of the shorts I loved from Old Navy which are long gone.
Mine were from last year, I have had no need to go back and get more. And they were from an outlet, so that means the style may have already been “out” at the normal stores.
If they fit, my clothes hang around until they perish from natural causes.
I’m another out-of-age-range interloper, but I’m putting in my Penney’s worth anyway:
JC Penney has been my go-to for shorts for a long time (BTW, the OP shops where I normally shop. JCP is generally a desperation stop…). They have a bigger selection of shorts (and skorts) than anyone else and recently my 21 yo daughter told me, “I’m going to borrow that skort,” :eek: “WHAT???” says I. To which she responds, “You can’t even tell it’s a skort, I meant I hate the ones that look like shorts in the back and a skirt in the front. That’s cute!”
I second the recommendations for Banana Republic, Ann Taylor and LOFT. I’ve recently gotten cute shorts at Talbots, which has gotten much more stylistically youthful. Then again, I’m a few years older than your age range, so maybe I’m showing my middle-age.
Draw string I can live with, but I have to draw the line at elastic waistbands.
Hmm, some of these aren’t bad, particularly the Nicole Miller shorts. Sadly, the nearest JCP to me is in East Shitsville, Nowhere and I’ve learned to not trust shorts that I haven’t first tried on.
Yes, Edward Bauer is my friend. Surprisingly enough, so too was Kohl’s, last time I had to buy cheap shorts - they had several that worked out well, and weren’t expensive either. And they’ve lasted a treat, and even if they don’t, they were cheap enough that I don’t care. They are basic names, like Lee, but they fit well and look decent, so I could care less what the label says.
Victoria’s Secret also has some shorts in the 5" range that might work. (I bought some boyfriend jeans from them that I loved loved loved. I’ve found their basics, like jeans and t-shirts, to be not bad, and they definitely have some choices that aren’t all about the sexy.) However, mail-order, so it might not be what you want.
I’m still trying to figure out why a trip to the zoo would warrant a pair of shorts when a skirt would do for seemingly all other occasions, save for a ride on a roller coaster.
worth anyway:
