How to wear shorts over 60 (2024)

Are shorts appropriate if you’reapproaching your 60s? Of course they are! Choose the right pieces and put yourlook together carefully, and you can be stylish, elegant and 60+ in yourshorts.

Shorts are an ideal choice in allkinds of situations, especially when the weather starts to heat up. They canalso be a more practical choice than skirts, especially if you’re very activeor you’re not always comfortable in shorter skirts. If you love shorts, don’tlet your age put you off wearing them.

Unless you’ve been working hard inthe gym and have well-toned upper thighs you really want to show off, the mostflattering length of shorts for people over sixty tends to be just above orright on the knee. Not everyone feels comfortable in very short shorts,especially if you wear something revealing on top too. If you feel comfortablethen by all means go for it, but an overly skimpy outfit may not be your cup oftea.

To feel fabulous in shorts, choosea pair that flatters your gorgeous shape - rather than fights against it. It’sall about balancing your proportions. So, for example:

● Ifyou have wide hips, choose shorts that have minimum pocket detail or pattern(as this will draw attention to the area) and are a dark colour to play downyour lower half.

● Ifyou have wide shoulders and narrower hips, you can go for shorts with pleats,patterns and more volume in the leg to add more visual weight to the bottomhalf of your silhouette.

● Ifyou are an hourglass shape, you can enhance this by choosing shorts that showoff your waist. You can do this with nearly any pair, just make sure you tuckin tops or add a belt to really accentuate that waistline and balance out yourtop and bottom halves.

● Ifyou’re tall or short, colour matters when putting the whole look together. Tallwomen should wear their shorts with tops that are darker, while lighter topsare a good idea for people who are shorter. A final couple of rules to remember- always go for the best quality shorts you can find, and avoid shorts that aretoo tight.

You can’t beat a pair of denim foreveryday wear in the summer months. They are timeless, and perfect for womenover sixty. Choose denim shorts that are just above the knee, and wear with asimple T-shirt, top or tunic for a laid-back look.

Linen and linen-look shorts are also a good wardrobestaple for summer. Choose a pair in a neutral colour and you can wear them withabsolutely everything.

Depending on your workplace and howformal it is, shorts can be a great choice for hot summer days when you simplycan’t bear to wear trousers. Stick to dark colours, in bermuda or knee-lengthshorts, and wear with a crisp white shirt and brogues or sandals for afashion-forward look.

Striped shorts can also work insemi-formal environments, but make sure to keep the rest of your outfitneutral.

White bermuda shorts are theperfect choice of holiday shorts for women over 60. They will soon become oneof your favourite wardrobe staples - honestly, you’ll wear them all the time.They’re classic, understated, elegant and timeless, and they go with so manythings. Pair with a striped T-shirt or navy blue top in the daytime, or with afloral or bright print blouse for evening strolls along the beach beforedinner.

Floral patterns and brightercolours are also perfect for holidays, especially in the evenings when wornwith a pair of heeled sandals.

When you’re sixty or over, it’s notso much the shorts you choose. It’s how you wear them, and the accessories youchoose. When deciding what to wear with shorts, bear the following in mind:

● Loosertops tend to work best with shorts, but avoid styles that are too baggy as theymay swamp your shape. Floaty tops, blouses and shirts are a good complement toshorts, and they’re perfect for keeping cool in hot summer temperatures.Remember that you can always partially or fully tuck in your top if you want tocreate a more shapely silhouette.

● Accessoriesare everything. A pair of fabulous shoes, a touch of elegant jewellery and agorgeous tote bag can create a sophisticated, perfectly pulled-together look.It’s the difference between stylish, and a shorts look that doesn’t quite workfor the situation or the age of the wearer.

● Neutralcolours and classic stripes always work well with shorts. You can’t go wrongwith a simple colour palette - think navy blue, white, black and cream/linen. Acombination of these colours in your shorts, and in nautical-inspired stripedtees, plain shirts and tunics, works wonderfully. You’ll create a capsulewardrobe for summer that never goes out of fashion, and that works forholidays, everyday occasions, work and formal situations too.

● Sandalsare perfect with shorts. If you aren’t sure which shoes to wear with yourshorts, sandals are always a safe bet. Sandals also come in a vast variety ofdifferent styles, from heeled sandals with a touch of sparkle for evening wearall the way through to casual thong sandals ideal for the beach.