The apple-shaped women may find it challenging to find the right shorts because you carry weight in the tummy but at the same time have very slender legs. You need the right styles of shorts to accommodate and camouflage the muffin top, but also show off your shapely legs. In this detailed guide, we’ll take a closer look at your body traits first and then walk you through the most flattering shorts styles for your body type.
Traits
Apple body shapes are very lucky in terms of perfectly flaunting a pair of shorts and this is because of the fact that their legs are one of their best assets! Before we take a look at the shorts styles that can work for you, let’s talk about the traits of an apple-shaped woman in detail first.
- Your legs are always lean and shapely. You never gain weight in your legs so they always keep a slim and shapely appearance.
- The width of your shoulders and hips is symmetrical. The measurements of the two are very close, usually within 5% of each other.
- You tend to have a flat bottom. Your bottom half doesn’t usually gain so much weight as well, resulting in less pronounced buttocks.
- You gain excess weight in your stomach area. This is considered the apple figure’s biggest weakness and this causes the midsection area to bulge and look larger than the rest of the body.
- There’s almost no definition in your waistline. The curved indentation your waist is supposed to have tends to get overwhelmed by the extra weight you carry in your midsection.
- You have full and well-shaped breasts. Another best feature you have is that your bust size is full and the shape of your breasts is noticeably round and voluptuous.
Now that you know that shorts can be your apple figure’s best friend, let’s dive into the specific styles that would look best on you!
High-rise Denim Shorts
One of the major issues apple shapes struggle with is their full, bulging tummy. The easiest and most effective way to address this is to go for a high-rise waistband as it sits at or slightly above your natural waistline, strategically camouflaging your midsection area.
High-rise shorts obviously offer more coverage and support around the midsection and this effect also enhances comfort by providing a snug fit that doesn’t bunch. This coverage also serves as a tummy control panel to prevent the appearance of a muffin top.
Additionally, this particular style can visually elongate your legs by bringing attention upwards and therefore highlight the slimness and length of your legs. By choosing the right length that exposes enough portions of your legs, you can further enhance this elongating effect.
Flat Front Shorts
The last thing you’d want for your apple-shaped body is additional bulk around the area of your midsection! We wouldn’t want such unnecessary volume so one of the most effective ways to keep your silhouette clean and streamlined is to go for flat front shorts.
The absence of pleats or excessive detailing at the front part of this style of shorts creates vertical, elongating lines that help keep the focus on your lean legs, instead of your heavy stomach area. This will effectively give your entire frame a more proportionate balance and a leaner stature.
Since flat front shorts feature a minimalist design and clean structure, they would be much easier to style with a number of different top styles. You may go for draping tops or do a half tuck and still not worry about the appearance of extra bulk in your frame.
Cotton Shorts with Elastic Waistband
If you carry a bit of extra weight in your midsection area and are not too sure about your waistline size, cotton shorts that come with elastic waistbands will be your safest bet. Elastic waistbands offer a comfortable and adjustable fit, which is important in terms of accommodating that bulge you most likely have in your stomach.
The stretchy nature of the elastic waistband allows the shorts to hug your waist without feeling overly tight or restrictive. Additionally, traditional waistbands, like those with zippers and buttons, can sometimes dig into the extra fat you have in your midsection and create unflattering bulges.
By wearing shorts that have a stretchy elastic waistband, you’ll be able to distribute pressure more evenly, reducing the possibility of a muffin top appearing.
Dark-Colored Shorts
The beauty of dark colors lies in their ability to provide your body with a slimming effect by cleverly playing with shadows and depth. This can be very helpful in terms of subtly camouflaging the bulk you have in your tummy area.
Since dark colors tend to not attract attention at all, this is a very effective way to steer the gaze away from your waist and redirect it towards your slender legs instead. Moreover, the elongating silhouette achieved by the fact that the shorts are fitted can make you appear taller, more balanced, and more streamlined.
Flowy A-Line Shorts
A-Line shorts feature a snug waistband and a silhouette that gently flares toward the opening of the shorts. This results in a roomier and more comfortable fit that midsection-heavy apple figures will find very beneficial.
The A-Line design of the shorts naturally highlights the narrowest point of your waist by cinching it, which is a great way to create the illusion of a defined waistline. In addition to the A-shaped silhouette, the flowy fabric of the shorts also creates movement in your outfit and therefore draws attention away from the midsection to shift the focus down to your legs.
Flowy A-Line shorts add volume to the lower part of your body to balance out the proportions between your more prominent upper body and leaner lower body. This visually harmonizes the imbalances in your figure and creates a more even distribution of volume.
Streamlined Pleated Shorts
The combination of the streamlined silhouette of the shorts and the subtle pleating that runs along the waistband work harmoniously to enhance your best features and conceal your areas of concern. The pleats add depth and room to accommodate your heavy midsection without adding unnecessary bulk to the midsection.
In addition to this, the pleats also help elongate the legs by creating vertical lines visually. Such details divert attention from the waist and therefore keep a streamlined fit that smooths over the bulging abdomen area.
Structured Shorts with Tummy Control
The tummy control feature in shorts can be especially helpful for apple figures who struggle with a big belly. This features shaping panels or seams to help smooth and flatten the appearance of your midsection, addressing your concerns with a bulging tummy or muffin top.
Structured shorts often come with a tailored and fitted design around the waist, which helps give definition to the waistline and create curves similar to hourglass body proportions. This balances the proportions between your upper and lower body.
Moreover, structured shorts typically have a straight or slightly tapered leg design and this particular feature elongates the appearance of the legs. This structure and design creates the illusion of height to make your figure appear more slender and proportional.
Straight-Leg Shorts
Shorts that come in a straight-leg design are considered universally flattering and therefore quite easy to pull off, even for apple-shaped women who carry extra weight in the midsection area. Straight-leg shorts help create a sense of balance within your frame by maintaining a consistent width from the waist to the hem.
This balanced line allows even distribution of attention and therefore hides the fact that you have a heavier and thicker midsection area. Straight-leg shorts create a streamlined and structured look that enhances the slimness of your legs and this clean silhouette will also help divert focus from the midsection to the legs.
Neutral-colored Skorts
Skorts, which are basically a hybrid clothing style between shorts and a skirt, also have visually beneficial features that can totally enhance your apple body shape’s best features. Additionally, having them in neutral colors can draw less attention to your heavier stomach area and instead shift the focus on the legs and de-emphasize the significant weight you have in the midsection.
Skorts are also usually shorter in length, which opens up a perfect opportunity for you to showcase your beautiful, slim legs! This is also while you’re enjoying the superior comfort that most skorts offer because they minimize the possibility of exposure despite active movements.
Avoid Paper Bag Shorts
You would want to consider avoiding paper bag shorts due to certain style considerations that might not be the most flattering for your Apple figure, especially because of the fact that you carry more weight in your midsection. Paper bag shorts can sure be comfy and trendy, but the gathered fabric they have along the waistband won’t be friendly for your heavy abdomen area.
Paper bag shorts typically draw attention to the waist area due to their distinct waist details such as a gathered waistline. This fabric gathering adds an unnecessary amount of extra volume to the waist and stomach area, making this region bulkier than it already is.
Avoid Shorts with Wide Belts
For apple shapes who are trying to camouflage the appearance of their heavy midsection, shorts featuring wide belts can only make things more unflattering and disproportionate for your figure. Wide belts will definitely draw attention to your waist and this could accentuate the very part of your body that you are seeking to downplay.
Additionally, as an apple-shaped woman, you don’t have waist definition at all compared to other body types, so wearing a wide belt at the waist could create a distinct horizontal line that will visually divide your body into two parts, potentially making the appearance of your waist appear even wider and bulkier.
This also distracts the focus away from your apple figure’s best strengths such as your legs. This is because the wide belt will attract too much attention.
Avoid Low-rise Shorts
Low-rise shorts have a waistband that sits lower on the hips, right below your stomach so this style choice won’t be able to hold the extra weight you have in your midsection. As a result, your belly will bulge even further and it’ll cause an unflattering look on your figure.
Additionally, wearing shorts with a low-rise waistband can make you look shorter by taking more space in your lower body. This leads the gaze to your waist and belly rather than have the eyes focus on your legs.
Avoid Tight Bermuda Shorts
Bermuda shorts offer style, as well as comfortable length, which might make it tempting for you to wear one. While Bermuda shorts are not always a bad choice, they become quite unflattering for apple body shapes when they are too tight.
Tight Bermuda shorts may cause digging into your midsection and this will cause your belly to spill or bulge even more. Apart from the fact that they can make your frame look unbalanced and awkward, the tight or clingy nature of the Bermuda shorts can also be very uncomfortable for someone who carries more weight in their tummy.
Avoid Short Shorts
Short shorts can actually be a good choice if you want to show off your legs but the thing is, they are also quite tight in nature so they may highlight your heavier midsection even further. Short shorts tend to have a waistband that clings too close to the waist so this tight fit often results in a muffin top and is therefore deemed unflattering for apple-shaped women who gain all their excess weight in the abdomen area.
Because of this tightness, they may also cause discomfort and therefore limit your movements. As a style alternative, you can still go for shorts that are shorter in length but opt for those with a wider leg opening for a more comfortable and balanced appearance.