I'm 5'4" and Struggle With Bike Shorts—These Are the Only 19 Pairs I'll Wear
Since I've been doing most of my exercising outdoors (which is new for me, since I'm typically an indoor workout class devotee), I've been wearing leggings a lot less and shorts a lot more this summer. I kind of thought the whole bike shorts trend had reached its peak last summer, but since comfort is undoubtedly the priority this summer, they're more popular than ever. Which brings me to my issue with them...
At 5'4", I err on the side of petite. And not sure if you've noticed, but most bike shorts that I come across have an 8-inch inseam or even longer. At my height, they hit at a very awkward place that I don't find to be flattering on me. I prefer a mid-thigh bike shorts situation as opposed to a just-above-the-knee one. I pretty much just avoided the trend last summer because of this but it's hard to do this time around, since I've put my leggings on hiatus. That said, all it took was a little more digging to find bike shorts with inseams of 7 inches and shorter, which is the magic length for my height. (In case you were wondering, a 6-inch inseam is the real sweet spot, in my opinion.)
Scroll to shop my favorite bike shorts if you, too, err on the side of petite, or just prefer shorter shorts in general.
I just bought this pair and they definitely live up to the hype—extremely comfortable and the perfect length. (Pro tip: Sizes and colors come in and out of stock often.)
Another pair I just purchased myself. I could list the many reasons why they're great but you'll see for yourself. (Hurry though—they're selling fast.)
More sizes available here.
Outdoor Voices never lets me down. I'd buy these in every color.
Amazon shoppers are obsessed with this holy grail pair (that comes in four different inseam options).
If you've tried Spanx leggings, you know how wildly flattering they are. These are just as much so.
The inseam is on the shorter side (4 inches), but aren't they cute?
You can find this cool, very affordable pair on Target.
I found an even more affordable pair for you, and they have that coveted 7-inch inseam.
This popular Amazon brand consistently gets excellent reviews.
These actually have an 8-inch inseam, but they're so soft and perfect that I couldn't not include them.
If you want a pair that's on the non-athletic side, you can't go wrong with these.
Here's the matching sports bra.
This knit pair will be your go-to lounging shorts.
Next up, 13 pairs of leggings and bike shorts I constantly get compliments on.
Allyson is a senior editor for Who What Wear. She joined the company in 2014 as co-founder Katherine Power's executive assistant and over the years has written hundreds of stories for Who What Wear. Prior to her career in fashion, Allyson worked in the entertainment industry at companies such as Sony Pictures Television. Allyson is now based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She holds a BFA in theater. Her path to fashion may not have been linear, but based on the number of fashion magazines she collected as a child and young adult, it was meant to be.
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