Plus Size Shorts for Women: 7 Pairs and Their Inseams

Ten minutes into a walk, the hems of your shorts have crept up into your inner thighs and the waistband has started to fold over. Going up a size to stop the digging can leave the legs gaping and the rise sagging, and the shorts still ride up. Below are seven pairs of everyday shorts, in denim, linen and pull-on cuts, each with the inseam the brand prints, the front rise where it is given, and the size range each listing sells.

The quick answer

Shorts	Sizes sold	Price	Inseam
Universal Standard Briony Below the Knee Denim Shorts	00 to 40	$128	15.5 in, every size
Wildfang The Empower Wide Leg Short	0 to 18, 20W to 30W	$88	14 in for 20W to 30W
Lucy & Yak Sol Long Shorts	W24 (UK 6) to W50 (UK 30)	£59	38.5 cm, size not stated
Universal Standard Lou Loose Fit Denim Shorts	00 to 40	$125	9.5 in, every size
Big Bud Press Carpenter Shorts	XXS to 6XL	$134	Roughly 7 in
Universal Standard Juniper Linen Blend Easy Pull-On Shorts	4XS (00–0) to 4XL (38–40)	$128	6 in, every size
Lucy & Yak Charlie Relaxed Shorts	XS (UK 6) to 4XL (UK 32)	£35	11 cm

Inseam and rise: the two numbers that decide the fit

Inseam is the length of the inner leg seam, from the crotch to the hem. It sets how far down your thigh the hem sits. The quickest check is to measure the inseam of a pair of shorts that already stays put on you, then look for that figure or longer.

Front rise is the distance from the top of the waistband down the front to the crotch seam. It decides where the waistband lands. Universal Standard prints it per size on its charts: on the Briony, 14 inches at a 20 and 19 at a 40. Measure a pair you like the same way and compare.

Leg opening, on Universal Standard’s two denim charts, is the one to compare if hems cling or flare: a bigger number means more room at the hem.

Each brand labels its plus sizes differently. Universal Standard sells one run from 00 to 40, and its body measurement chart puts a 22 at a 45 to 47-inch natural waist and 54 to 56-inch hips. Wildfang adds W sizes from 20W to 30W. Big Bud Press uses unisex letters to 6XL, and Lucy & Yak uses UK sizes.

The seven

Universal Standard Briony Below the Knee Denim Shorts

$128 as of 28 Sep 2026 · 00 to 40 · View it on the brand’s site →

Denim shorts cut long, in 90 percent cotton, 8 percent polyester and 2 percent elastane, with what the listing calls its “signature high-rise fit”, and a fit note that reads “Runs True: We suggest you take your regular size.” The garment chart on the listing gives a 15.5-inch inseam for every size from 00 to 40, the longest inseam figure given for a stated size among the seven, and a front rise that runs from 14 inches at a 20 to 16 at a 30 and 19 at a 40.

Drawbacks: at 15.5 inches the hem sits well below a classic short, closer to a cropped jean, and the garment chart has no hip column, so check the brand’s body chart for fit through the seat.

Wildfang The Empower Wide Leg Short

$88 as of 28 Sep 2026 · 0 to 18, 20W to 30W · View it on the brand’s site →

A pleated, wide-leg short in 97 percent rayon and 3 percent spandex, with a tab front closure, zipper fly, and two slant and two back welt pockets. The listing gives a 12.5-inch inseam for sizes 0 to 18 and a 14-inch inseam for 20W to 30W, so the W sizes get the longer leg. Its body chart runs to a 56 to 59-inch waist and 65 to 67-inch hip at 30W. The listing pairs it with a vest for “a new take on suiting”.

Drawbacks: the listing says “High rise fit” but gives no rise measurement, and the W sizes stop at 30W.

Lucy & Yak Sol Long Shorts

£59 as of 28 Sep 2026 · W24 (UK 6) to W50 (UK 30) · View it on the brand’s site →

The listing calls Sol a “relaxed long line 5 pocket denim jort”, in 100 percent organic cotton denim, and gives one inside-leg figure: 38.5 cm, which is about 15 inches by our arithmetic. Sizes are W numbers with the UK size alongside, from W24 (UK 6) to W50 (UK 30), and the prices are in pounds.

Drawbacks: the listing does not say which size the 38.5 cm was measured on, and it gives no rise. Two neighbouring sizes are both labelled UK 20, W38 (UK 18-20) and W40 (UK 20), so the UK number alone cannot decide between them.

Universal Standard Lou Loose Fit Denim Shorts

$125 as of 28 Sep 2026 · 00 to 40 · View it on the brand’s site →

The listing calls it “the sister of our Lou jean”, with “the easy fit and wide leg”, in “a structured (but still stretchy) denim that holds its shape”, 59 percent cotton, 38 percent viscose and 3 percent elastane (the product data behind the listing gives a different blend, so check the label). Its fit note reads “Runs Generous: We suggest you size down.” The garment chart gives a 9.5-inch inseam in every size and a front rise of 14 inches at a 20, 15 at a 24 and 19.5 at a 40, with a leg opening of 29.5 inches at a 20 rising to 45 at a 40.

Drawbacks: 9.5 inches is 6 inches shorter than the Briony, so if your thighs push hems up, this may still ride.

Big Bud Press Carpenter Shorts

$134 as of 28 Sep 2026 · XXS to 6XL · View it on the brand’s site →

Heavy 14.5 oz, 100 percent cotton denim in a carpenter cut, with large patch pockets, a hammer loop, a YKK zipper, a button closure and elastic in the back of the waist. The listing says “These shorts have roughly a 7” inseam”, and the size run goes to 6XL. The back elastic suits you if a rigid waistband digs but you want a zip front.

Drawbacks: the sizing is “Unisex Sizing”, and the listing sends you to its Carpenter Jeans size chart rather than printing waist and hip numbers in the description, so check that chart before ordering. The listing text gives no rise figure.

Universal Standard Juniper Linen Blend Easy Pull-On Shorts

$128 as of 28 Sep 2026 · 4XS (00–0) to 4XL (38–40) · View it on the brand’s site →

A pull-on short with an elastic waist, hip pockets and back pockets, in 55 percent linen, 42 percent rayon and 3 percent elastane. The shorts chart gives a 6-inch inseam in every size and a front rise from 15 inches at M (18–20) and 15.5 at L (22–24) to 18.5 at 4XL (38–40). Its fit note reads “Runs True: We suggest you take your regular size.” It is the pick for a waistband that gives when you sit, and the listing pitches it for “all summer long”.

Drawbacks: a 6-inch inseam is short if your thighs push hems up, sizes come in pairs such as L (22–24) rather than single numbers, and the care line says lay flat to dry.

Lucy & Yak Charlie Relaxed Shorts

£35 as of 28 Sep 2026 · XS (UK 6) to 4XL (UK 32) · View it on the brand’s site →

A relaxed short in GOTS-certified organic cotton twill, with a “Fully elasticated waistband with drawstring for extra adjustment”, “Loose fitting around the hips”, and deep side pockets. The listing describes it as “Mid-thigh length but with room to roll” and gives an 11 cm inside leg.

Drawbacks: 11 cm is about 4.3 inches by our arithmetic, the shortest inseam of the seven, so it covers the least thigh, and the listing gives no rise.

How to choose

• Your thighs push hems up: go by inseam. The Briony at 15.5 inches, the Sol at 38.5 cm (about 15 inches, size not stated) and the Empower at 14 inches in W sizes are the long options. If you want lower on the leg than your current pair but not that long, the Lou at 9.5 inches sits between.
• The waistband digs: the Juniper (elastic waist) and the Charlie (fully elasticated waistband with a drawstring) are pull-ons. The Big Bud Press Carpenter Shorts keep a zip and button with elastic in the back.
• Waistbands land in the wrong place: compare the front rise of a pair you like with Universal Standard’s per-size rise. At a 22, the Briony and the Lou both list 14.5 inches, and the Juniper lists 15.5 at L (22–24).
• Hems cling or flare: the leg opening on the Universal Standard denim charts at a 22 is 32 inches on the Briony and 30.5 on the Lou. Wildfang describes the Empower as a wide leg.
• Athletic shorts: these seven are everyday shorts. Bike and training shorts are in plus size activewear.

Before you order

• Measure your waist and hips against the brand’s own body chart where it has one. Wildfang’s chart puts 20W at a 40 to 43-inch waist and 50 to 52-inch hip; Universal Standard’s puts a 20 at 43 to 45 and 52 to 54.
• Lucy & Yak sells in UK sizes and pounds. If you shop in US sizes, see UK to US size conversion before choosing, and check the price in your own currency at checkout.
• Sit and walk in them at home with the tags on to see whether the hems stay put.
• Read each store’s returns page before you buy.

The rest of our fit guides are in clothing and fit.

Where these numbers come from

Sizes, prices, fabrics, inseams, rises and quoted phrases are copied from each brand’s own product listing and the size charts shown on it, read on 28 September 2026; Universal Standard’s charts are images, which we transcribed. Prices are in US dollars except Lucy & Yak, which lists pounds sterling. The centimetre-to-inch conversions and the 6-inch difference between the Briony and Lou inseams are our arithmetic.

Frequently asked questions

What inseam should I look for if my shorts ride up my thighs?

Measure the inseam of a pair that stays put on you and look for that figure or longer. Of the seven here, Universal Standard's Briony Below the Knee Denim Shorts have a 15.5-inch inseam in every size from 00 to 40, and Wildfang's Empower Wide Leg Short has a 14-inch inseam in 20W to 30W. Lucy & Yak's Sol Long Shorts list a 38.5 cm inside leg without saying for which size.

Which of these shorts have an elastic waist?

Two are pull-on: Universal Standard's Juniper Linen Blend Easy Pull-On Shorts, listed with an elastic waist, and Lucy & Yak's Charlie Relaxed Shorts, listed with a fully elasticated waistband and a drawstring. Big Bud Press's Carpenter Shorts have a zip and button with elastic in the back of the waist.

What Universal Standard size are plus size shorts in?

Universal Standard sells one run from 00 to 40. On its body measurement chart, a 20 is a 43 to 45-inch natural waist and 52 to 54-inch hips, a 24 is 47 to 49 and 56 to 58, and a 40 is 70 to 74 and 80 to 84. Its linen shorts are sold in paired sizes, such as L (22–24).