How Do I Find My Size in Shorts?

By Ella Blake, Tellar Stylist | Tellar Fashion Hub

Finding your size in shorts is mostly about knowing three measurements — your waist, your hips, and your inside leg — and understanding which one to prioritise depending on the style. It sounds straightforward, and it is, once you've stopped doing what I used to do: guessing based on your jeans size and hoping for the best. I once ordered a pair of tailored city shorts from Zara in my usual size and they zipped up absolutely fine — but I genuinely could not sit down in them. The waist fit, the hips were a disaster. That was the day I started actually measuring myself before buying shorts online, and I haven't had a return since.

The Measurements That Actually Matter

Grab a soft tape measure and jot these down — keep them in your phone so you've always got them when you're browsing online:

Waist: Measure around your natural waist — the narrowest part of your torso, usually a couple of inches above your belly button. Keep the tape snug but not tight.
Hips: Measure around the fullest part of your hips and bottom, usually about 20–23cm below your natural waist. This is crucial for any shorts that aren't elasticated.
Inside leg / inseam: This tells you where the shorts will actually sit on your leg. Measure from your crotch to wherever you want the hem to hit — mid-thigh, just above the knee, or below.
High hip / seat: Some brands measure here for fitted styles — it's about 10cm below your natural waist and across the widest part of your seat. Worth knowing if you carry more volume there.

Once you have these, ignore the label size entirely and go straight to the brand's size guide. Compare your measurements to their chart, and if you're between sizes, always size up for shorts — the alternative (not being able to actually move in them) is infinitely worse.

Which Measurement Takes Priority?

This depends entirely on the style of shorts you're buying:

Tailored or structured shorts (think city shorts, wide-leg, linen): fit by your hips first. You can have a waistband taken in; you cannot magic extra fabric across the seat.
Denim shorts: fit by your waist first if they're straight-cut, or hips if they're more fitted through the thigh. Denim doesn't have much give unless there's a stretch component in the fabric.
Elasticated waist shorts (casual, linen, jersey): these are the most forgiving — usually a bust or hip measurement works fine. Size by hip if in doubt.
Shorts with a belt: don't be fooled into sizing down — the belt is decorative, not structural. Still go by your measurements.

The Inside Leg Trap

Here's something brands rarely flag clearly: the same size shorts can have wildly different inseam lengths depending on the brand. A size 12 "mid-thigh" short at H&M might hit several centimetres higher or lower than the same descriptor at Anthropologie. Always check the actual inseam measurement listed in the size guide — not just the description. If they don't list it, look at the product images and pay attention to where the hem sits on the model, then check her height in the model info. It's a faff, but it saves a lot of disappointment.

For shorter women (under 5'4"), this matters enormously. A "long" short can look like a mid-length skirt. For taller women, "mid-thigh" can creep significantly higher than intended. Know your inseam before you commit.

Denim Shorts: A Special Note

Denim shorts deserve their own section because they behave differently to every other fabric. A few things worth knowing:

Raw denim shorts won't stretch — size up by one, especially across the thighs and seat.
Stretch denim (anything with elastane in the fabric composition) will give — size true to your waist measurement.
High-waisted denim shorts often run small in the rise — if you have a longer torso or a higher natural waist, check the rise measurement (waistband to crotch) before buying.
Distressed or cut-off styles are often listed in waist measurements in inches (24, 26, 28 etc.) rather than UK dress sizes — convert using a size guide before ordering.

High Street Picks Worth Your Time

Not all high street shorts are equal — here's where I'd genuinely start shopping, based on fit, quality and what the fashion press has consistently rated highly:

Mango — Consistently brilliant for tailored and linen shorts. Their wide-leg styles are a particular strength, and the sizing runs pretty true across the range.
ASOS — Unbeatable for variety and they include actual inseam measurements in their listings, which is genuinely more helpful than most. Great for petite and tall ranges too.
Abercrombie & Fitch — Quietly become one of the best for denim shorts. Their curve love range is excellent for fuller hips, and their sizing guide is thorough.
Gap — Underrated for classic chino and linen shorts. Their size guides are detailed, and the quality-to-price ratio is solid, especially mid-season.
White Stuff — Brilliant for relaxed linen and cotton shorts in a slightly more grown-up cut. Sizing tends to be generous so you may want to size down one.
Boden — Excellent for classic styles in good quality fabrics. Their fit notes are unusually honest — they actually tell you if something runs small or has a shorter rise.
River Island — Great for on-trend denim styles at low prices. Size up in the denim, especially anything with a straight or barrel leg cut.
Phase Eight — A gem for smarter tailored shorts in premium fabrics. Their wide-leg and pleated styles are elegant and the fit is reliably consistent season to season.

Premium & Designer Options

Paige — The gold standard for denim shorts. Their inseam and rise measurements are listed in full, and the quality of the denim is exceptional. Worth every penny if denim shorts are a wardrobe staple for you.
Citizens of Humanity — Another premium denim brand where the sizing is precise and consistent. Excellent for curvier figures — the cuts accommodate hips and thighs beautifully.
Reiss — For tailored city shorts, Reiss delivers every time. Slim-cut styles run narrow across the hips — always check the hip measurement before ordering.

Two Independent Brands to Discover

Nobody's Child — A fantastic UK independent doing brilliant printed and linen shorts in inclusive sizing. Ethical production, great fit notes, and genuinely lovely fabrics.
Beaumont Organic — A small British sustainable brand producing beautifully cut linen and organic cotton shorts. Their size guide is detailed and accurate, and the quality is far above the price point.

Petite, Tall & Plus: Don't Settle for the Standard

If you're petite, tall, or shop in plus sizes, mainstream shorts sizing can be genuinely frustrating — and the inseam problem I mentioned earlier is amplified. A few tips:

Petite: Look for brands with dedicated petite ranges — ASOS, Next, and Boden all offer them. Avoid regular-length shorts unless the listed inseam is under 4 inches.
Tall: ASOS Tall, Gap tall, and Abercrombie & Fitch are your best bets for an inseam that actually covers what it should.
Plus sizes: ASOS Curve and Abercrombie's curve range are leading the high street for fit-forward plus sizing in shorts. Both measure by hip and provide detailed fit info.

📏 Find Your Exact Shorts Size at Every Brand — Instantly

The fastest way to stop guessing and start shopping confidently? Tellar.co.uk — the UK's leading free sizing tool. Enter your measurements once and Tellar instantly matches you to the right size across 1,500+ brands. It works for shorts, jeans, dresses, everything.

Use the Store Size Lookup to find your precise size at brands like ASOS, Reiss, Mango, Boden, Abercrombie & Fitch and hundreds more — no size guide squinting required.
Read The Ultimate Clothing Sizing Guide — everything you need to know about how brands size differently, and how to never buy the wrong size again.
Explore the Best Jean Trends for 2025 & 2026 — brilliant if you're thinking about denim shorts alongside your denim wardrobe.
Always free. Always unbiased. No downloads, no subscriptions — just your size, instantly sorted.

The Bottom Line

Shorts sizing is genuinely one of those areas where a tape measure is worth its weight in gold. Get your waist, hip, and inseam written down, then shop by measurements rather than labels — and you'll sidestep the vast majority of returns and disappointments. Whether you're after sharp tailored shorts for a summer wedding, the perfect denim cut-offs, or breezy linen for a holiday, the right pair is absolutely out there. You just need to know what you're looking for.