I bought these shorts because I was tired of the thigh gap problem.
Not the skinny thigh gap. The other one. The one where shorts ride up in the middle and you spend all day yanking them down in public. You know what I'm talking about.
I saw these on Aerie's site last month. Real Good Vibes line. Black, high-waisted, 4-inch inseam. I ordered a 2X because their size chart said that was my number. When they arrived, I tried them on in my bedroom with no pressure. Just me and Mochi watching from the bed.
First try, they fit. Actually fit.
But I don't trust first impressions anymore. Too many shorts feel great for thirty seconds and then betray you by hour two.
So I wore them for a full week. Not every day in a row because I do own other shorts. But five separate days. Different activities. Real life stuff.
The good stuff:
The waistband hits right above my belly button. Not squeezing. Just holding. I sat down to eat dinner, stood up, and they didn't roll. That almost never happens for me. Usually I get that elastic curl at the top that makes me look like I have a muffin top even when I don't. These stayed flat.
The material is thick enough that you can't see my underwear through the back. I checked. Bent over in front of my mirror like a weirdo. Nothing showed.
Length is honest. 4 inches means they cover the widest part of my thigh without looking like I'm hiding anything. I have thick legs. These don't cut in at the crotch the way cheaper shorts do.
Pockets. Real pockets. I put my phone in the right side. It fit. Didn't pull the shorts down.
The not-so-good stuff:
They wrinkle. Bad. After sitting in my car for twenty minutes, the back looked like I slept in them. If you care about that, keep a steamer nearby or just accept it like I did.
The legs are a little loose on me. Not falling-off loose. But when I walk, there's extra fabric that flaps around. Some people might like that. I wanted them a touch tighter. My thighs are bigger than the shorts expected, I guess.
Also the black fades fast. After two washes (cold water, air dry), they're more charcoal than true black. Not ruined. Just not as dark as day one.
Who these are for:
You if you're tired of shorts that creep up when you walk. You if you want to sit on a park bench without planning your escape route. You if size charts scare you but you're willing to try anyway.
I'm a solid 2X in most things. These fit true to size. Maybe a little roomy in the waist if you're between sizes. I could have sized down to 1X but then my thighs would hate me.
Final thought:
I kept these. I don't keep everything. Last month I returned three pairs of shorts from different brands because they all did that ride-up thing within an hour.
These aren't perfect. The wrinkles annoy me. The fading bothers me a little.
But I wore them to the grocery store, to coffee, to a friend's porch, and I didn't think about my thighs once. Not once.
That's worth forty dollars to me.