Finally! Longer Shorts for Girls

What in the world is going on with mainstream girls’ clothing?

It’s no surprise that girls’ clothing begins to emulate women’s clothing more and more, with each passing trend. That’s not a new concept, but it’s a disturbing one.

If, like me, you have a daughter who begins to gravitate toward traditionally feminine apparel during the preschool years, you may fret a little.

Dresses and frilly stuff are fine, if that’s what your child knowingly chooses. But you want her to have equal physical opportunities. She certainly doesn’t need to look like an adult. You want her to be able to climb the jungle gym freely. You want her to dangle from the monkey bars without other kids pointing and laughing.

She should be able to climb that rock wall without any impediments in the way.

Or perhaps you have a daughter who has always eschewed the pink and purple frills and ruffles, for a wider range of colors, simple styles, and more coverage. She’s just not into feminine stuff, and that’s fine.

But the shorts available at most mainstream retailers are RIDICULOUS.

So you end up in the “boys section” a lot, and search for shorts with more coverage, but usually find a limited number of drab colors. Those don’t work so well either.

The blog post I wrote last year about the differences between shorts aimed at boys and girls is one of Think or Blue’s most popular. It has generated the most outrage and discussion among parents.

Here’s what parents say…

“Girls and teens need clothes and shoes that they can run, romp, explore and get sweaty in.” – Nicole

“Short shorts are just plain impractical. Every time a kid sits on a swing, slide, bench, or even car seat that’s been in the sun they burn the backs of their thighs.” – Steph

“I’ve been searching in vain for shorts for my 9 year old daughter and have only found hot pant-sized ones so far. Instead I bought her short leggings. But of course they don’t have pockets.  ” – Emily

“Pockets! Girls’ clothes rarely have pockets.” – Jacqueline

“Local retailers tend to import clothes and shoes for girls that make them at worst mini adults and at best, cute to look at but are awful to play in! Seriously, I’ve seen heels made to fit four year olds. As consumers, why do we do this to our girls?” – Nicole

“My 10 year old agrees. She says the longer shorts look good to wear for exploring.” – Lynda

Our girls deserve more functional clothes for play

Thankfully, there’s a solution for you. Girls Will Be swoops in to the rescue!

Sharon Choksi and Laura Burns are sisters and parents who, like you and me, got frustrated with the impracticality of girls’ shorts and decided it was time for a change. Read more about their origins here.

Thank you so much to Girls Will Be for sending V this cool outfit and sponsoring this post, so that parents and families like you can learn more about independently-run shops with quality options for kids.

I’ve had my eye on their Perfect Play Shorts for a while, but this is first season my kiddo is big enough to fit into them. Even though she’s a 3T/4T, the 4-5 size (the smallest they offer) fit; a little roomy, but with some space to accommodate growth spurts.

These shorts are superb quality – soft and thick cotton that you know will last a really long time, despite hard play.

The stitching is beautiful, and you can tell they are well-crafted.

The adjustable waistband may also help you stretch these shorts through multiple seasons.

And can we talk about the pockets for a sec? These shorts have pockets!!! Pockets, people! That shouldn’t be such an earth shattering announcement, but VERY few girls’ pants, leggings, shorts, or dresses have pockets. Where is my kid supposed to put her rocks and key chains? Finally, she has somewhere to put those, or her granola bar crumbs or snotty tissue. I know you hear me on this.

Longer shorts you’ll love

But what I love most is the length. You may agree that short shorts are not ideal for the playground, and may inhibit bold play.

Girls Will Be shorts come in a variety of styles to accommodate even the pickiest dresser. Believe me, I’ve got one of those around here. You won’t have to worry about what your child is showing on the playground, or if she’s limiting her movements.

Plus, a lot of sportier and more modest kids just don’t want the short shorts.

As I mentioned, this size is a tad big for my kiddo, but you can see the natural fit on girls a little bit older, when the size is on point.

These longer shorts for girls even prevent thigh chafing on the swings, a bike, or in a carseat – problems that NO children should have to deal with. And let’s be honest – boys almost never have to deal with those problems.

I mean really, could this face look any happier?

Related: get the 5 day email course to raise confident girls

Tees that inspire

Girls Will Be also offers creative and bold t-shirts, to inspire your future engineer or leader.

My kiddo is really into exploration and space related themes, so she was familiar with several of the images on the Be Curious tee. But she wanted me to identify the ones she didn’t know, too.

As the website says, it’s not-too-boxy but not-too-fitted either. And just like the shorts, this tee is sooooooft. There’s a big difference between the quality of these clothes with the cheapo fast-fashion stuff that’ll only last for a month or so. It’s clear that Girls Will Be clothes will last a long time.

Plus, the clothing is marketed to girls to fill a void in the market, but ANY child might enjoy these options!

I adore that these clothes inspire her creativity AND confidence even more. A major win-win for parents and kids.

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For more shorts options that are colorful, functional, and practical, check out our latest Shorts Guide here:

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Be sure to sign up for the 5 Day Reboot to Raising Confident Girls, so that your daughter stays true to herself, and is ready to tackle the world!