While summer dresses, tops, and even skirts have matured with me, shorts, just don’t seem to be made for adult women. They are often cut too short, showing off far too much thigh than I find necessary (more often than not they resemble briefs), and are oftentimes so narrow in the hips that having curves, which I do, prove to be completely undesirable. Throw in said thighs rubbing together and sweat gathering in your crotch, and it’s a veritable disaster. Don’t believe me? A quick search on Net-A-Porter, a site for stylish grown-ups with purchasing power, yields just 50 options — only two pairs are remotely near mid-thigh and seem to avoid the aforementioned issues: a floral, cotton-poplin Dolce & Gabbana short retailing for £525, and a pom pom-bedecked, tiger palm print style from Matthew Williamson that costs £250. A colleague of mine, Caroline, felt similarly when discussing a recent excursion to Zara. When sucked into the Spanish retailer’s semi-annual sale, not one pair of the dozens she tried yielded a buyable option.