3R Shorts by Greenstyle

Last year, I made the Simpatico leggings by Greenstyle and modified them into biker shorts for running and weightlifting. Initially, they fit well, but halfway through the year, the shorts became too big and started sliding down during runs. I took them apart, resized them to a smaller fit, and they worked for a while.

However, the problem returned as my quads grew stronger from physical therapy while my waist and hips became smaller. To counteract the issue, I tried pushing the legs up so my thighs wouldn’t pull down the waistband, but the extra compression was uncomfortable for my pressure-sensitive legs. It was clear I needed running shorts that stayed in place and didn’t compress my thighs. That’s when I decided to try the 3R shorts from Greenstyle.

Style and Fit

Virtual Avatar

I started by visualizing all the versions using VStitcher from Browzwear. I find it really helps to see the final garment. I noticed some sliding / falling down on the biker shorts version compared to the brief, so I knew I wanted to stick with making the briefs.

Industry Inspiration

Split-side shorts are a staple in every major athletic brand’s catalog. They’re ideal for runners because they don’t bind around the upper thighs, allowing for free and natural movement.

Description

The 3R shorts by Greenstyle offer built-in briefs or biker shorts as inner layers, with the biker shorts available in two lengths. The outer shorts come in two length options and feature a split side seam to maximize mobility. You can also customize the waistband with widths of 2, 3, or 4 inches for a fit tailored to your preferences.

The design is straightforward. The inner briefs or biker shorts should fit snugly, while the outer shorts are meant to be loose and flowy. With options for waistband height, it’s easy to find a comfortable fit.

Sizing & Version

The 3R pattern accommodates 12 sizes, fitting waists from 22 to 57 inches and hips from 32 to 62 inches. My current measurements are a 32-inch waist, 42-inch lower torso/hip, and 21-inch mid-thigh, placing me at a size G.

I made my shorts with the inner brief and chose the longer outer shorts pattern, because this gal has long legs! For the waistband, I opted for the 3-inch height, which works well for me.

I’m always intrigued by how pattern companies correlate body measurements to sizes, and I particularly appreciate when they include final garment measurements. Unfortunately, Greenstyle doesn’t provide final garment measurements, which I find frustrating. However, they do offer the recommended elastic band and leg band lengths for the briefs. To explore this, I graphed the suggested body measurements (represented as bars) for the hip, waist, and mid-thigh, with the corresponding size labeled above each bar. Additionally, I marked the recommended elastic lengths as dots—waist elastic for the waist measurement and leg band elastic for the mid-thigh measurement.

A few observations stood out. The inconsistent gaps between sizes might be frustrating; for instance, if your hip circumference falls within the G-I range, it’s easy to choose a size. However, for those between sizes, like D-F, it’s less clear which size to pick. I also noticed that the recommended waistband elastic for size J seems too small, while the other sizes appear reasonable. As for the leg band elastic, I’m unsure how it relates to the mid-thigh measurement. Since both are leg-related, I initially thought there might be a connection, but I couldn’t draw any meaningful conclusions.

Going forward, I plan to include similar graphs in my projects to better analyze ease and fit, providing more insight into how garments are designed.