Thistle- yeah tell me about!...odd. It seems to me that capris will fit more forgivingly than shorts will- I certainly seem able to wear size Medium capris no problem, though they are pretty snug and I could probably wear either medium or large in capris equally well.

Darcy-
Of course you are RIGHT about all that. Most of the time I can simply choose my daily clothes knowing that I like the way I feel and look in them. No issues.
But snug lycra shorts- well I don't normally wear shorts because they are usually terribly unflattering, and that simply makes me feel uncomfortable. Our choices in bike shorts are way more limited as compared to "normal" clothes. I love my biking capris. But yes I realize our self images can get in the way, and I do try to keep that in perspective. I believe there's a happy healthy balance that lies somewhere in between not caring at all how you look and being too wrapped up in how you look.
Happily, the XL shorts fit snugly in general but don't cut into the leg much at all, so I'm cool with the "little" amount of sausage thing going on.

SUSAN- thanks for that input, I was beginning to think I was losing my mind! I know now I made the right choice for me and that I'll be comfortable when I ride.