A disposable absorbent article with a central body and a pair of elasticized side panels that extend longitudinally along the sides of the central body. Each side panel has a front longitudinal edge and a rear longitudinal edge opposite the front longitudinal edge, and a front or rear fastening element positioned adjacent the front or rear edge. The front edge of the side panel is positioned closer to the front waist portion than the rear edge. The fastening element is constructed for fastening the front and rear waist portions of the central body when the disposable absorbent article is worn by a user. Further, each side panel includes elastic elements that are positioned along the length of the side panel such that the side panel has generally greater elasticity in the vicinity of the rear edge than in the vicinity of the front edge.