Is this as awful as I think it is? - YouLookFab Forum

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Is this as awful as I think it is?

Maya

Veteran

I do not intend to buy a new pair of jeans until higher rises become more prevalent, so I periodically check different stores to see what's available and/or if things are changing. So far I'm only finding higher rises in two categories:

High end premium denim: seems like a passing trend so far, and way out of my budget anyway

Cheap jeans: Usually restricted to "classics" like that awful 1994-esque tapered jean that the Gap still sells

Anyway, that's not the point but I had to get it off my chest. The point is that while I was browsing around Nordstrom's website, I found these:

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/29.....4&P=2

I think they look just hideous. I cannot imagine anyone other than Bozo the clown sporting these. Sorry, I just can't wrap my head around a leg opening that is as big as my waist. Maybe it's just that I've never been fond of 70's fashion. What do you guys think? Do my eyes just need to adjust or is this really that bad? I hope this is just a crazy exception and it isn't an up and coming trend. Widelegs were frustrating enough for me.

Dressing

16 replies

Latest reply was from Maya

Alecia

Veteran

Oh! It's awful all right!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Not so fab. Too boho. Not fit for anyone. Just like maxi dresses. Perfect for a bad taste 70’s costume party though.

Nicole

Veteran

Yuck...too distracting. Why would anyone want to wear something that was so glaring, that people only noticed that one element of your outfit. I want my outfit to work as "whole", not one single statement that is so loud you can't hear the rest of me.

Monica

Wow. I like widelegs, and flares can look okay on the right person, but those are just too exaggerated for me. Ew.

By the way, have you tried the Old Navy Sweetheart or Goddess jeans, or the trouser jean at J Crew? All of them have higher rises, hitting around my natural waist. The latter is around $100, but the former are around $30.

katieck

Ick.

Tanya

Veteran

Ugly. I like some flares and some wide legs, but these do not make the cut.

Anonymous

Wow. I think I would trip on the leg fabric.

Anonymous

Been there, done that in the 70's (in very low rise hot pink knit!). You're right, LauraElizabeth. Those wide bells trip you up and also get caught in car doors. Never again.

Maya

Veteran

OK, I'm glad to see this won't be catching on. Although I'm sure it won't be long before they make their debut on some worst dressed celebrity.

Thank you for reminding me of Old Navy, Monica. I had forgotten all about them. I think Nicole recommended them to me once and it slipped my mind. Their price range is right in my comfort zone too. I tried the trouser jeans at J Crew once but they were too big and they didn't have a size smaller. Perhaps I should revisit them when I have the $$.

shiny

Veteran

OMG... horrible flashbacks... mirrored disco balls....

We wore these sorts of pants in 6th grade, in light wash. In 7th grade, the fashion changed overnight to straight legs with darker washes.

Unfortunately, I was slow to grow and my mother (frugal as she is) insisted she would NOT buy me any new jeans until I had a growth spurt.

I ended up sewing all my flared pants into straight legs. (My mom taught me to sew from a very young age). My mom was so impressed that I took this initiative, she bought me ONE pair of straight-leg levi's. Which I then wore every single day until my growth spurt which happened halfway through 7th grade.

That - plus the time in Kindergarten when the avocado polyester pants my mom had made for me split up the back, revealing flowered underwear for all the class to see - are the two defining moments that made me forever after be very uptight about what I wear, and wanting to look "right" and "fit in" and such.

Maya, regarding the higher rises, what rise length are you looking for?

Maya

Veteran

OMG Shiny! That story about the avocado pants is so horrible but it made me laugh. Poor you! Well at least the result is good. Otherwise who knows--you might still be wearing avocado polyester pants to this day.

I actually envy you for your late growth spurt. Mine came when I was very young and my parents were afraid 4'9 would be the tallest I ever got. I had to see doctors and have my hand x-rayed (because apparently there's a bone in there that closes up when you have reached your adult height), though it's still unclear to me what they would have done even if that was the tallest I got. I imagined them strapping me to some kind of stretching machine...

You know, I have come to conclude that the front rise isn't really AS important as the back rise, but since my waist is so high up it's just hard to find a place for my pants and jeans to anchor themselves. Does that make sense? Anyway, 9" is about the lowest I want to go. 10" would be ideal. Back rise...I don't know...as high as possible? 14-15 inches probably. I adore the look of these but the price gives me nightmares, and thinking about what they would look like after I hack off four inches gives me even more nightmares. But that's about what I'm after. Unfortunately I think all the extra material they add to the rise makes things cost more.

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/29.....3&P=1

Sihaya

Veteran

Hi Maya, I too like high rises. See the Express jeans I posted, I love the rise on them and they're not premium price. Also SOHO has a high rise.

Maya

Veteran

I am a big Soho fan, Sihaya (I assume you mean the DKNY ones?). Unfortunately their smallest size is too big for me.

Where did you post the Express jeans? I'll take a look.

Sihaya

Veteran

Yes the DKNY ones - love them - too bad they don't fit. Here are pictures of my Express ones - I believe they have the same rise in non skinnies as well.
http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....?replies=7

This is the only one of their current styles that's high rise. If the link above doesn't work, it's on page 2 of the what to wear section.

shiny

Veteran

Maya, I totally relate about the short thing... I have long worried there's something abnormal about me, but then again, I had an Uncle who's nickname was "Stub" and my mom's nickname among all my friends was "momma shortlegs."

As for rise, I like 9-9.5 for the front rise. That is ideal and most comfortable for me. Back rise I'm also picky about - but for me, the back rise needs to be nearly the same as the front, or just an inch or two higher. A 15 inch back rise would give me major baggy butt syndrome, because my butt is too flat. So count your blessings you have curves!!!

I would have to go measure my best-fitting jeans to be sure, but I am guessing no more than 13 inches is best for me on the back rise. That's based on this spreadsheet I put together months ago, when I measured all my pants in detail, because I was considering going the custom route. (This is before I discovered Citizens jeans work great for me).

There are custom sites that don't charge all that much, my sister highly recommends. Esp if you have a pair that already fits - you just have to measure and/or send them to the company, and they can recreate. She did this - actually sent her jeans - and was very happy with the results.

The Soho jeans are also too big for me in their smallest petite size. And too short too!

Have you tried Inc brand - petites - from Macy's? I am hit or miss with them, but my denim clams are that brand and I adore the fit. I think mine are a size 2p, so if you need smaller, you'll probably find something because they go down to a 0p and sometimes a 00p. So comfy. Just wish the quality was a little better, because I fear they are not going to last more than one more season. Price can't be beat though!

I can't wear express. Not sure why.

Maya

Veteran

I don't know that it's a blessing, Shiny. Most jeans along with their 11" rises seem to be meant for people with petite derrières, and I certainly never used to have this much trouble finding jeans when my butt was flat. I guess the grass is always greener, blah blah blah. I don't actually think my butt is all that curvy or big. You couldn't rest a glass of water on it or anything...but it seems like it's higher up than most people's...anyway, enough about my bum.

I might be wrong, but I think INC petites would be too small. Petite pants are almost always too small. The rise is even shorter than usual, and the length is usually 29" which is 2" too short for me.