When Kate Moss and Sienna Miller starting strutting their designer high-rise jeans around London at the end of last year, the writing was on the wall. This was a trend in the making. Sure enough, it wasn’t long before ultra high fashion retail chains like Zara, Mango, French Connection and H&M started dabbling in the look. What I thought was going to be another short lived ‘80’s fashion recurrence is clearly not the case. Rises are rising and we’ll need to start adapting the look. The good news is that fashion repetitions are always improved and updated. Pants with elevated rises can be fabulously flattering if you find a pair that fits (or are altered to fit).
I’ve had the best luck dressing women in these styles when I’m mindful of the following:
- Keep the waistband above the hip bone and below the belly button. This seems most flattering across the tummy area.
- Opt for a flat, clean front. Stay away from pleats or pockets that add bulk.
- Keep the leg width flared and floor skimming for the longest leanest line.
Higher rises give us the option of tucking our tops, shirts and blouses back into our pants. It’s the perfect silhouette for waist-cinching belts and a nice change to flowy swing tops that are equally fashionable. It’s brilliant to have an abundance of choices!
High rise pants from Nanette Lepore, Marc Jacobs and Ralph Lauren (available at Nordstrom).
