Cropped pants with low and mid rises have been mainstream for three years and are still very fashionable. But their high-rise cousins, as seen below, are more of a fringe trend. They have a waistband at — or close to — the natural waist (the narrowest part of your waist). This accentuates the curve from waist to hip. 

Silhouettes can be tailored, fluid or baggy. Lengths can be cropped to the ankle, or raised a few inches shorter than that. Hem widths may not be super tapered, but they are tapered and not straight or flared. Fabrics are usually woven with a little stretch. Styles can be patterned or solid.

I much prefer the higher rise on a cropped pant because it lengthens the leg if you tuck (or partially tuck) the top in front, or wear a cropped top. This offsets the leg shortening nature I’m particularly sensitive to with cropped pant styles. Of course, wear a regular length top untucked with this style and you won’t get the same visually lengthening benefits. 

This leg lengthening strategy is helpful as long as you’re fine defining the waist and accentuating the hip curve. The look will probably be of little interest to you if you’re uncomfortable drawing attention to your waistline and prefer silhouettes that are drapey and roomy on the torso. Note that you don’t need a straight body to wear this style. NOT AT ALL. Curvy pear and hourglass figures look spectacular in high rises as long as the waistband fits (an alteration may be in order). 

You can further lengthen the leg line by wearing high-vamped footwear that visually joins the foot to the pant, like booties or sandals and pumps with ankle straps. All of the examples I have used here show cropped pants with high-vamped footwear. Although most of the footwear is heeled, flat high-vamped footwear works well too. The outfits with low contrast footwear are more elongating than those with high contrast footwear.

Side entry pockets are generally in a better position on high-rise pants styles because the linings don’t show through on the fronts of the pants, clinging onto your thighs (that drives me batty). The higher position of the lining settles into the curves of the hips and doesn’t show through at all. 

Although I do not enjoy wearing high-rise jeans, I like wearing high-rise non-denim pants because the fabric is soft, the zipper more flexible, and the waistband less stiff. I was drawn to Topshop’s floral scuba cigarette trouser because I liked the pattern, the thickness of the fabric, and the sleekness of the style. With a tucked top or a cropped pullover, I can wear a pair of pants cropped to this length with flats and feel like it’s a flattering combination.