You are on Team Mid-Rise Bottoms if you prefer wearing mid-rise jeans and pants to high rises, and vice versa. To reiterate, the rise is the measurement between the middle of the crotch seam and the top of the waistband. It’s an important measurement because it determines where the pants sit on the body, creating a perceived waistline. The length of the rise affects both your comfort levels and the visual effect of the outfit when the waistband is exposed.
Generally, mid rises measure 9 to 10 inches. Anything higher is high rise, and anything lower is low rise. Of course, measurements are relative to whether the rise measurement on your own body is short, regular or long. Those with short rise measurements will find mid rises quite high, and high rises very high. Those with long rises will find mid rises quite low and higher rises more mid by comparison.
Most of my jeans and pants are high rise because trends have been moving almost exclusively in that direction for several years. Since I like to keep the jeans and pants component of my style on-trend, I have two mid rises left in my wardrobe. Mid rises feel a little off and “naked” when I wear them because I’m so used to wearing higher rises. High rises feel the most comfortable, taking me back to my ‘80s comfort zone. They also elongate the leg line when exposing the waistband with a tucked top, which is fab for my flats-wearing style.
That said, my body is relatively short in the rise, so mid rises feel quite high. Rises of 11 inches are the most comfortable, although I have some very comfortable paperbag waist pants with 12 and 13 inch rises. Pants with 9 inch rises feel off, but 10 inch rises are okay.
In 2020, I bat for Team High-Rise Bottoms. But if you’d asked me this question eight years ago, I’d have batted for Team Mid-Rise. Over to you. Do you bat for Team Mid or Team High-Rise Bottoms? Tell us why and no batting for both teams. Tell us about your favourite rise measurements too. If you can’t pick a side, sit this one out on the bench where I’m serving prawn curry, wild rice, and pickled salad, in take-out boxes with curbside pick-up so you can enjoy the meal in the safety of your home. There’s lemon cake with cream cheese icing for dessert.
