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Article on ultra high rises and embracing curves

Preppy Pear

Veteran

https://www.google.com/amp/s/w.....nts-go/amp

Personally, I have gradually found high rise pants and jeans to be flattering, but a few years ago, I was not at all comfortable with emphasizing my less-than-model-ideal rear. It now feels liberating not to dress around hiding my backside from the world all of the time.

General

23 replies

Latest reply was from annagybe

Aquamarine

Veteran

Interesting read. That rear view makes or breaks it every time, and I do look or take a photo.

So I guess I am still struggling with high rises and don’t tuck so I wonder what’s the point. I don’t really have any cropped tops yet so I guess I am on the sidelines, seeing where this trend will go...

anne

Veteran

I so resonated with this “I have a bigger butt and a lot of thigh and an extremely long torso". I wonder if that's why I love high rise so much. Also, mine are 11 or 12 inches and don't really feel truly high rise. I would love 13!

ophelia

Veteran

The author of the article makes wearing jeans sound like wearing a girdle. Some people like the held in feeling—a whole generation wore them (girdles) on the daily.
I’ll continue to pass on this trend.
My rear doesn’t need any help looking @Rubenesque.”

Preppy Pear

Veteran

FWIW, I have a big flat booty and ample thighs. I’m tall but my torso is pretty average, and I’m short-waisted, but I don’t mind the “up to my armpits look.” Then again, I don’t know that I have anything higher than 10 or 11 inches...yet.
I think seeing so many high rises around me has adjusted my eye to seeing people’s lower halves in a much more body-positive way.
I don’t like the idea of struggling to put on my jeans or a girdle like feeling, but I do like the feeling of a good hug.

RobinF

Veteran

Amusing read but no high-rises for me. I have no waist at all and absolutely hate anything tight around it. I will admit I really didn't like the super low rises either - mid-rise for me all the way!

Anonymous

I had to laugh at the picture of Jessica Simpson in her high rise jeans - I totally remember how she was mocked in the media for wearing those, and now it looks great to our adjusted eyes.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Preppy Pear, I love your positive attitude and excellent image of your body. Rock on.

I've liked all the rises! Low, mid and high. There was/is a time and place for all of it.

I had to get used to the high rise from a comfort POV, but now find it very comfortable. I love the look too. Woohoooo '80s! I'm trendy with my bottoms so all my rises are high right now, and I'm about to get rid of my last remaining skinny.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

The description of the fitting room experience made me laugh...and shudder. Aren’t we women past this yet? We don’t do corsets anymore, but replace them with pants that require an assistant to put them on? No thank you.

I will just say it: I hate extreme high rises. But I am ample of thigh and hip, but not of booty. From behind especially, these cuts emphasize width and any tendency toward pancake butt. And on a super short torso with big boobs, the effect is further amplified. When I wear a high rise (which has become almost unavoidable as they have taken over the market), it’s usually with untucked tops and/or a topper that masks the way these styles don’t flatter my body. Frankly, it’s obvious that I have curves no matter what I wear — I’m not interested in emphasizing them more (which is not the same as flattering them, IMHO). And on a not-so-fit middle aged body like mine, “emphasizing curves” does not have the same effect it does on younger and/or slimmer ladies.

I roll my eyes at the extremes — super low rises don’t do many favors either.

LOL Rant over.

slim cat

Veteran

I'm short waisted with some softness over belly and some flatness on the back side - high rise is a torture for me ( plus inability to wear anything tight unless it's freezing temperature ). The sweet spot is between low and mid rise ( mid rise could be painfully sitting on my hip bones ). I'm all for variety of rises, shapes and fabrications ( stretchy or not ).
Currently I'm in the waiting mode - not going to buy any of uncomfortable, unflattering, overproduced and overpriced items that make me hate my body shape. I was wondering if I can shorten my old slim boot cut pants that fit me to a shorter cropped length or would it look dated still ( slim boot cut pants/trousers from GAP in black 2011 or so )?..

notsaf

Veteran

I’ve been wearing 10” rise for years. That now feels mid rise in retail. We’ve come a long way!

LaPed

Veteran

I've been a fan of the high rise for years and need at least 12" for it to come anywhere near my navel. I do like certain low rise cuts too; sometimes slouchy is fun. Mid-rises are sometimes awful , neither-here-nor-there or more "momsy" than mom jeans, and sometimes they look and feel great. All depends on how the rest of the garment is cut.

Bottom line for me is, I won't wear any pants tight enough, regardless of rise, that I have to wriggle or shimmy or otherwise contort myself to get them on. Her description of putting on pants sounds highly unpleasant.

rebekahphoto

Veteran

As a girl with curves I have enjoyed a mid and high rise as much as possible! muffin top be banned. But I shook my head No as the writer described squeezing and pulling to get those jeans on, I love my jeans but need a bit of breathing room you know?

So I sit here today in my glorious Levi Wedgie Jeans, and I just measured the rise--it is a generous 13" button fly that reaches just about 1" over my belly button. Cozy for sure. And PS: the pockets of these jeans do amazing things for big butts, Sir Mix-a-lot would be proud!

DonnaF

Veteran

Jeans would do unpleasant things at the zipper if I were to attempt to encase myself in jeans the size she describes. Nope; I'd go one or probably two sizes up. I am, btw, a high rise lover due to my super long torso. I don't think of myself as having a small waist, but if a garment's hips fit, the waist is never too small. Thus, I never have to worry about waist squeeziness and high waist jeans make me feel secure because they don't slither down.

Kate

Veteran

I'm a lover of high rises, but I would never shimmy into ANY pair of pants, of any rise. I value my comfort too much for that.

My high rises, even the ultra high rises, all fit me well, and very comfortably. If the fit needs tailoring to fit perfectly, and I like the pants well enough to go to that expense, then I have them tailored.

Amusing read. I always check out my rear view! I would never leave home without knowing exactly what I'm getting ready to expose to an unsuspecting audience. I want no surprises!

elpgal

Veteran

I am in the Janet and slimcat camp. My bottoms are in a dreadful state. It is getting increasingly difficult to find pants with 8-9 inch rises in my size.

I would love to get a pair of velvet pants or wide-legged pants in a rise I can tolerate.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

It's fascinating how differently we all feel about this issue. I saw the article yesterday and marked it for Inge's link love whenever that next comes up...but like others, I gasped at the horrible thought of squeezing into pants that tight. UGH!!

The only type of rise I really don't like is super-low. That's because super-low rises hit below my hip bones and slide off and/or hurt (if not stretchy).

Mid-rise is comfy and easy for me. High rise is also good, though I'm not always keen on the side view (on myself). In terms of proportions, higher rises are better on me because I have a long rise...but also tricky, because I have a short waist. It is all about the details, it seems.

Ginger

Veteran

I get it. Curvy hips have to wiggle to get high rise pants up, because the waist is so much smaller than the hips themselves. Once they’re on, they FIT.

All my grown life, I have had to size up, up, up in pants. Just because of my hips. The waist always sags and gaps. It’s not comfortable, it’s not a cut designed for my body. It’s awkward. I hide the rear view, and I am aware every second that I don’t look “right” in them no matter what I do. I felt like a walking mockery of the thin and androgynous ideal that wore the low rises.

I don’t feel the desire for the very tight fit that the author does, but I understand it. Hourglassy and pear-ish figures don’t tend to have much fluff in the NATURAL/“high” waist, so a close fit right there isn’t a problem. But low rises pinch and compress the hip fluff, and don’t stay put. It’s not fun at all. High rises tailored for the true waist are a totally different feel.

What I hear in the article is a paean of joy from hourglass women who have finally found pants with a cut that loved them. It’s been so long!

Anonymous

If I'm going to wiggle and shimmy it will be wearing a coin belt, not trying to shoehorn my generous Latina bum into too small jeans!
The low rises weren't my friend either. Though I wore them, I never really trusted them...
Have I mentioned how much I love skirts and dresses?

Style Fan

Veteran

I have always preferred high rise jeans. I like the feeling of high rises and I think they are more flattering than low rises on me. I don't wear my jeans as tight as what the author describes. That would be a nightmare for me.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I play around with high rises but really it is boyfriend cuts - which don't assume there is a waist - that work best for me. But I did enjoy the article -thanks!

Gigi

Veteran

I'm with Ginger. I have to wiggle into properly fitting jeans because the butt has to fit through the smaller waist area. Once they're on, no gap at the waist! Ta-da!

Thanks to the trending high rises, I've gotten rid of almost all of my low-rise jeans. The low-rise jeans don't have enough coverage in the back, so I always feel like I'm falling out back there. Tucking looks absolutely awful.

I just got a pair of curvy-fit jeans from Madewell. They have an 11.25" rise, but for whatever reason, it seems longer. It goes quite a ways past my belly button. And the coverage in the rear...OMG! It's practically halfway up my back. I'm not sure how flattering they are, mostly because they bag out a bit (I already sized down) and the pockets are kind of big on the back. But they're really comfy.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

That was a very odd read for me. I get that her waist is smaller than her hips. Mine generally have a 10" difference, which isn't that much, but is something. A longer zipper seems a lot simpler than the aerobic workout she describes trying to put these one. She also seems to equate getting a wedgie with having a high rise--literally "hugging her curves". I don't see any need for that either. But the biggest difficulty I had with that article is the undercurrent saying that having a big butt is bad. With all the celebration of diversity going on lately, all the attempts to move past being white-focused, why does she have this idea stuck in her craw that not having a butt is beautiful?

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

Huh, I don’t see what fashintern sees.
I thought the author was saying that the very low rise was for skinny & flat stomached. And that’s how I remember it.
They used an example from Eloquii, a plus size line
Anyways I’m all for the high rise. It’s newer, different. Fashion is always changing. Many people crave novelty and the new, even if it’s a rehash of something old.
I haven’t measured my the rise on my jeans. My Madewell perfect summer jeans are in heavy rotation