can someone explain high-rise jeans to me? - YouLookFab Forum

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can someone explain high-rise jeans to me?

Andrea H

So, I have an Anthro discount code that's about to expire and while I don't particularly desperately need anything right now, I could maybe use a new pair of cropped, mid- to dark wash, not too stretchy jeans for spring/early summer. I perused Anthro's online jean selection and found these http://www.anthropologie.com/s.....;color=093 which I found super cute in every way. Until I read that the *petite* size had an 11 inch rise. Now, I have the Everlane modern boyfriend which I honestly don't wear as often as I might because I find the 10 inch rise on those borderline uncomfortable and borderline unflattering, so I was curious. I pulled out the ol' tape measure and an 11 inch rise on me (I'm 5'2) is to the bottom of my rib cage.

Are we really meant to be wearing jeans up to our rib cages these days or do I just have wonky proportions? I mean, I guess the jeans I wore in the 80s were pretty high-rise but I don't remember them going that far above my navel. (But perhaps the lack of blood flow to my brain when I had to lie down to zip them has clouded my memories.) I don't know what the purpose of this post is other than to vent, but I am salty that if only those jeans had an 8 1/2 inch rise, I would be gladly forking over my 100 bucks to at least try them on.

Dressing

37 replies

Latest reply was from krishnidoux

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I hear you. I’m not crazy about high waisted styles on myself either, even though I’m 5” taller than you. All my height is in my legs, so I look really disproportionate in high waists, and they’re also not terribly comfortable.

Unfortunately it seems like most of the newer denim styles right now feature higher rises, so I’m mostly making do with what I already have. If I see a good mid rise I should probably try it, since the pickings might be slim for a while!

I wore high rises back in the 80s and early 90s and it looked ok, not great, but of course I was much younger and thinner then, which makes up for a lot of proportional awkwardness.

SarahD8

Veteran

Lol an 8” rise is to the bottom of my rib cage.
(I mean, I am SO short waisted that the same point on my body could also be described as “just above my bellybutton” or “2 inches above my hipbones”, but still.)
Sigh.
I have already complained about this all over the site but I will join you in your vent.

K.M.

Veteran

I'm with you! I'm also 5'2" and even though I don't consider myself short-waisted when I look on the mirror, I just measured and an 11" rise goes up a couple of ribs!

Anything that hits me above the belly button feels extremely uncomfortable, even if the fabric is stretchy and the size is not tight. (In my teens, in the 80s, I didn't mind--I could squeeze my entrails into tiny high-waisted jeans and felt no discomfort.) I got a couple of higher-waisted pants in the last year or so and I literally can't stomach them for more than a couple hours.

Low-to-mid rises for the win!

Greyscale

Veteran

For what it's worth, an 11" rise on me doesn't even hit my navel, and I'm short (with a long rise, obviously). I know I'm on the extreme end of things... In theory high rise jeans should be great on me but I'm having trouble finding the right ones. Some is perception as I adjust to new styles, some is comfort.

I got my Everlane bf jeans big, so they sit lower on my waist and don't really feel like high rise on me. I think those Pilcro jeans are meant to be similar.

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

I’m 5’9”. An 11” (front) rise hits an inch below my belly button. My natural waist is closer to 14” in front, and the rear is...ahem...quite a bit more.

I’m pretty grateful to be rescued from decades of exposed butt crack.

Diana

Veteran

I’m totally with you here. I think it’s a combo of us being short people with short rises and personal comfort issues. Like you, I find pressure from waistbands/belts near my rib cage extremely uncomfortable so I stick to mid or low rises. Plus the high rises just look ridiculous on me, as they emphasize both my super short waist and my pear shaped hips. No thank you!

That said, a lot of bf jeans are designed to be worn with a dropped crotch so the crazy rise measurement may reflect that.

Cee

Veteran

I remember flared jeans that were so loose people were constantly tripping over themselves and as for riding a pushbike ? --- Forgedaboudit !!

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I find it maddening that fashion keeps swinging between extremes (or course, meant to keep us chasing the new and spending our $$), when the truth is that the extremes are generally flattering to few. And yeah, you can usually still find some basic mid-rise in the most simple and classic of cuts, but dang it, some of us want something a little different and modern, that's still flattering and workable for average female bodies!

Vildy

Veteran

I'm 5 feet with a rather long rise. A high rise jean makes me a pronounced hourglass and is most comfortable for me. My hips go out somewhat abruptly and then straight down. I feel most comfortable when a jean or pant or panty goes over that top hip socket. I can sometimes wear a midrise but only with a belt because my hips are straight sided and jeans will pull downward. And I realize there are special flat invisible belts for when you don't want to tuck in and don't want a big buckle bump but I just don't bother.

elpgal

Veteran

I'll sit in the corner with you and be grumpy. An 8.5 inch rise is the most I can do, maybe 9 if I never sit. The only low-rise pair I have found in the last year or two is from H&M but they are skinnier.

http://m.hm.com/us/product/47147?article=47147-I

Kate

Veteran

Long rise here. I'm with Jenn in being so grateful to have my butt finally covered. A mid-rise on me gets me perilously close to exposure fore and aft. A 7.5" rise—I'd be arrested. Thank God for the current availability of high rises.

SarahD8

Veteran

Oh, elpgal, I'm delighted to hear that the H&M jeans are a true low-rise. I have a LARGE order coming my way from them and you are raising my hopes that they might work.

Old Navy makes a low-rise version of their Rockstar Skinny jean but only in VERY limited washes.

Helena

Veteran

Amen to what Janet said!

Greenjeans

Veteran

I'm with the other long-risers here. Ecstatic about high-rise jeans! (Finally, pants that fit!)

For many, many years I have wondered what is wrong with me? because low-rise jeans don't fit. And after years of struggling/tugging/mortification it's a joy to have choices available that aren't obscene.

If they don't work for you, don't sweat it! It's not your fault, they're made for a different body type.

Let's hear it for variety so we can all find something that fits.

Marilyn

Veteran

All high rise jeans are not created equally. You have to determine what is a comfortable higher rise on YOUR BODY. I'm only 5' so many are too high rise for me. But, COH Rocket Jeans have a 9 3/4" rise which is perfect. They hit right at my belly button and actually fit comfortably....this surprised me. I was actually pretty high rise averse prior to trying the Rockets but they made me go "hmmm....maybe I can". 8.5" is a perfect mid-rise for me. I think you just have to try on different brands and rises to see what does and doesn't work.

elpgal

Veteran

Sarah, I sized up to accommodate my thighs and the waist is a little big but I think it is a body shape quirk. These jeans are really lower in the rise.

Scarlet

Veteran

I am also 5'2". I have a pretty long rise, and I bought a 10 inch rise jean from Madewell, which I find to be as extreme as I would go. I suppose bodies are different though.

Also, Elpgal, thanks for the reminder to try HM jeans!

10" High-Rise Skinny Jeans in Danny Wash

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LaPed

Veteran

I think it's a little bit ridiculous that different rises "trend" at all -- higher rises are more exciting to me from a fit perspective than a style perspective. Like Greyscale, I'm 5'4" and an 11" rise doesn't quite reach my navel. The heyday of low-rise skinnies was pretty awful for me (if pants don't come up over your hips, what's to stop them sliding all the way down?!), but it did send me down the rabbit hole of vintage denim shopping...

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Wow, this is fascinating!! Sorry that you are frustrated about the jeans -- and I am with you on an 11 inch rise being challenging. But I'm loving the information I am getting here.

So, I'm 5'4" (if I am really standing straight) and I always considered myself to have a short waist and a long rise.

My natural waist and my belly button are not in the same place. My natural waist (the thinnest part of the curve) is about 3 inches above my belly button. In other words, my "length" (if you can call it that) is apparently between waist and belly button, and less so between belly button and crotch point.

Like Marilyn, I find the fit on the CoH Rocket jeans to be great. But on me, those don't come to my natural waist -- they come to my belly button.

When pants go higher than the belly button, i.e. when they go to my actual waist, that is when it gets really dicey. It can be done, with the right fit and fabrication -- but often the proportions look odd, even on relatively short legged, and small busted me. (I mention bust size because for those who are short waisted, a small bust can help to mitigate some of the potential flattery issues in wearing a higher waisted item.) And it can feel weird, as others have said -- hitting the ribcage - ugh! -- especially when you sit.

Some so called high rise cuts give me a "wedgie" -- I've learned this happens when the back rise is not generous enough. They don't always give you that measurement.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

SOOO happy about this thread. Thanks to all who contributed with specific measurements and details. VERY helpful.

I am 5ft 6, have a regular length waist, but am short in the rise. A 10 inch front rise is HIGH on me and goes above my navel right to my natural waist. An 8 inch rise is mid-rise on me. A 6 or 7 inch rise is low, and I also find those very comfortable actually. Anything above 10 inches is a lot less comfortable when I sit. It's fine when I walk and stand.

Sooo if you are short in the rise AND short in the waist - high rise is not your friend. If you are long in BOTH, you will love the high rises. People like me tend to be okay with "high-rise-lite".

Suz, YES. Too high rise give me a wedgie - and I can't bear the feeling.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Oh, Angie, I am so glad I am not the only one! I thought it was something weird in my anatomy. It doesn't seem to happen to everyone.

It was the bane of my existence with jeans and trousers in the 80s, actually. Sizing up never helped.

I've learned now, that it has to do with the curve of the back rise...

8 and 8.5 are mid rise on me....9 and up I consider high, but I really don't like to go over 10. My current higher rise jeans below.

The Rockets hit at my navel and are comfortable.

J. Crew says that rise on the Rayner is 11+ and it is definitely my highest rise -- at my actual waist. (It's a bit lower in my size than the size they mention). Higher on me than on that model, for sure. Though it is hard to see in the photo because my top is bloused.

The Caras are a bit higher than the Rockets and not always as comfortable.

Gah. I looked for photos but they are awful. Will have to take some...

Citizens of Humanity Rocket High Waist Crop Skinny Jeans

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Rayner trouser jean in dark wash

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Citizens of Humanity Cara Ankle Cigarette Jeans

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Chelsea28 Denim Culottes (Blue Mode Medium Vintage)

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jussie

Veteran

11 inches is very high... I have one super high rise pant that high- but they’re silky palazzos so they’re still comfy enough but I think denim would be too much!
I love high rise but not quite that extreme. I’m soooo relieved that low waisted pants are out because they continually slid down, and my fatty deposits burst out over the tops of them... not fun lol.
I never once could wear the low rise tight Grab/Grip jeans with the embellished back pockets, even when I was 18 and on the nightclub scene

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Suz, I think it's the way a certain style is cut at the crotch point that gives me the wedgie. But a curved waistband is always good.

lyn67

Veteran

Pardon my ignorance, can I ask what exactly "wedgie" means here?

Just for the refference, I've just tried a pair and almost forgot how comfortable the high waisted jeans can be if having a thin&souple fabric. But, I was always a long torso girl (&nowadays having apple tendencies am longer in the rise than on the waist) so probably having opposite detailed proportions to Suz's. I didn't buy them as too casual, and am not too much of a denim person anymore.

anne

Veteran

I am similar to La Ped. 5"4 and an 11 inch rise just hits my belly button and is under my waist.

Laura

(website)

Veteran

I am 5'3" and short-waisted - whatever height I do have is in my legs. Mid-rise is high-rise on me. So for example, these Pilcro jeans (even in a petite size) went back, because although I was in love with the daisies, the rise was inhibiting my ability to breathe and also created a non-riveting rear view: https://www.anthropologie.com/.....gory=SEARC

While these Pilcro mid-rise jeans (in petite) are a total winner: https://www.anthropologie.com/.....S&

Also - the availability of more and more styles of jeans in petites is a godsend!

Ginger

Veteran

Since measurements may be helpful... I am tall-ish, a little long in the torso, but it's all in the rise. I think the minimum front rise for me is about 11"; back needs a couple inches more. My true waist is over 2" above my navel. I need Extra Long jeans from AE because the extra length in the rise is good. Similar to Jenn, low and "mid-rise" don't even *fit* me, let alone comfortably. My hip bones are high and wide, and if the waistband isn't above them, everything slides downward very uncomfortably. The penny dropped for me when trying on some "mid-rise" jeans once. They were labeled 1" Below Waist but were clearly 5" below MY waist. No wonder I didn't like how they fit.

I'm always confused when people talk about rib placement in relation to waist. The ribs are not level, nor is it inherently an issue for the waist to be on them. My waist is below my ribs in front, but just on top of the lowest one on the side. This is not a problem.

It's fascinating how passionate people are about rise... and also instructive to see how people define "high," "mid," "long," and "short." I think some of it has to do with basic skeletal structure. This is a pretty good summary. (The context is a particular type of workout, but it's helpful because it explains why some stretches/moves are much more difficult for certain people.) https://forum.t-tapp.com/forum.....body-types And it stretches across all heights. One of the key measures is the distance at the side between ribs and hip. I suspect this works a lot into how comfortable a certain rise can be on the individual. So for someone with a 5" difference, a waistband that hits the ribs might seem crazy, but for someone with a 1" difference it may feel fine.

So many factors! I'm kind of glad there's not more standardization in jeans. We're all SO different.

K.M.

Veteran

Suz and Angie--the wedgie comment reminds me of jeans that were fashionable in the 80s when I was a teen in Brazil (you know, the land where people love big behinds). Those were designed to give you a wedgie!!!! :O I mean, I don't remember it was uncomfortable (as unintentional wedgies are), but they were supposed to have the seam carving into the middle of your butt cheeks. And you tucked in your oversize t-shirts to emphasize the effect. Tapered legs and sneakers or chunky shoes... those were the days!

(On a completely tangential side note, panties and swim bottoms in Brazil are way smaller than here and also somewhat meant to wedge in. I can't stand them anymore. Victoria's Secret released a version of this a while ago called "cheekies" I think, and I recall reading somewhere it was based on suggestions from the many VS Angels hailing from Brazil.)

Marilyn

Veteran

Suz.....After your comment about CoH Rockets I put mine on and they hit on my belly button like you....not at my waist as I said. They are new to me. I guess I must have a somewhat long rise for them to hit there on my 5' nothing body. I definitely won't be trying anything higher than 9 3/4" though. I suffered through high rises back in the day but the Rockets have a waist that is big enough not to suffocate me and dig in. I just picked up these ones....wasn't sure if I'd like the shadow stripe but they're kind of fun and work well with navy tops and boots.

Citizens of Humanity Rocket Whisker Crop Jeans

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