Low rise pants, shorts, skirts

[Eden]

I buy clothes at exactly 3 places: Banana Republic, Ann Taylor/Loft, and J Crew. They've all had "size creep" in the past five years, so I wear a ridiculously smaller size, even though I am the same weight and my cycling thighs are definitely bigger.

Tell me about it... I can't buy clothes very many places to start with (at 5 nothing and relatively thin) and I've now found myself to be sized out of Gap jeans. I tried some on the other day and now even a 0 is large on me. I haven't purchased anything at Ann Taylor recently so I can only hope that things still fits me there....

Most of the "adult" stores (store that carry some less low jeans) - J Crew, LLBean, Eddie Bauer, Liz Clairborn, etc. no longer go below a 4 or a 2 and with size creep I swim in their smallest sizes.

[wannaduacentury]

Short legs and short waist, and mid rise is the only thing that looks good on me ("peace" or "scout" rise - I'm too old to be comfortable in anything that doesn't cover my hipbones, even if I wasn't getting the menopot). Robyn, I think the deal there is that the waistband is a reminder to suck my gut in

I can't tuck anything in anyhow because of how short my waist is. So that part doesn't matter.

A rise that falls near the widest part as viewed from the front, really helps minimize my hips and thighs and makes me appear taller.

I prefer mid rise too. can't stand high waist and low waist feels like they're falling down, even if I can pull off the look. I'm 5'8" and have long legs. I prefer mid rise Levi's 515 boot cut jeans. They're my favorites. And I don't tuck in shirts either. Jenn

[Irulan]

Lo rise? no thanks, at least for super lo. I have yet to see what's fashionable about showing your butt crack when you are sitting/kneeling and/or a muffin top, or having to shave the top of your pubic triangle to get away with it.

It's an awesome look if you can pull it off, but like so many fashion trends, that's the very few.

[Crankin]

Eden, I also stopped shopping at Eddie Bauer and Liz Claiborne for those reasons. J Crew still makes 0 petite, but they are making less and less of their items in petite sizes; they still carry a lot of pants, but their pants have gone from a petite inseam of 28 or 29 to a 30! OK with heels, but I have to have them hemmed now. They do fit at the waist. They don't have petite sized sweaters anymore and I drool over some of their basics I see in the regular sizes. Plus, they stopped carrying the petite stuff in the stores about 3 years ago. I have a lot of trouble finding basic tops, t shirts, sweaters that fit. So far, I have been successful at Banana Republic Petite Shop for that stuff. That means a 30 minute trip to the one store that has them, but it's worth it a couple of times a year. The Loft started making xxsmall tops that fit me; talk about size creep. There's one near my house, so I end up buying a lot of stuff there. I am 5' 1" and I do not consider myself super skinny. I am normal weight for my height, but I guess the manufacturers are focusing on the growing population at the other end of the spectrum.

[frnz]

I like low rise. Then again, I'm 18, and I certainly don't buy ones so low that my crack hangs out. I also don't buy ones so tight that they muffin-top me. I do have some dressier trouser-type pants that have a slightly higher cut, though.

[Irulan]

I like low rise. Then again, I'm 18, and I certainly don't buy ones so low that my crack hangs out. I also don't buy ones so tight that they muffin-top me. I do have some dressier trouser-type pants that have a slightly higher cut, though.

ah youth - you probably looks great in them too!!!

[Skierchickie]

Hate 'em. Envious of the few people they actually look good on. My butt is too big, my waist too small (although not that small). Also, long torso, short legs. If they fit over my behind, they stand way way out around the waist. Leads to great self-image issues every time I go pants shopping. Even the mid-rise ones I wear - if I cinch my belt up enough to keep them from standing out when I kneel down, they just want to ride up to waist level (not good). So I have to carefully plan shirt/jeans combinations. Where I work, I'm frequently out in the shop, kneeling, reaching, stretching, bending over, turning wrenches. Too short shirt + pants pooching out in back = not good. Grrr.

[shootingstar]

I like low rise. Then again, I'm 18, and I certainly don't buy ones so low that my crack hangs out. I also don't buy ones so tight that they muffin-top me. I do have some dressier trouser-type pants that have a slightly higher cut, though.

Hope you keep on cycling or some exercise to keep you fit! I'm sure you have an incredible metabolism..like I used to have.

I have a basic, belted black dress skirt...about 2-3 inches above my knee. I wear it whenever I need to wear a business skirt/jacket wear. That skirt is now 6 years old. It is a super headache to find another classic skirt that fits properly --without the skirt falling off my hips.

Just because a person is small, it doesn't mean they look good in all sorts of cool, (daring) fashion.

In desperation, I bought 2 different walking shorts --for non-cycling & casual cycling wear when I visit people/go to functions by bike. Just low-rise which was only selection. So they are black and good, thing I resewed the button by moving it way over --2-3 inches tighter..which warps the whole waistline/zipper panel at the front.

Low-rise, even mid-rise means falling down too low for me. The whole pant/skirt was cut for bigger hipboned woman. ANd every few years..that design cut is inching to get bigger...

Just to give folks (particularily the much younger gals here) some perspective:

When I was 20, ...I was 93 lbs. at 5'1" - I wore size 4-6 women's clothing well. My hip was 33.5"

When I am 49 now -- at 100 lbs., at 5'1" - Size 4 women's clothing is too big now. So size 0 or 1. My hip still is 33.5" . But I think abdomen just below bellybutton, is my 1-2 inches more. Oh well.


So for the 18-yr. here...please tell all your female friends to eat healthy and exercise...so we can get our manufacturers' clothing sizing to sanity.. in 10 years.

[fastdogs]

I hate em. There are a few people they actually look good on, but very few. I am old enough to have been in high school when "hip huggers" were in, and wore them then, but I'm even talking about me wearing them now- just talking about having to look at other people in them. There is another older lady at work who wears that look all the time. Bulges all over the place. Then I saw her one day in regular clothes, and was amazed at how tiny she is- she isn't chubby in the least. She just looked that way with the tight low pants.
I also hate those real low pants some guys wear- actually below their butt sometimes, with the underwear sticking out the top. They are funny on cops though when they try to run.
Just too old, I guess- I'm sure this is similar to what my mom said about us in high school.
vickie

[silver]

I'm 43. I remember wearing hip huggers in elementary school. And i love my low rise jeans now. a scan of the thread seems to indicate that the more petite women dislike the low rise style.

Like frnz, I do not buy low rise pants which cause "muffin-top" or "plumber-but!"

[Kimmyt]

Love em, but only certain ones. If I find the rare pair of jeans that sits right on or below my hip bones and doesn't gap, I will stock up. Lengths may be a problem, and the sizing issue is getting frustrating, but being a short woman who is very short-waisted, anything other than lowrise makes me look like someone's gramma.



K.

[short cut sally]

I wear nothing but low or mid rise pants. I am all hips and thighs and no waist. I used to have to wear belts to keep my pants from falling down as they were so loose at the top d/t my build. I don't have to wear belts any more with this style as they sit on my hip bones. I have pant gap to the backside regardless of what style I wear-unless it is the full waist that comes above my belly button and that in turn rubs on my belly ring and causes more discomfort than what it is worth. I'm reliving my youth at age 42!!!

[OakLeaf]

+1 on the Levi's 515s!

'Course, boot cut is "out" now, so we'll have to replace them all with skinny leg jeans yeah right

[Andrea]

I love a low rise jean, but you have to look out for these...

[bmccasland]

Add me to the *I hate uber low rise and I'm short* crowd. On the otherhand, I don't like the above waist style either. I'm short waisted, and I find the slightly below the waist look is OK, but I despise anything lower. AND I too fight the gap at the back thing in most slacks. I've had to have my Banana Republic pants altered to close the gap. I'm not looking forward to the above the waist look either - they look like *old man pants* IMHO. Women's clothes, and fashion, Oy Vey.