Life Fright

With the choice of low, mid, and high-waisted bottoms coupled with so many styles, fabrics, and colors, figuring out where to start is challenging. We all want our jeans, skirts, pants, you name it to look flattering. Narrowing down the wide selection available on the market today by rise can help keep you on the right path to scoring bottoms that best suit your figure.

First, determine what type of torso you have: short, balanced, or long. An easy way to figure this out is to stack your hands below one another starting from your bust line’s lowest point. Now note where the lowest-positioned hand’s pinky finger is in relation to your belly button. Map this position in the table below:

For example, if your lowest pinky finger falls below your belly button, then you have a short torso. People with a short torso tend to look the best in low-rise and mid-rise bottoms. High-waisted bottoms in this scenario would cut their upper body in an unflattering way and lead to the illusion that they have a very short upper body in relation to their legs. Keep in mind that the point of different rises is to give an illusion of either a longer upper body or longer legs by respectively exposing or covering parts of the true body regions. People with a short torso can extend their torso line by wearing low-rise bottoms instead of shortening their torso line even more with high-waisted bottoms.

Another important note on choosing which rise: pay attention to where the top of the waistband is in relation to your belly button! Many retailers these days sell different rises, but a high-waisted pair from one retailer can have a different rise length than another retailer’s high-waisted pair. I have seen retailers sell low-waisted jeans, but when I try them on they are actually mid rise on my body. For the most flattering high-waisted option, the top of the waistband should hit at the belly button or slightly above. Mid rise would be classified when the top of the waistband is slightly below the belly button. And lastly, low rise would be when the top of the waistband is well below the belly button. Here’s a chart for the visually inclined:

Keep in mind the best rise for your body is subject to personal preference and fashion rules are meant to be broken! Fashion is about expressing your personality and wearing colors and styles that resonate with you. With all the choices available in the fashion world today, narrowing down the selection of bottoms by the most flattering rise can ensure that you have a greater degree of satisfaction with your purchase!