In today’s Reader Mailbag:
Dear BS:
On the rare days when it is still cool enough to wear jeans, I keep seeing people wearing high-waisted denim. This trend sort of freaks me out. What’s your position on it?
M.K.
Ooh, we are resolutely pro. First of all, we believe it is one of those things that look bad on basically everyone but model-types, so that—we think the word we want here is “perversely”—perversely, no one has high expectations of how you should look in them—even if you look sort of a size bigger than usual, everyone who sees you is like, “I bet in reality that person is actually one size smaller.” (Er, not that we recommend that anyone give a shit about any of this.)
Really, what we are trying to say is this: They look bad on loads and loads of people. But then, doughnuts are bad for us, and we had two today. (Thank you lovely Dunkin Donuts man, for giving us the two-for-one special!) And we love doughnuts! And we believe, and this is a central plank in our platform, that you should do \ eat what you love, and that when you do so, with enthusiasm, there’s this sort of magical thing that makes even awkward looking jeans look fantastic.
Goobledygook! But we stand by it. In short: We will be buying a pair of the 18th Amendments, below, or the Sevens, above.
That is kind of a silly picture.
And then in shorts. We feel like we could almost wear these to a work-ish function. Dittos, $132
I have those Sevens and they are so comfortable, the high waist is actually flatering on these.
Two words: mom pants.
I actually love this look. It’s the first step towards better body image, I think — the jeans make you look curvy and womanly, which is a nice change from the tyranny of the low-rise, skinny jeans. And they also seem more polished. If that makes them “mom pants” then, hurray! Moms are women too.
The trick is to try on as many different styles as possible. You have to find the right proportions for you, otherwise they can look pretty awful.
I’m pro, as long as the proportions are right. I think a pair of high-waisted, slim-through-the-thigh bootcut jeans can look hot, especially if worn with an old, soft, tucked-in plaid shirt.
They are only mom jeans if you get the pleated elastic waist kind.
Or if you sport a fupa.
I still say no. They’re throwbacks to past decades that should be buried, once and for all. The trend, not the decades, should be buried. That is.
Fupa!!! hilarious. I love the style of these when worn by the appropriate body type. I must say that not everyone can wear this style. These are definately not pants ladies with any type of apple shaped body should wear. I believe you have to be super slim through the middle. I also think you must wear heels with these pants unless you’re naturally over 5’9″.
i hearken back to a previous comment — what are we calling high waisted? if it’s below the belly button, it’s not really high waisted. i think jeans that sit below the belly button, but above the hipbones nicely hide nasty waist fat as well as better fitting large muscular bums, and i personally am sick of seeing non-skinny girls with these stupid wedges of fat/butt-cracks hanging over their jeans. (hm, myself included?)
so high waisted–but not too high=good.