Waistlines are trending up

Pants with suspenders

Have you noticed? Waistlines on pants and skirts are rising. 

Over the past 10 or so years, waistlines lay below the belly button - at or just above the hip bone. The next generation of young kids coming up is looking to differentiate themselves from the previous generation, and one way they are doing this is by wearing pants and skirts higher on their waist. Designers are happy to oblige. 

Pinstripe pants with braces

This is a natural cycle, moving from low-rise pants to high-rise. This is occurring in different styles of clothes, including office wear, casual wear, and sportswear. Dress pants have risen and taper to the ankle. Jeans and cotton pants have high rises. Yoga pants sit higher on the waist. The placement of skirt waists are higher than 2 years ago.

Skirts with braces

All of these different styles recognize the value in smoothing over the midsection. You can be underweight or overweight and take advantage of a waistline sitting above your waist. High-rise pants lengthen the legs as there’s more vertical fabric to fool the eye.

High-rise jeans with suspenders

As someone who’s worn high-rise pants for a long time, I welcome this trend. High-rise pants and skirts are the first stage before wearing braces. As waistlines rise, people will look to keep their pants at those heights, and that's where they will be re-accustomed to the art of wearing braces. I foresee braces becoming more prevalent in society.

This lady loves that braces have come back!

Diane Kruger at the Polo Ralph Lauren Children’s Fashion Show in August 2015 took her comfy wide-leg pants to a whole new level by wearing braces. In fact, the commentator mentions that "suspenders
are the ultimate menswear-inspired accessory and may be the little extra your outfit is missing."

It’s a fantastic style and I’m glad to see it coming!

The serious face for seriously comfortable braces

Questions:
1. Have you seen people wearing high-rise pants more often these days?
2. Have you worn high-rise pants or skirt recently?

Time to bring back the classics

Do you look at old photographs and magically insert yourself into the scene, such as this one...

Men strolling down the sidewalk in Paris, 1928

I'd love to join in with these men as they stroll down the sidewalk in 1928, all wearing high-waisted pants with braces. The photo's description says it was during a heatwave in 1928 - I'd be walking around without a suit jacket as well.

Do you imagine a time when people put thought into how they dressed, even on the weekend? Back when men wore suits, and women wore dresses regularly. Some people refer to this as the Golden age of mens style.

While I’d love to be transported into that bygone era. I realize that life was challenging back then and things we take for granted today were unheard of back then. I’d like to focus on the fashion aspect of the bygone era, rather than the troubles.

Here's a photo I could see myself in:

Photo of a new family

Even at home the man is wearing a suit. He's conveniently pulled back his suit jacket to reveal his braces supporting his high-rise pants. Notice the proper placement of the buttons - above the center pleat and then to the side above the pocket. The inverse-U tab appears a bit stretched, but works well to support his pants over the front waistline.


Women wore dresses or high-waisted skirts. Stockings were worn over their legs and held in place with suspenders (also called garters) which sometimes needed adjusting.

Adjusting the suspenders

Men always wore suits, even at home. When the man came home, he would take off his hat (another stylish accessory now forgotten), remove his suit jacket, and carry on with his day. No one would think twice about seeing his high-waisted pants held up with braces. It was totally acceptable to have the braces visible. In fact, it was appreciated, as the pants lengthened his appearance, did not drag on the ground, or get torn at the hem.

A father reading with his son. His suit jacket is off and he looks very comfortable

Both men and women understood that suspenders were an essential accessory - for holding up pants and for holding up stockings. High-waisted pants, skirts, and stockings were secured by braces. No decent individual would expect anything less; they were effective and comfortable. Braces proliferated the everyday scene in the home and at the office.

At home: the man's suit jacket is off, sleeves rolled-up, and his braces are totally acceptable

 

 

At the office: every man's suit jacket is off and it's acceptable to show their braces

If you walked into any office building, you would not be surprised to see the majority of men wearing braces. Braces would be quietly doing their part, keeping mens pants looking respectable and dapper. Women wore pinafores and skirts with fabric straps, or skirts with button-on braces. Pants and skirts were meant to be kept high, and braces met that need.

This was before the days of throw-away fashion. People bought quality clothing and reused them over and over – or handed them down repeatedly. As such, some clothes could be loose, requiring braces to keep the lower-half of the outfit in place. People expected braces to be worn to fill this need.



Besides looking at old photographs, there are certain communities and events that celebrate fashion from the past. There are annual tweed rides in major cities. Or take Goodwood Revival festival in England. In addition to racing cars and planes, there’s also the style aspect. People dress in vintage styles, with plenty of braces and high-waisted skirts around. At 2019's festival, the winner of the Best Dressed Competition in the men's category wore a 1940's civilian style of grey, high-rise pants with stripped braces on a blue shirt and a vintage, red tie and grey hat:

Of course he won - he looks like he stepped out of the 1940's!

For those who appreciate an era when men wore braces, and hats were commonplace, these events are a welcomed reprieve from modern life.

Discussion

• Have you attended events with vintage themes?
• Do you wear clothes that are styled from a bygone era?

Summer style

Summer brings warm weather and a challenge to stay cool. You want your clothes to be airy and breathable: this is not the time for skin-tight pants. Even if your pants are roomy, the problem can be at the waist – when you tighten a belt around your waist. That’s exactly where braces are perfect for achieving summer coolness – in both meanings of the word! Braces suspend your pants at the waistline, not constrain it. This allows the waistline to be roomier and allow air to flow around your torso. 

While you may want to wear t-shirt and shorts all the time, this may not be suitable for all occasions. Take for example a wedding. It’s generally not appropriate to wear shorts, so a man must wear pants. However, he can be stylish and functional by wearing slightly roomier, high-waisted pants, supported by braces. Braces add a formal touch to your outfit and allow you to express your personality.

Maroon braces with pants and short sleeve dress shirt

Or in a corporate environment. It is generally not appropriate to wear shorts to the office, so pants are necessary for men or women. Here again, you can be stylish and functional by wearing slightly roomier, high-waisted pants, supported by braces. Braces add a sophisticated touch and express your personality. This style looks great on both men and women.

Classic black braces with black pants and no-sleeve dress shirt

Pants that allow air to flow around the torso will provide more a comfortable and cooler disposition. This can only be achieved if the pants are roomier and that can only be achieved with the help of braces. It’s a win-win, braces complement the outfit and provide air movement - style and function at the same time!

Roomy, stripped pants with braces

The goal is roominess rather than bagginess. This can be a fine line - be careful not to go overboard. Generally it’s one size up from your normal size.

Are you heading to a wedding or the office this summer? Wear braces for comfort and style. I’d love to hear your experience and what people’s comments were on your style.

The wonder of high-rise pants held up with braces

I’ll just say it: I love high-rise pants. They create a striking visual image: they elongate your legs, shorten your torso, and cover your midsection. And they are held in place with braces! Pants designed for braces.










High-rise pants (sometimes called high-waist or high-waisted pants) sit at or above your belly button. This lengthens the pant leg and creates an smooth line from your shoulders down to your feet, uninterrupted by a belt. As the waistline is at or above your abdomen you can breathe comfortably, without having a restricted belt dig into you each time you take a breath. 

Notice how the high-rise pants elongate the legs and
creates a smooth transition form bottom to top half

In case you are unfamiliar with the term “rise”, this refers to the distance from the bottom of the crotch to the top of the waistline. A waistline sitting above your belly-button will have a ‘higher rise’ than a waistline that sits at your hips, for instance. It’s for this reason that jeans sitting below your hips are commonly referred to as “low risers.”

Back to high-rise pants. I especially love vintage, high-rise pants. Sometimes referred to as “Hollywood waist”, these pants do not have a separate band of fabric circling around the waist. Instead, the pant fabric extends up the legs right to the top of the pants, with no cross fabric for a belt that would interrupt the line. If there are belt loops, they are below, rather than at the top of the pant waistline. There are generally darts to angle the difference between the hips and the lower rib-cage. And that’s where the top of Hollywood waist pants ends: at the bottom of your rib-cage. To maintain this height, braces are attached.

Note the Hollywood waist on these high-rise pants for both men and women

Not only do high-rise pants make your look better, they make you feel better. Breathing is enjoyable! The pants sit comfortably above your waist, allowing your abdomen to expand and contract, all day long.  You take a breath in, and your abdomen fills out your pants waist. High-rise pants are large enough to absorb the breathe; just tight enough to be comfortable. You then breathe out, and your abdomen shrinks back into your body. With the absence of your abdomen, your pants would start to slide downward due to the effects of gravity. But they don’t - if you are wearing high-rise pants as they should be worn. Braces come to the rescue to provide fantastic support. Your high-rise pants stay high all day long.

No matter how much bending or twisting, braces keep your pants in place

The specific placement of the buttons along the waistline provides maximum support for this accomplishment. Brace buttons should be attached at the front above the center pant line and pocket above each leg (about 3-3.5 inches apart), and then equidistant from the center of the pants at the rear (about 1.5-1.75 inches from the center seam). It’s truly an enjoyment to sit, stand, bend, and twist - not to mention breathe - without having to adjust or pull up your pants. The braces do all the heavy lifting.

Proper button placement on these high-rise white pants worn by Farrah Fawcett

Charlene Tilton with improper button placement -
should be to the side to align with the pant line

With this in mind, I’m constantly perplexed that people turn to belts. Belts restrict movement and circulation around your waist and result in pants slipping down all day long. They interrupt the smooth transition from the top of your body to the bottom.

Men have an unfortunate aversion to wearing pants at or above their hips - why? Is this an outdated style of a previous generation? Do the pants not stay up (without braces, hence the need for braces), or men don’t like braces? I have not solved this question yet. But I do know that they're missing out on the wonder of high-rise pants and braces. Historically, when men wore pants, they were high-rise and held up with braces.

Vintage photo of men wearing braces

If I haven’t convinced you yet of the comfort of high-rise pants with braces, I’ll add one final point: braces are charming. People respect you when you make effort to dress well. High rise pants are one of those ways you can dress well and be stylish. Braces add a certain sophistication and refinement to an otherwise standard outfit. This writer from Esquire states that she highly regards suspenders and finds them to be darling. 

Current fashion trends are starting to take notice of the increase in rise of pants. Women’s fashion has emphasized high-rise pants for the past few years. In fact, check out this New Yorker article titled "How high can high-waisted pants go?" to understand that this rising trend will continue. It’s only a matter of time before it shifts to men’s clothing.

Courtshop James Jeans with braces

She's lov'n her high-rise pants with braces!

Discussion time:

• Do you wear high-rise pants? If not, why not?
• How do you find braces with high-rise pants?
• Have you worn Hollywood waist pants?