by Aisling Ashbery

Created on: January 14, 2010

We’ve all seen them: women in disastrous low-rise jeans.  Maybe their flesh is bubbling over on either side of the waistband.  Maybe their thongs are prominently displayed above the rear pockets.  Or maybe the zipper is doing that s-curve thing that happens when you try to pack too much into a casing that’s simply too small.  But what isn’t as noticeable are the girls who wear low-rise jeans every day and look perfectly fine in them. We just don’t pay as much attention, because they don’t stick out as much.   Like most clothing items, low-rise jeans can be both fashionable or fashion disastrous - it all depends on how you wear them.  So how do you know where your low-rise jeans stand?  Check the lists below.

[When Low-Rise Jeans are a Disaster]

[1.] The fit is off.
The most common clothing mistake in general is also the number one reason that low-rise jeans become a disaster.  If the jeans don’t fit, they won’t look good.  But low rise jeans offer the extra special bonus of showing off just how ill-fitting the pants are.  Flesh will be squeezed over the top of the jeans’ waistband, creating what is commonly known as “muffin top.” 

[2.] Underwear is visible.
The other problem with low-rise jeans is that they are cut to hang so low on the body that they don’t always cover what other cuts would.  If you sit down and your thong or panties are sticking out the back of your pants, your jeans are cut too low for you.  Sometimes this is a problem for women with curvier backsides.  They would be better off looking for cuts of pants that offer them fuller coverage - they don’t need the low rise to give the illusion of curves.

[When Low-Rise Jeans are Fashionable]

[1.] They give a straight figure the illusion of curves.
One thing that low-rise jeans do is to emphasize the curve of the hip and thigh.  For most women this is a bad thing, but for those who have very straight figures it can be very good indeed.  Especially if worn with a belt to keep the jeans in place.

[2.] They are used as a cover-up.
If you’re bumming around the beach in a swim-suit top, low-rise jeans can look really cute.  They look more in place when you are baring skin on your top half, because they follow the natural line of your body more closely.  Just don’t try to pull of this look anywhere other than the water front and you’ll be fine.

Just like most clothing items, low-rise jeans can be both disastrous and fashionable.  Now that you know which is which, you’ll never have to worry about being in that first category.

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