Cheryl Shops

The great rise debate
The good ol' New York Post got everyone talking this week when they published this story about how everyone is sick of low-rise jeans, and finally, for fall, rises are starting to inch up toward eight or nine inches (after hovering between five and seven for the past few years). Then, to add fuel to the fire, Style.com named a super-high-rise jean as its Item of the Week, saying that even JLo is wearing high-rise pants nowadays. This could be because JLo's been looking a little chunky lately, but that's another point altogether.

Low-rise (and boot-cut or flared) pants have been around for about five years now, plunging lower and butt-crackingly lower in recent years. I'm all for raising things a few inches, but I don't know how I feel about above-the-navel pants. Speaking as a short-torsoed lady (seriously, I have a freakishly short torso, but, thankfully, long legs), I love low-rise pants, because they create the illusion that my body is somewhat in proportion. Granted, I think everyone should say no to crack (butt crack, that is), but this can be accomplished by wearing a belt and finding jeans that actually fit you properly. At the same time, a high-waisted pant creates a longer line, making your legs appear longer, so this is a better option for short women, or women with short legs. And it does look kind of fresh and new to me--which I guess is the point. But is the world ready for the high-rise revolution? Two years ago, for example, fashion magazines were touting round-toe shoes, which, so far, have been a bit slow to catch on (and, in fact, while I've bought several round-toe pairs, I'm still wearing the pointy-toes too). And while item-driven trends like ponchos or peasant skirts tend to come and go in a season or two, we're talking silhouettes here, a much more slow-moving aspect of fashion because silhouette affects all elements of your wardrobe. And while the retail industry would probably like you to, few people can afford to replace their entire wardrobe every season or two.

I'm interested to see what's going to happen with rises and if they, um, rise considerably, whether that affects cut (like, if we go back to straight leg or--god forbid--tapered leg for a full-on '80s revival). So, high-rise trousers: Discuss.