Advice on pants rise

[pixelsmith]

I'm in a pickle.

According to what I've Googled, my pants should sit just below my belly button. Like one inch.

But this requires a waist tightness that makes my stomach feel uncomfortable. It's bearable when I stand but not when I sit. Feels like it's cutting into my waist a bit, and some belly hangs over like a muffin top.

So I go for a more relaxed waist tightness, which naturally falls and sits more like low rise jeans. This goes for jeans, drawstring pants, smart trousers, joggers, shorts, the lot.

It's comfy and I can sit in them all day, but I worry it doesn't look so good. A bit baggy. Especially if the pants are designed to sit just under the belly button.

So: proper rise and discomfort, or loose trousers and comfort. I can't find the goldilocks pants that solve this conundrum.

Am I worrying about nothing?

For reference, I am 1.7m tall (5ft 7) and 64kg (10stone). I usually wear small size clothing and wear a 77cm (30 inch) waist. I'm about 16% body fat, though the fairly little fat I have does tend to be around my belly (I used to be 90KG/14 stone).

 

[paxonus]

That is exactly what suspenders (braces) are for. You can wear a looser waist size and keep the trousers at the proper height. For jeans and khakis, go with a lower rise.

 

[pixelsmith]

Interesting - I hadn't thought of that as a solution!

With that said, I think 90% of my sartorial setups might look a little odd with braces. I veer very much towards the casual.

 

[KOz]

This is a question only you can answer since it pertains to your willingness to suffer discomfort for certain aesthetics. It's hard to give stylistic advice without any visual reference. Perhaps lower rise suits you and your style. In which case the whole point is moot.

 

[pixelsmith]

Good point! Let me take a bunch of photos with a pair of trousers - drawstring hybrid smart/casual from Reiss.

This is a question only you can answer since it pertains to your willingness to suffer discomfort for certain aesthetics. It's hard to give stylistic advice without any visual reference. Perhaps lower rise suits you and your style. In which case the whole point is moot.

 

[pixelsmith]

Sitting low

 

[Mr Tickle]

I think those are low-rise pants that are supposed to sit just above your hips (like most casual jeans etc). Definitely the pics where they are lower look more natural. You have to buy pants that are designed to sit high if you want to wear them high, otherwise they just look like you've hoisted them up and they will definitely feel uncomfortable.
Proper high-rise pants will be cut in a way so they will sit higher and feel that's the natural place for them.
You can also get mid-rise if that's a better natural fit for you!

Generally speaking, mainstream/mall brands don't always specify what rise they are supposed to be and they just assume that they will be worn low, as that's how jeans/chinos/cargo pants have traditionally been worn in recent decades. More dressy, "menswear" brands (the sort of brands people talk about on here, Drakes, Spiers & Mackay etc) are more likely to be cut to be worn high. From what I know, higher-rise casual pants haven't really been the mainstream fashion for a while (fifty years ago it was a different matter) but they are getting more popular now so there are more of them about.

(And yeah, don't wear braces with casual outfits unless you are going for a very specific kind of vintage/skinhead look, or something, which you probably aren't. They are usually for dress pants worn as part of a suit).

 

[pixelsmith]

I think those are low-rise pants that are supposed to sit just above your hips (like most casual jeans etc). Definitely the pics where they are lower look more natural. You have to buy pants that are designed to sit high if you want to wear them high, otherwise they just look like you've hoisted them up and they will definitely feel uncomfortable.
Proper high-rise pants will be cut in a way so they will sit higher and feel that's the natural place for them.
You can also get mid-rise if that's a better natural fit for you!

Generally speaking, mainstream/mall brands don't always specify what rise they are supposed to be and they just assume that they will be worn low, as that's how jeans/chinos/cargo pants have traditionally been worn in recent decades. More dressy, "menswear" brands (the sort of brands people talk about on here, Drakes, Spiers & Mackay etc) are more likely to be cut to be worn high. From what I know, higher-rise casual pants haven't really been the mainstream fashion for a while (fifty years ago it was a different matter) but they are getting more popular now so there are more of them about.

(And yeah, don't wear braces with casual outfits unless you are going for a very specific kind of vintage/skinhead look, or something, which you probably aren't. They are usually for dress pants worn as part of a suit).

This is a super helpful reply, thank you!