Fashion statement

By Donna

Is anyone else out there as tired of low-rise jeans as I am?

I’m not saying this out of prudishness –- really I'm not. I actually think they're cute on teenagers (except when they show a little bit too much derriere. OK, maybe I am a little bit of a prude). I've even worn them myself… back in the 1970s... the first time they were in style... when I was a teenager.

My objection to the style is that there doesn't seem to be any other option, even for those of us who are over 21 -– times two.

I used to think it was painful to shop for a swimsuit, until I reached my 40s and tried to find a pair of jeans that not only fit, but also looked appropriate. When I walk into a store, I am faced with the choice of dressing like my daughter or like her grandmother. There is nothing in between!

I remember the day in the '70s when I realized that "hip huggers" were no longer hip. A friend had come to school with pants that came all the way up to her waist. They looked fresh and very cool. I went shopping that week to get a pair just like it and could not believe how liberating it felt not to have to worry about everything showing when I bent over or sat down.

I know that fashion is a cyclical thing and that it's just a matter of time before Paris Hilton or Gwen Stefani is photographed in jeans that hit just below the waist, and the low-rise craze will be yet another "what was I thinking?" fashion nightmare. Anyone care to send them a pair?

Donna is a San Fernando Valley wife and mother.

Comments

[Sharee]

Try Eddie Bauer if there is one near you. One thing I like about them is that they tend to stick to classic styles that you can pull off regardless of whether the current trends are high-rise or low-rise... I love their jeans, they're comfy, and not-too high or too-low. I've been buying them consistently for the past 11 years, and they seem to be very consistent in fit, comfort, and price.

[Robin P]

I always wonder why teen girls with flabby stomachs want to show them off. I wasn't fat in my teen years but if this had been the style back then, I would have declined. Girls are heavier than they were in my day and yet their clothes are 90% more revealing today. Muffin tops? How sad that this flab needs a name.
Cover up,people!!

[jody]

I've heard that the extra flesh that hangs over the top of low rise jeans is called "muffin tops." I've found that the only women that look even remotely attractive in low-rise jeans are those that are size two or less. I can't wait for this fashion to be over and I'm sure many people will look back and say, "What was I thinking? Why didn't someone tell me my muffin top was hanging out!"

[Alice H]

I think if most teenagers took a good look at what's showing when they wear those, they would have gone out of style a long time ago. Hairy lower backs and rolls of fat, ugh!

[Tina]

I am extremely long-waisted and hip huggers, as we called them then, didn't look good on me when I was 15 in 1975 or now that I'm 45 in 2005. But that hasn't stopped me from buying several pairs. And you are right, it's either that or "mom jeans" and "mom jeans" are just not an option for me as long as I'm breathing!

[JulieS]

Try the Cassidy jeans at The Limited... I haven't been there in ages but bought a pair last week and have LIVED in them... it's so nice to not have to worry about everything hanging out when I bend over without having my jeans come up to my boobs!