“I prefer low-rise jeans which are loose fitting, although low-rise bootcuts are also my faves,” says Rajan, who owns about seven pairs of jeans, all low waist, and “belts in all colours — green, yellow, white, red,” he chuckles.

Says Ragini Kumar,  a college  student  from Mumbai, “I love low-waist  jeans as they fit me perfectly and my stomach doesn’t feel trapped in it.  High waisted jeans strangle those who do  not have a long body.”

Jane Vaz from Mumbai , who just got her belly button pierced, opines that low waist jeans are a boon. “I can show off my piercing all thanks to my jeans .

Earlier, the zip would just cover my piercing  and it was very uncomfortable”. But she cautions, “Girls need to be very careful  while sitting down.  In college, I see benches  of ‘rear cleavage’ in all shapes and sizes!”  And what  should  one do to hide it?  “Wear a longer top or put on a belt,” she advises. Most people are happy to hear that more women  opt for low-waist  jeans  compared to men. 

“I would not like to see a guy’s underwear. That would just be disgusting.  I like low waist  jeans as it lets you show off accessories like chunky belts,” mentions  Radhika Sagar, a media  professional.

Her friend Radhika Oberoi sallies, "It's uncomfortable, especially while driving a two-wheeler or sitting in a chair that doesn't have a closed back. You know that a peek-a-boo is on but that's okay when the entire world is doing it."

Low waist jeans have been a hot item for many years, especially in combination with tight tops and no-waistband. Many people still seem to think that  low rise jeans and its blood relative, the ‘dangerously low-rise’ variety, cling tenaciously on in India.

Different ‘rises’!

Let us check up as to what, as per fashion experts, is really low. The ‘rise’ of trousers or briefs is the distance from the waist to the bottom of the crotch.  Everyone has a different rise, but ready made clothing manufacturers want to keep things manageable, so they offer different "rises" in pants and innerwear. Bikinis have the lowest ise; low rise jeans should have more. 

Before the craze for ‘low rise’ came, anatomically speaking, crotch-to-waist measurement, or rise, on a standard pair of jeans was between 10 and 12 inches. Early low-riders had a rise of about seven inches. Over the past couple of years, the rise has dipped as low as three four inches!

“Girls call us up to enquire about ‘the latest jeans in the 544s’,” says Ramesh Sanghavi, manager at the ‘Our Jeans’  store in Bandra. 

If you didn’t get the 544-part, it’s the latest low-rise jargon — Supra-Lows are the L567s while 544s are the Ultra-Lows. For those uninitiated with the dangers (of being called outdated) of wearing regular high-rise jeans, here’s what you need to check out: the zipper length (or its equivalent distance) in a low-rise should be about 5-6”, 8” in a mid-waist and 9” in a high-rise or regular fit.

Despite the exorbitant price (a good pair of low-rise jeans costs around Rs 2,500), young collegians are all out for it.

Short waist men should avoid  low waist jeans. They are not the right type for you. Long waist men need to do things the other way round when compared to short waisted guys. Your perfect fashion style is low waist jeans with a contrasting shade.

Men with flat butts should firstly make sure that they wear proper fit low waist  jeans. If you have a large belly, avoid low waist jeans.

For Her

When picking up a pair, do keep a few rules in mind. First, don't go lower than what you're comfortable with.
Fidgeting with the waistband because it's too low, will ruin the look. Next, make sure to try on at least 4-5 pairs, experimenting with different lengths and fits, before you decide on one.

And last, belts are a must-have. Wearing a belt will make sure they don't sink too low, thus avoiding any unnecessary attention. Guys are facing a new dilemma  with dangerously low waist jeans.  According to fashion designer Ram Sobti “Low waist  jeans look alright, but  showing off bad innerwear is quite tacky.  My sincere advice to people is, since low waist  jeans can get really low these days, each time you buy a pair of jeans,  buy some nice innerwear too!”

Maharaja Features