Our take on high-waisted trousers

Cover photo credit: Scott Fraser Collection

For this latest edition of the Selvedge Minute, David and I have decided to talk pants. This time, we're not talking about their cut, but rather their height, and more specifically high-waisted trousers, which have been very popular with men's fashion fans of late.

So, do we like high-waisted pants or not?

As a reminder, we've already had the opportunity to talk about high-waisted pants on two occasions, here :

Benoît: I've tried high-waisted pants, but...

Let's start strong: I don't think high-waisted pants are for me. Or rather, I don't think I'm going to continue my search for the perfect pair of high-waisted pants.

And yet, I've tried! With our products, of course, but not only. I've worn Anatomica, Stoffà, Thousand Studio and Bryceland's. These are truly high-end brands, renowned for the quality of their "high rise" fits.

Visually, I think it's a very chic, mature and elegant silhouette that transcends all trends. It's a silhouette that stands out to the discerning eye, without being original for the sake of being original.

So why have I thrown in the towel on high-waisted cuts?

Mainly for reasons of comfort and body shape.

• First problem: the high waist doesn't sit very well on me when I'm walking. After a while, they fall down, and the pants below my navel, just like... a "normal" size.
• Second problem: sitting comfort. I think I have a belly that changes volume a lot throughout the day, because 1) I drink a lot of water to keep hydrated and 2) I breathe through my belly. So when I'm sitting down, the high waist shears my stomach, and I'm tempted to place the pants below my navel, or far above it.

I noticed that the biggest defenders of the high rise were rather slim, and with very little fat. Maybe with 7-5kg less, I'll appreciate this kind of cut more, who knows.

But for now, I'm sticking to my first love: the natural waist (or "mid rise"), when the pants stop just below the navel. But I don't want to wear a low rise anymore.

By the way, I'm writing this email while wearing our Poetto, and for me, we've found the perfect balance, or at least one that manages this silhouette-comfort tension very well.

I think the choice of rise is really up to you. It's up to you to find the height that suits you best!

That said, I can understand why some people find the high rise comfortable and can't do without it, and David has a few words to say on the subject...

David: That's a big yes!

I remember my first pair of high-waisted pants very well.

I received them one day in autumn 2019. They were from Officine Générale. And when I put them on, something happened. I thought these high-waisted pants were beautiful and comfortable.

Beautiful because they elongate my silhouette and create harmonious top/bottom proportions.

Beautiful too because, having a long bust, it balances my silhouette by bringing my legs more to the fore. On the contrary, lower-rise pants make my bust very long, which I find visually unflattering, as well as being uncomfortable because mid-rise or low-rise pants press on my hip bone.

Finally, high-waisted pants solve a big problem: that of the top sticking out of the pants. Since I've been wearing higher-waisted pants, my shirt or t-shirt no longer escapes from my pants.

I was won over at the time, and then spent some time exploring this new world of high-waisted trousers. I wore higher and higher pants... then I stopped. I realized that there was a limit, that there was no need to keep going higher and higher.

As for the discomfort mentioned by Benoît, when seated, I've never really felt it. On the contrary, the high waist is comfortable for me in a seated position, because I feel that the pants sit naturally on my waist, where they should.

I think this feeling depends on the person, and whether or not you're used to wearing high-waisted pants. And I don't know if it's a belly or fat issue. I can think of a few rather corpulent men who wear high-waisted pants very well, and I don't get the impression that it's a worry for them. Or maybe they just hide it well. I admit that this subject, more of an anatomical nature, is still a bit of a mystery to me.

Yes, I like pants that go all the way to my belly button, and then some. But I also understand that they're not for everyone.

Even so, I find that even today, many men still wear their pants very low, to the detriment of their figure. I see it every day on the street. So my two pieces of advice are:

• Be aware of where your pants sit and the impact this height has on your figure,
• If possible, wear them or choose them a little higher.

Believe me, going from low-rise to mid-rise pants can radically improve your style.

In this respect, I find that the pants in the Bonnegueule collection are well balanced in this respect. For the most part, they have a mid-rise fork, without going overboard. Here are a few models that I think will suit most of you:

• the Poetto,
• the Baltimore,
• or the Bellagio

So, are you more on the low-rise, medium-rise or high-rise team? And why? Tell us all about it, on our Discord or our networks.

We wish you all the best for the start of summer, and hope to see you soon for another edition of the Minute Selvedge!

Benoît and David

Discover the other contents of our "Minute Selvedge" series