What we mean by rise
The rise is the distance between the crotch seam and the top of the waistband. It decides where the jeans sit on your body. Two pairs in the same fit, one high rise and one low rise, will give you two very different silhouettes.
It is also the most underestimated adjustment. Many people switch fits when the rise was the thing that did not suit them.
High rise jeans
The waistband sits at the natural waist or very close to it. This is currently the most requested rise. It visually lengthens the leg, stays in place when you move, and pairs well with a tucked or slightly cropped top.
It suits you particularly well if you want jeans that do not shift all day, or if you like to mark the waist.
Mid rise jeans
The waistband sits between the hip and the natural waist. This is the compromise, and it is often the easiest rise to wear day to day. It slides under a long top as easily as under a short one, with no coordination effort.
If you do not know where to start, start here.
Low rise jeans
The waistband sits on the hips. This is a style rise, back over recent seasons. It asks for a little more attention when choosing the top, and a precise fit at the hips to stay comfortable when you sit down.
How to decide
Three quick questions.
Where do you want the jeans to sit? At the waist, between the two, or on the hips. This is a comfort preference before it is a style question.
What are you wearing over them? A tucked top calls for a high rise. A long top sits better with a mid or a low rise.
Do you sit for long stretches? A higher rise generally stays more stable over the course of a day.
The rise then combines freely with the fit. A high rise exists in straight, slim, flare and wide leg. These are two separate decisions, and that is good news: you can adjust one without giving up the other.
How to recognise a rise without trying it on
There is a simple reference point, and it does not need a tape measure. Look at where the top of the waistband sits relative to the navel.
Above the navel is a high rise. At the navel or just below is a mid rise. Clearly below the navel, on the hip bone, is a low rise.
On a product page the information is not always named that way. Trust the on-model photo where there is one, and the fit description: a pair described as high rise will place the waistband at the natural waist, whatever the brand.
The rise changes where the jeans will feel tight
This is the point people often discover too late. Jeans do not press in the same place depending on the rise, because the waistband does not rest on the same part of the body.
A high rise leans on the waist, where the measurement is narrowest. It holds well, but it needs the waist measurement to be right, otherwise it gapes at the back or compresses when you sit.
A low rise leans on the hips, where the measurement is fuller. The hip measurement becomes the deciding one. A low rise that is too tight at the hips will be uncomfortable even if the waist is perfect.
A mid rise spreads the support between the two. That is one of the reasons it suits the greatest number of people.
Rise and fit are two independent settings
A common mistake is believing that a rise dictates a fit. It does not. In our assortment, high rise exists in straight leg as well as wide leg, in slim as well as flare.
That means if a pair appeals to you without suiting you, you do not necessarily have to change fit. Sometimes it is enough to keep the fit and change the rise, or the reverse. That is the kind of check that takes two minutes in a fitting room and saves a return.
What the rise changes in a wardrobe
The rise mostly influences the choice of top.
A high rise goes with a tucked, cropped, or waist-length top. It marks the silhouette and puts the waist forward.
A mid rise accepts just about anything, from a long sweater to a tucked top. It is the easiest to style when a wardrobe is varied.
A low rise calls for a shorter top or one worn close to the body, otherwise the line gets lost. It works well with wide fits, where the contrast between volume below and a fitted top above creates the intended effect.
Frequently asked questions
Which rise lengthens the leg most? High rise, generally, especially with a straight or flared leg.
Does the rise change the size I should order? Not directly, but it moves the fitting point. For a high rise, trust your waist measurement. For a low rise, your hips.
Can a high rise be comfortable? Yes. The composition of the fabric and the ease at the hips matter more than the height itself.
Which rise should I choose if I sit all day? Mid rise is generally the most comfortable compromise. A high rise with some stretch also works very well.
Is low rise really back? It has reappeared over recent seasons, mostly on wide fits. That said, mid and high rise remain the most requested with us.
