The retro-flavored high waist is back in high style Every fashionista worth her Calvins and Manolos is embracing the rising-waist trend. Yes, you read that right. After years of hovering somewhere on the lower hip, the waists of pants, jeans, shorts and skirts have moved north of the belly button, sometimes stopping at the smallest part of the torso and sometimes moving all the way up till just under the bust. Either way, the higher waists are creating silhouettes that manage to appear both retro and new. The trend started on runways a couple of seasons ago, with avant garde designers showing high-waisted, wide-legged pants that looked impossibly glamorous, bringing to mind the elegance of Katherine Hepburn and other 1940s and ’50s movie stars. Dresses, skirts, jeans and shorts quickly followed suit, and by now the higher-waisted fashions are found everywhere. Even a brand like Doncaster, which specializes in classic, timeless clothes, gives a nod to the trend. “We don’t do it outrageously, but the look is there,” says Kathleen Peck, who features the line at her Lancaster studio. “For example, jacket lengths are cropped to go with the high-waisted, fuller pants, and the result is a wonderfully long-legged look. “This is also true of the middy skirts. I remember them, the flared pants, and the baby-doll dresses from the ’70s. So what we have now is really ’40s and ’70s brought into the here and now.” Figure-flattering look But don’t take the term “high-waisted” too literally. “It’s a relative term and open to interpretation,” warns Molly Adams of Pappagallo in Lancaster. “Because low-cut styles have been popular for so long, you don’t have to go too far above the belly button. Even a mid-rise cut will give you the trendy look. “And here’s a practical point: A high-rise jean is awesome for nipping in your waist,” Adams says. “It won’t dig into your sides, and you’re not showing bare skin when you bend over.” Of course, the high-waisted silhouette looks great on size 2 runway models and Hollywood starlets, but is it wearable by average women? The answer is yes, according to Jayne Lynch, public relation director of Bon-Ton, Park City Center, and Alicia Harmann, floor manager at Mommalicious in downtown Lancaster. Both say the look flatters every single woman. “The closer the waist to the bust, the more long-legged you look,” Lynch says. “Invariably that makes you look taller and thinner.” Harmann agrees. “I’m short-legged,” she tells, “and I love what the high waists do for me. Recently, on a trip to New York City, I wore a high-waisted skirt, a tank-top tucked in and a cropped denim jacket that hit at the waist. It made me feel appropriately dressed for a fashion-forward city.” She says that the high-waisted, full-legged pants look best if your torso is long. “And add a beautiful belt,” she recommends. “If, on the other hand, your torso is short, go with a waist that rests on the high hipbone, tug in a fitted shirt, or wear a cropped top that shows just a bit of skin. Since it’s the thinnest part of your body you’re showing, this is a flattering look.” The Mommalicious store is a big advocate of vintage clothing, so, not surprisingly, Harmann references the high-waisted looks of mid-century bombshells like Marilyn Monroe and Betty Grable. “They wore high-waisted two-piece bathing suits, shorts and slacks, and looked fantastic. There are fashion lessons to be learned there,” she says. Is the look strong enough to carry through into next fall and winter? The experts say yes. Designers like Dolce & Gabbana, Dior and Giorgio Armani already have revealed that their fall/winter collections will zero in on waists, fuller trousers paired with shorter jackets or boleros, and mid-length skirts.
Posted on: Fri, 08 Aug 2014 13:05:25 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015