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FEATURE ARTICLE
The Great
Waistline Debate
Not long ago,
I was having a - well, let's call it a discussion - with a
twenty-something fashion lover over the popular low-rise waistline.
Since I've never been a big fan of this trend, I asked the young
woman to defend her position by telling me how, exactly, this style
was more flattering than pants that follow the natural waistline.
She couldn't
tell me, only saying again and again that, "All the fashion
magazines say so, so it must be true."
When I laughed
at her logic, she finally grew frustrated and said flat out,
"Besides, only little old ladies still wear pants at the natural waistline."
Ouch.
Since this
echoed an article I'd read recently on WWD.com, the statement gave me
pause. Like the miniskirt 40 years ago, this new waistline has
created a line in the sand with women of one generation on one side,
and women of the next on the other.
Okay, I get that.
But why does
it all hinge on a style that looks bad on so many? I think the reason
it bugs me so much is that a lot of clothiers are making a fortune
hoodwinking Generations X and Y. If these young women would only stop
to consider the basics of line and proportion in this matter, they'd
abandon this trend altogether and go find something more flattering
to wear.
I guess the
basics of aesthetics, like home economics and Music 101, have gone
the way of the dinosaur in many schools, leaving these gals to
blindly follow the fashion leads of Brittany Spears and Paris Hilton
instead of thinking for themselves. Too bad.
If you've been
wondering whether this lower waistline is for you, or if you couldn't
care less about the subject but could use a refresher on line and
proportion, let me answer some of the sweeping generalizations I've
heard in support of this trend.
"The
lower waistline is more flattering on most people."
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It depends on
the body. Since the low rise puts the waistband at the widest part of
the hip, it makes the hips look wider. If you have small hips and
want to make them look bigger, this is a good thing. If you have big
hips and want to make them look smaller, this is a bad thing.
"This
waistline emphasizes the waist."
True. If you
have a small waist, the low rise shows it off nicely. If you have a
thick waist, the low rise shows just how thick it is, particularly
when paired with a cropped top. |
LaRedoute.com |
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"This
waistline is the most flattering for women with thick waists."
I completely
disagree. The horizontal line at the bust echoed in the horizontal
line at the hip makes the entire torso of an H-shaped (aka
rectangular or boyish) body seem shorter and wider than it really is.
If the wearer also has a long waist or short legs, it makes the whole
body seem completely disproportioned. |
Newport-News.com |
"This
waistline is more comfortable than a natural waistline."
That's true.
Back when designer jeans first became popular in the late 70's and
early 80's, some women wore their jeans so tight that they had to lie
down on a bed or the floor in order to get them zipped. The denim
acted like a girdle, sucking everything in. Women couldn't breath
deeply or sit down comfortably, but they looked tall, thin, and lean.
The low-rise
waistband doesn't pinch or bind any area of the abdomen, which is
obviously more comfortable than what I just described. But it's also
completely merciless. Even a gal who is just five or six pounds
overweight looks too chubby for this style. So for those six out of
every ten Americans who are clinically overweight, let's just say
that allowing it all "to hang out" in a low rise pant is
not a good thing. In fact, it's often obscene.
"Guys
really like a low, low rise."
Yes, they are
putting their heads together to talk about those extremely low rises.
But if you eavesdrop on their conversations (which I have), what you
hear may have you running for cover. Literally. The gist of their
banter, in words polite enough to print here, is just how much
shaving is required in order to pull off this look. And yes, they're
looking, whether they're sixteen or sixty. I don't know about you,
but I'd rather NOT have a man ponder the grooming details of my
crotch when first we meet, thank you very much. Ditto for my teenaged niece.
Now as you
read this, you may get the impression that I'm totally against this
look. I'm not. I've seen women of various ages pull it off with great
success. But it's tricky and definitely not for everyone.
One of the
hallmarks of being well dressed is in knowing yourself well enough to
know which looks to embrace and which to pass up. For most, this
should be a pass. But it's not because they don't know themselves
well enough NOT to follow the crowd. Either that or they're afraid of
making waves if they stray from the uniform of their particular peer group.
Skipping
unflattering styles is NOT a bad thing. In fact, it can take you from
lemming to leader very quickly.
Back in the
late 1950's when her husband was still a senator, Jacqueline Kennedy
had had enough of the voluptuous princess style skirts that were a
hallmark of the decade. While the hourglass silhouette looked really
good on hourglass-shaped women like Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren,
and Marilyn Monroe, they did little for modestly endowed, athletic
pear-shaped bodies like Mrs. Kennedy's.
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So she went to
her Georgetown dressmaker and ordered up a sleeveless daytime A-lined
sheath that would show off her strong shoulders and toned arms while
skimming over the rest of her body. The dressmaker was horrified.
"Nice girls" didn't show their arms before evening, and no
one wore sheaths. But Mrs. Kennedy persisted, knowing this look would
flatter her. She was right. As First Lady, the sleeveless dress
became one of her signature looks. |
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So don't
follow the crowd just because a fashion magazine says you should.
KNOW YOURSELF. Know what looks good on you and what doesn't, and
dress to flatter your body instead of following the latest trend.
Don't settle for the latest styles. Opt for great style instead.
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Need some more
help in putting together a flattering wardrobe? Download a copy of
WARDROBE MAGIC,
http://www.wardrobemagic.com
to see how
easy dressing well can be. |
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