Women of a certain age will be familiar with that sinking feeling when they look back at yesteryear and ask themselves what the hell they were thinking of. The fashion follies of years gone by can be much derided but we should all take heart because what goes around comes around as sure as night is day and even the most derided styles tend to resurface again. When the styles return we can feel vindicated in our youthful choices. This year will be a case in point because when it comes to jeans our waists will be heading north.
Finding Your Waist
High rise jeans are set for an unlikely but triumphant return this year as the height of fashion will find a whole new meaning. Finding a new lease of life with the moniker mom jeans, the new in thing is a waist band which is actually somewhere near the waist. This will be a revelation to a generation who have only experienced a southerly migration. Jeans have been getting lower and lower and for those who are used to a public demonstration of their taste in underwear the forthcoming cover-up will be a drastic change.
Expanding Waist
Whilst many will embrace the end of plumber’s crack those who remember 1980’s jeans will recall that they weren’t actually the most comfortable of garments. Tight jeans would cut into your midriff leaving indentations like the San Andreas Fault and getting into the things in the first place was an act of contortion. Happily the new generation of high rises will be much more user friendly as almost all denim now has an element of stretch and I fear that with the world’s waistlines rapidly expanding we are going to need it!
Change of Heart
Such an abrupt turnaround in style seems at first glance to be a strange move. Why would designers and retailers suddenly decide to promote a trend reversal of such epic proportions? It’s not exactly turkeys voting for Christmas but it is a dramatic about face. As with most things the answer is undoubtedly money.
Spending Spree
2013 was a poor year for fashion retailers as we simply weren’t buying enough clothes. Whether as a result of the harsh economic times, the recycling of clothes via eBay or the lack of interest in what was offer, consumers were keeping their hands in their pockets and so a shake-up was required. We all have low rise jeans so in order to temp us into spending we are being offered something radically different. The high rise jeans will also require further spending in order to obtain the sorts of tops which are the perfect partners for the style which, of course, the current fashions are not.
Made to Flatter
The resurrection of the 1980’s style is driven by an economic imperative but that doesn’t mean that it is a bad thing. For many women it will be a welcome return and for those who have never worn the jeans, quite possibly a pleasant surprise. This is a style which will flatter those who lack a washboard stomach and let’s face it that is a growing breed. Not all brands have jumped in with both feet as yet but the rest will surely follow eventually. As for me I never completely gave up on the high rise thing and so it will be with glee that I produce my favourite and comfortable Levis with a flourish and feeling rather smug.
Sally Stacey is a keen writer and business owner who divides her time between writing and running her shop
