Figuring out where to wear your pants isn’t always as straightforward as you might imagine.
The rules can change depending on whether you are a man or woman, and what kind of pants you are wearing! So, unfortunately, there is no one-answer-fits-all in this scenario.
If you sometimes struggle to figure out how you should be wearing your pants, and whether you should wear them over or under your belly, keep reading.
There’s more nuance to the question than you may initially think, so we will go through everything you need to know in the sections below.
Does Your Size Or Body Shape Matter?
Your size and body shape could influence where you wear your pants, especially if you are feminine presenting. This is because of the differences in the waist and body shapes that come up across the population.
As such, it is usually accepted that women frequently wear their pants on the waist rather than the hips – but this is not always the case by any means!
We will dive into this in more detail in the sections below.
Should You Wear Your Pants Over Or Under Your Belly?
The primary thing to consider when trying to figure out where you should wear your pants is comfort.
Luckily, in most cases, this is a relatively easy thing to figure out, and you can wear your pants where it feels natural – though not all styles allow for this.
For Men
For men, it can be considerably more difficult to determine where your pants should sit on your body.
While there are different styles of pants to consider, many of them follow similar rules. The popular kinds of men’s pants are low-rise, mid-rise, and high-rise, much like women’s.
High-rise pants are more old-style, while low-rise pants were particularly popular in the 70s but are still popular in some circles now.
Nowadays, mid-rise is the typical go-to option. For these styles, high-rise pants come to the belly button, while mid-rise pants stop just below. Low-rise pants end right on the hips.
When it comes to wearing these different styles, high-rise pants are generally seen to be the most flattering for men who have larger bellies.
The style can help to make the wearer appear thinner, but only if the pants are correctly sized, which can be difficult.
These kinds of pants tend to pair well with fitted shirts while pairing them with baggy sweaters and tees can make the wearer look wider than they are.
Mid-rise pants will usually end at the natural waistline and often offer a slightly baggier style compared to the low-rise option.
The majority of men’s pants are mid-rise, as it is the most popular currently, and it is very versatile for use. It is very easy to wear these pants to work or for daily life, as the shirt you pair them with can pull a whole look together or change it.
Low-rise pants will be worn below the belly (between 2–4 inches below the belly button).
These are particularly well-suited to lean people who will not have any belly fat hanging over their pants at any point. Due to where these pants naturally end on your body, they will never be worn over your belly.
Dealing With Falling Pants
If you constantly have to deal with your pants falling down, this could be due to a number of things. The most common issue here is simply that your pants are too loose or too big.
However, other factors like incorrect body posture and even using a bad belt will have a significant impact.
One of the best ways to deal with pants that constantly fall down is by using suspenders. This is especially true for larger men, and it keeps the pants in place without being uncomfortable.
The presence of belly fat can also lead to your pants falling down more frequently, which suspenders will combat!
For Women
Women have a variety of rises to choose from when it comes to their pants. Like men, there are low-rise, mid-rise, and high-rise options available.
However, there are also super-high waist options, which extend several inches above the belly button onto the abdomen.
Like the men’s rise options, the only kind of pants that will be worn below the belly is the low-rise pants.
Even these differ from the men’s, though, as many low-rise pants for women are equivalent to the mid-rise for men – where the pants sit just below the belly button.
With that being said, there are more extreme examples of low-rise pants (think Britney Spears from the early 2000s), where the pants sit low on the hips.
Like with the men’s low-rise options, these kinds of fits are usually better suited to leaner individuals, but anyone can pull them off with the right attitude.
Finding The Right Trousers For You
Once you know what to expect from the different rise options with pants, it becomes significantly easier to find the right fit for you.
From low-rise to high-rise, there are pants to suit everyone’s needs based on preference and appearance.
We will show some quick examples of each of the different styles of pants in the section below so that you can get an idea of what to look for.
Low-Rise Pants
The lowness of these may vary, but they are usually around hip-level. Some low-rise pants will be very low, while others are more moderate.
It’s always better to try these on before buying them if you can – it’s easy to get it wrong and end up with something you hate.
This style of pants will not be worn over the belly thanks to its minimal rise from the hips.
Mid-Rise Pants
One of the most common and popular rises out there, the mid-rise pants are versatile and easy to use for both men and women.
These are suitable for day-to-day life, or work, so you will never struggle to find a use for them.
These pants will get worn over the belly due to their rise.
High-Rise Pants
High-rise are among the most popular options for day-to-day use for women, but less popular among the majority of men.
For men, the height of popularity for this style was back in the 80s and early 90s, but the style is still going strong for women.
These pants will be worn over the belly due to their height.
Final Thoughts
Determining where to wear your pants will largely depend on your comfort, but also the style of pants you are wearing.
Low rise pants will be worn below the belly, since that is simply how far they come up, while the other two options will be worn over.
It’s important to remember that you can wear whatever kinds of clothing you like, so long as you feel comfortable and confident.
You do not have to be lean to wear low-rise pants, because you can rock it no matter your size.
Just envision the look you want to achieve, and go from there. As long as you are happy and comfortable, that’s all that matters.
My whole life, I have always been a little bigger than my friends. I was always a bit taller, wider and just bigger built. From my late teens, I would say that I was curvy. I really struggled to find clothes that fitted me, as my hips went out, but my chest didn’t really.
I created WarningCurvesAhead.com because I wanted other women to feel the sense of empowerment I have felt since changing up my wardrobe and finding out what clothes suit my body shape, skin tone and style.
I hope that you too can join me on this journey, and start making some amazing fashion choices that celebrate your beautiful body- instead of hiding it!
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