Great new finds

Hey all,

Long time, no post! I hope these past months have been well to everyone. I'm pleased to report that I've found some great high-rise pants and jeans that are even better than the Rocawear clothes that I mentioned earlier. Without further ado, here are some links and descriptions of them:

Oak Hill Dual-Action Premium Twill Flat-Front Pants

Oak Hill Waist-Relaxer Premium Pants

The great thing about these products is that you can select whether you want a long or regular rise. I, of course, chose the long rise and have been very pleased with both of these pants. The material feels high-quality, the proportions are roomy, and the stretch waistband makes it relatively easy to go from standing to sitting.

The one minor criticism I have of these pants is that there is a sort of rubber band sewn into the waist of the pants. As I understand it, this is to ensure that shirts stay tucked in. Without a shirt tucked in, it can sometimes feel a little uncomfortable as it interferes with the way the pants breathe. Despite what this may sound like, though, this is a very minor concern and the pants are still very comfortable.

Another great find I made recently is the 626 BLUE Loose-Fit Jeans. While talking with a staff member at Casual Male XL, I learned that the difference between the loose fit and the relaxed fit was that the loose fit was especially focused on providing extra room in the hips and rear area, whereas the relaxed fit featured a roomier fit throughout the jeans.

The loose fit suited me very well. The rise on the jeans is higher than most, but I also believe that the proportions of the jeans make it so that they can be worn higher without causing discomfort. I find a lot of relaxed-fit jeans too tight in the thigh and crotch. These jeans don't squeeze me uncomfortably in these areas. Moreover, they afford me a wide range of motion, enabling me to walk quickly, squat down, splay out, etc. comfortably.

There are two concerns I have with these jeans. One is that they are a little bulky and heavy. However, this seems like a reasonable tradeoff given the extra room they provide. The other issue I have is that they are only available in a single wash--a medium blue. I prefer darker washes, so I wish they provided more choices for this. However, there is some distressing in the wash that actually makes them look better in person than they might appear online. On the whole, I'm very happy with these jeans because they fit me much better than other relaxed-fit jeans. They seem to be focused on a specific facet of the relaxed-fit market and I appreciate it.

One thing worth noting is that, at around $60 or above, these are all fairly expensive purchases. However, high-rise pants are somewhat of a niche market,  and I'm happy to pay a premium for these products to support it.

These recent finds have given me cause for optimism. For a long time, my searches for pants that would fit me better yielded frustratingly meager results. It seems that clothing manufacturers may be coming around.

Kudos to Rocawear

Hey all,

I love jeans, but finding ones that fit well is difficult for me. I wear 52" waist and 34" inseam so selection is an issue. I have to shop online. Usually there aren't enough  measurements available to determine how jeans will fit, and so buying online is something of a crapshoot. The jeans will fit, but whether or not they'll be comfortable to sit down on and will comfortably stay in place when walking around.

I make note of the brands of whatever I buy, and one seldom stands out as to how well they fit a guy  with a belly and thick thighs. That having been said, I've been pleasantly surprised with two pairs of jeans I purchased recently from Rocawear. I'll try to post the links eventually, but for now let me say that these jeans are sweet. The rise is pretty good, the dimensions are very roomy through the thigh, and I can sit with my legs fully spread out in exceptional comfort.

Moreover, the quality of construction feels very solid, at once both strong and soft. For what it's worth, the jeans also look very nice. They are nice and dark but with a certain gray sheen. I like the decorative stitch in these jeans but mostly because it's very understated. I actually don't like jeans that are too decorated with images but the branding here is subtle and reasonably classy.

I actually had a couple of pairs of Rocawear denim shorts that fit preternaturally well. They were a bit baggy at the knees though. The jeans have most of the fit without the issue of flapping that shorts have.

One concern I have with Roca is the selection of the big and tall available. They seem to have the fit down so well that I wish they could have more styles available in big sizes. Also, one of the pairs I got was available only in a single size inseam that fit for me, but other pairs had ones that were too long. I don't really like cuffing jeans too much, and I think it'd be better if those jeans were available in more inseams to accommodate more people. As companies go, however, Rocawear is a very impressive offering for those in need of consistently high-quality, roomy, well fitting jeans for big people.

Kudos to Rocawear for their efforts. I think they are showing the way for the industry in general and I wish them much success.

The Nerd Connection

High rise pants are often associated with nerds. IMO, being a kind nerd is an admirable role in its own right, but I still think it's important to examine the link. It was not always this way. Indeed, gentlemen of all kinds wore trousers with high waists until the last few decades. I don't know much about fashion history so I can't be much more specific, but simply search Google for "high waisted trousers men" and you'll see what I'm saying. Most of the results that come up are vintage trousers from the 19th century. Another popular option in the 1920's was the zoot suit. Also, workmen's trousers were often high waisted. In fact, the set of jeans I have with the higest rise are cargo jeans. I suppose pants that are meant to carry more stuff have higher waists to stay up better.

I'm really looking for readers' opinions on why wearing one's pants high is considered nerdy today. One factor, I suspect, is that high waisted trousers are practical. They are meant to stay fitted on someone who is sitting, standing, running, or kneeling. As society developed labor saving devices and industrialization progressed, more people took jobs that required very little movement. As a result, the value of the advantages that high waisted trousers provide diminished. Sedentary people today can pick clothes that are less practical (e.g. with lower waists, or with patches of fabric intentionally removed) and so styles don't feature high waists as prominently. I'm not saying that this is a bad thing, but I do believe it accounts for some of the shift. What do you think? Do high waisted pants appeal to nerds more than other people? Why do people act as though they do?

The Natural Waist

The Natural Waist

One important concept that I'd like to mention is the natural waist. The natural waist is the smallest horizontal cross-section of the torso. This site has a good description of how to locate one's natural waist. While traditionally, men's trousers were made with higher waists, today pants with lower rises are in style. While clothing such as low-rise jeans is a good option to have, I believe that there is a hole in the market for pants (and underwear) with higher rises that come closer to sitting at the natural waist.

Why is the natural waist important? The natural waist is the smallest part of the torso. Thus, pants that sit around this area have to be tightened the least, and have the greatest tendency to stay put when one is walking. Having pants that fit well in this regard has a big influence on how active and robust one feels.

If one's pants sit too low, there is a tendency for the pants to need to constantly be pulled up, and for the belt to be tightened to a greater extent. This is because the pants are gripping the body at a segment where the circumference, say, an inch below is less than the circumference at which the pants are sitting. The waistline of the pants will want to migrate to an area that is smaller to relieve the tension of the belt. This effect is, of course, compounded by gravity which also wants to pull the belt down. The result is one's pants gradually falling down as one walks.

By contrast, when pants sit at the natural waist, the circumference of the torso below the waistline is larger than the level at which the pants sit. Thus, the tension in the belt will cause the pants to want to remain in place, and counteract the force of gravity. This means that less tension is needed in the belt, and the pants will tend to stay up when one is active in walking or running.

This concept explains why I prefer wearing my pants higher than average.

Discussion questions:

Is it always best to think of the natural waist as being the circumference of a horizontal cross-section, or is it worthwhile to also consider angled cross-sections? In other words, can one's "natural waist" be tilted?

Introduction and Mission

Having clothes that fit well is important. Well-fitting clothes make a person more comfortable, productive, and resilient. However, many people today have difficulty finding clothes that fit them well. While this issue is often discussed in the context of women, it applies to men too.

I have run into this issue in my own life--specifically, in searching for pants and underwear with higher rises. I haven't really found any resources that cater to this clothing need that some men have. As such, I've decided to setup this blog to act as a venue to discuss clothing options for men that feature higher rises. In time, I would also like to discuss the anatomical impetus (if any) for some men wanting to "wear their pants high". I hope that this blog will serve as a resource for men looking for similar clothing options, as well as anyone else who is curious about this aspect of this aspect of fit.