05.9.2008 Trend Alert: High Waisted Pants: part I

After many years of the hip hugging, low rider style of pants, the rule of opposites seems to be in effect.  Just when the belly button baring could go no lower, the designers have gone for the other extreme and overcompensated.  The latest female fashion trend that is getting tons of play: High Waisted pants.

A brief history of women wearing pants:

High waisted pants can be considered one of the original fashion trends in the history of the feminine trouser.  Think of a young Katherine Hepburn in her perfectly tailored slacks, turning heads by being so “manly” by rejecting the expected dress and defying convention. Or remember the shocking glamour of Marlene Dietrich in 1930’s Monocco where she donned her famous flares.  Before Kate and Dietrich spurned convention, any decent lady would not dare to be seen in public outside of her stockings, heels and well pressed dress.    

Hepburn has been credited for almost single-handedly breaking down the dress code for women.  With her fame and prestige coupled with an absolute refusal to wear a skirt or a dress out of character and off the set, women’s trousers were allowed off the farm and out of the factories and slowly won the stogy approval of society.

The early slacks worn by women were really men’s wear.  During WWII, with the men off in uniform, the women left behind not only had to fill in the jobs left in the factories, but raided their husband’s closets as well.  Men’s trousers, at that time, were high waisted and so that’s what women wore.  As this practice of wearing trousers became more widespread and as the men’s clothes wore out, replacements were needed, so that by the summer of 1944 it was reported that sales of women’s trousers were five times more than in the previous year.

While the 1950’s are known for their Capri’s and casual wear worn by the original baby boomers in their youth, it was not until the 1960’s, however, that slacks were introduced on the runway. Frances’ Andre Courreges, also originator of the mini skirt, brought long trousers into his line leading to the era of pantsuits and eventually designer jeans. Even then, though, women’s slacks were…high waisted.  Following the other standards of fashion of that time, the female waist was accented, the hourglass shape was preferred, and child bearing hips were a good thing to have. It was not until the influence of the hippies, defying even more convention that brought the waistband down to hip levels.

Since then, the waist bands have gone up and down along with the length of hemlines. The last great high rise was in the 1980’s when strong anti-1970’s feeling coupled with an influence of costume like retro wear brought back a more formal look of a baggier trouser and a cinched waist.  Capri pant from the 50’s returned along with stirrup pants and vintage look pumps.

Fashion Rebounds, but don’t be afraid:

It has been said that every twenty or so years a look rebounds, so seeing a rebirth of seasonal 2008 fashions influenced from the 80’s looks which, in turn, were inspired by 1950’s retro makes perfect sense.

Of course, there is now a legion of either new fashionistas who have absolutely zero history wearing anything but low rise jeans, or many who remember in horror the earlier looks of the 80’s and the dreaded “mom jeans” look.  If done well, though, the high waisted slacks of today need not resemble a frozen fashion statement dug up from the far recesses of a forgotten closet.

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please return for Part II of Trend Alert: High Waisted Pants  where dressing tips and accesories are discussed