High waisted pants & the body shape of the "larger" men.

[John in Covina]

Hi All,

I like the look of suit pants and other pants that have that high waist.

The thing is I don't know what type of leeway a man has with these. Many looks may look fabulous on a fit man and an ordinary build BUT the look may suffer when a man has a larger frame, a little more padding or plainly a belly that's not flat, trim with ripped abs.

I was wondering as to how some of these high waisted styles might look on a man of larger proportions to perhaps portly.

Does any one have pictures that can illustrate any positive or negatives that come with combining the expanded waist with a higher waist pants?

I am interested to read your comments and see any examples of the big guy in high waisted pants.

Also I still have a problem grasping the description of rise in pants, it's related but it is not too clear for me.

Thanks!

 

[Guttersnipe]

If you're bigger around the middle high-waisted trousers is the only way to go. Some people disagree, saying that a high waist accentuates a larger middle section, to which I always counter, "you mean to say a belly hanging over a waist band, giving the illusion that one's midsection is spilling out of one's trousers, and that one has grown too fat for ones close looks good?"

My empirical evidence is the fact that I am not at all slender (small in stature, with a compact frame, yes, but slender, nooooo) yet FLers who've met me in person consistently describe me as having a trim physique.

 

[John in Covina]

If you're bigger around the middle high-waisted trousers is the only way to go. Some people disagree, saying that a high waist accentuates a larger middle section, to which I always counter, "you mean to say a belly hanging over a waist band, giving the illusion that one's midsection is spilling out of one's trousers, and that one has grown too fat for ones close looks good?"

My empirical evidence is the fact that I am not at all slender (small in stature, with a compact frame, yes, but slender, nooooo) yet FLers who've met me in person consistently describe me as having a trim physique.

Good start!

 

[FRASER_NASH]

High waisted pants do flatter the fitter/slimmer body - fact. The short bodied A2 flight jacket too. But the high rise is more forgiving to big tums than waist pants with the overhang (as said before).

 

[SGT Rocket]

I concur with the above posts. I'm a little portly, and love the high wasted pants (I wear a 34 inseam). Lovin' every minute of it!

 

[flat-top]

http://adland.tv/commercials/tv-land-pants-ate-fred-mertz-2003-030-usa

Some pitfalls to avoid.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

My buddies tease me because I wear my pants high, not Urkel high, but just a little to tuck the ol' gut in. My one buddy quite a bit heavier than me and if he tucks his shirt in, his gut hangs like a porch over his belt buckle, making him look all the heavier.

 

[John in Covina]

I've heard it call Dunlaps Disease because the stomach done laps over the belt. I have it.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Happens to me if I'm at work and my pants have the ability to work their way down from all the physical activity. I did get a nice compliment, as I've recently dropped about 60 lbs. Someone told me one day 'I can actually see your belt buckle' made my day.

 

[Tomasso]

Sidney says:

High waisted and braced.......

.......topped off with a vest and/or jacket.

Has a 300lb man ever looked so good?

 

[Nick D]

Exactly.

High waists flatter the slim and the heavy. I've lost a lot of weight, but even when I was heavier I always looked slimmer in high trousers. Besides which, they do not squeeze uncomfortably and allow better movement.

 

[Edward]

I agree with all comments above. I'm broader than I would like, and a higher waist in the trousers is both more comfortable and more flattering. Another tip I would suggest is to go up a waist size (I've found that a waist which is a bit loose is much more flattering than one that fastens tight, whatever the numbers involved). Also, IMO braces are much more flattering in this regard than a belt.

 

[dnjan]

Another argument in favour of high-waisted pants is that they tend to cover the "more stressed" shirt buttons.

 

[John in Covina]

High waisted and braced.......

.......topped off with a vest and/or jacket.

Has a 300lb man ever looked so good?

While he still looks big he doesn't have that overlapping look.
Thanks for that picture!

 

[resortes805]

Nipple-chafers don't look good on big guys. I say navel-level is a good height. High enough to keep bellies from spilling over, but not too high as to produce the Fred Mertz affect. I am by no means a big guy, but I do disproportionately carry most my weight around my midsection so I've experimented with varying degrees of high-waistedness so as not to draw attention to my beer gut. MMMMMM.....Beer......

 

[LuckyKat]

I agree w/ the others. I nice high waisted pant up to the belly button is great for a larger man...it sorta "hides" a gut, where as if you where them under your stomach, the gut hangs over the pants & that is quite apparent.

Speaking of large, high-waisted trousers, check out my post in the CLASSIFIEDS...I have one pair left & a couple of gabardine shirts left for the larger man. & if you're looking for teens & 20s pants, I have some big sizes on ebay right now, under the pre-1930 section...check 'em out!

 

[azhiker]

You have a start if you wear braces..mens warehouse has them for not too much, in silk or nylon. I prefer nylon as its more durable..in all the colors of the rainbow!

 

[carldelo]

I've just recently started wearing braces and it's been a real pleasure. No more cinching up the belt to an uncomfortable degree to keep the pants from sagging down (which they do anyway). No constant waistband adjustments - everything fits and hangs a little better, and you stay a little more put together during the day. I've been experimenting with button placement, and Sydney's front brace buttons look very widely placed - I'd say at least 4 inches - compared to other info I've got from the lounge. I'm not going to argue with the big man, so plan to give the wide placement a try once I get a set of moveable buttons that I ordered. AZHiker, thanks for the tip on Men's Wearhouse, their silk braces look good - now that I've decided to wear braces, I want to get some more colors.

 

[Tomasso]

Sydney's front brace buttons look very widely placed - I'd say at least 4 inches - compared to other info I've got from the lounge.

The larger the waist the wider the button placement.

 

[carldelo]

The larger the waist the wider the button placement.

You make an excellent point Tomasso. In fact, I've used an assumed linear dependence of suspender button separation as a function of girth to generate a formula to determine button placement as a function of waist size. I'm kidding, sort of, but the results seem to work:
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?54775-Suspender-button-placement&p=1193512#post1193512