There aren't many clothing trends as unpopular as low-rise jeans; they've been called everything from a tool of the patriarchy to anti-black. They're also misogynistic, NYLON's own Jenna Igneri declared in a recent takedown, written in response to The Cut's prediction that low-rise jeans are coming back. "Don't let nostalgia trick you!" Igneri warns. "This is an awful trend, and we should fight against it."
And now, perhaps to counter this threat of a low-rise jeans comeback—or to pander to low-rise jeans' haters, who knows—Levi's has just released what it declares to be the highest high-rise jeans ever.
How high? The rise is a whopping 12 and 1/8 inches, soaring way past the belly button and up to the ribcage, which is exactly how the style got its name: Ribcage jeans.
Levi's is already known for its high-rise styles, particularly its vintage ones, and if you've ever tried on a pair, you know why, or you will as soon as you get a glimpse of your ass in the mirror. However, even though your butt looks good, as any 501 or 505 fan will tell you though, the jeans are great when standing up, and torture when sitting down. I've unbuttoned mine during dinners and in meetings in order to get my blood flowing again on many occasions. It's not ideal, but it comes with the territory.
This flaw is exactly what the Ribcage jeans promise to override, but reaching up past the point of circulation cut-off. I've tried them out for a couple of days now, and I'm happy to report that they have more stretch to them than other Levi's high-rise options, and so they only cut off circulation a little bit. Plus, they live up to their name and come up to the false rib portion of my thoracic cage (yes, I took one semester of anatomy, thank you). If you're a sloucher like me, when you sit down, the jeans practically touch your bra. So, yeah, it gets up there, but not in a way that's uncomfortable or restrictive. My main grievances are the button-fly (I prefer a zipper), and the cropped cut (why are all pants cropped right now?? Brands, please stop this, our ankles are cold). That said, otherwise, my ass and I are pretty happy with this new fit.
So, for anyone looking for the quite literal antithesis of low-rise jeans—and any other '00s trend threatening to come back—you'll find it in these jeans. They're the fleece pullover to the '00s Juicy Couture velour hoodie; the kitten heel to bulky platforms; the no makeup-makeup to too much blue eyeshadow. It's 2019, we've changed, we've evolved, and we no longer want to worry about whether or not our underwear is showing every time we bend down.
Plus, this Reddit thread declares that most men hate high-rise jeans in general and that's reason enough for me to love them.
