Every pair of straight-leg trousers I buy in my waist size does this: the waistband sits fine, no gaping at the back, but there are visible horizontal creases fanning out from the front hip toward the crotch when I stand still. Sizing up makes the waist too big. Is there a name for this so I know what to ask a tailor for?
Buy for the hip, take in the waist. That's the standard advice for a reason — waistband suppression is one of the easiest alterations and costs about $20. Going up a size and having the waist nipped in gets you a trouser that hangs clean.
Worth adding: taking in more than about 2 inches at the back seam starts to distort the pockets and belt loops. If you need 4 inches you're in the wrong cut, not the wrong size.
Pinch test: standing, grab the fabric at the side of your hip. If you can't pinch about an inch, there isn't enough room there full stop.
Also check whether the fabric has any stretch. A rigid cotton twill will show every drag line honestly; a 2% elastane blend hides the same fit problem right up until you sit down and it goes shiny across the thigh.
@thea_mandel · 10mo ago · 3 replies
Those are usually called drag lines, and horizontal ones pointing at the crotch almost always mean the rise is too short for you or the hip circumference is too small, not the waist. The fabric is being pulled from two directions and settles in a fan.
The fix depends which one it is. Sit down in them — if it's uncomfortable and the waistband drops at the back, it's rise. If sitting is fine but standing shows the fan, it's hip room. Rise can't really be added; hip can sometimes be let out if there's seam allowance in the side seams and back seat, which on cheap trousers there often isn't.
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@thea_mandel · 10mo ago
Sounds like it. Look for anything marketed as high rise or mid-rise rather than low, and check the measurement if the brand lists it — the difference between a 9 inch and 11 inch front rise is enormous on the body even though it sounds small.
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@colorgrade_cleo · 10mo ago
Sitting is definitely tight. So I'm probably a longer rise than these are cut for?
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