Women's Low Rise Jeans, and Where They Sit
Low rise is a measurement. Rise is the distance from the crotch seam to the top of the waistband, and a low rise shortens it so the waistband lands below your navel and across the hip bones instead of at your natural waist. On most women's low rise jeans that is about 2 to 4 inches below the navel. The Odette has a 9 1/2" front rise and the Marcenia Boot a 10 1/2" front rise, both measured on a size 27.
Whether a low rise jean works comes down to whether it stays where you put it. Rigid cotton denim holds its position through the day and gives a little as you wear it. A soft stretch blend moves more, which is comfortable standing and less predictable sitting down. Every pair in this collection is cut to sit slung at the hip on purpose, so take the fit from the hip rather than the waist when you choose your size.
The Marcenia, a Low Rise Bootcut
The Marcenia is the reason this collection exists. It is a 2000s flashback fit, relaxed through the hip, with a slouchy bootcut leg that opens below the knee and stacks slightly at the hem. The Y2K reference is deliberate, and the proportions have been redrawn: the leg is fuller and the seat has more room than the low rise bootcut jeans of that era.
Find it here in Hush, Murmur, Bewitched, Eggshell and So Loved. Some washes come with a raw hem on purpose. Cut it to your length, leave it as it is, or let it fray over time. For the full range of bootcut and flare jeans, see the Marcenia collection.
Low Rise Wide Leg and Trouser
A low rise suits a wide leg for a structural reason. The volume starts at the hip rather than the waist, so the leg runs long from the point where it begins and the whole line stays unbroken.
The Regina is cut that way: low rise with a full, dramatic length, in 100% cotton that is lightweight, rigid and softens with every wear. It comes in Loom, White and Ethereal. The Margot Trouser takes the same rise into a trouser with a loose, fluid leg and adjustable waist hardware, which is the most direct answer to whether a low rise will stay put. The rest of our wide leg jeans sit at a higher rise.
The Odette, a Low Rise Straight Leg
For a straight leg at this rise, the Odette is low, full length and relaxed through the hip, which makes it the easiest pair of jeans in the collection to wear every day. It has a 31" inseam, built to stack a little at the shoe.
How to Find Your Size in Low Rise Jeans
A low rise waistband sits on your hips, so your hip measurement decides your size more than your waist does. Our jeans come in sizes 23 to 32. If you are between two sizes, size down for a closer fit through the hip, or take your usual size if you want the jeans to sit a little lower and looser. Rigid cotton feels snug for the first few wears, then relaxes as you wear it.
Use the two-finger rule to check the waistband: you should be able to slide two fingers flat between the waistband and your back. Less than that and the size is too small. If the whole hand fits, size down. The size guide and Find Your Fit page list the rise, inseam and leg opening for every style.
If you are petite, check the inseam before you order. The Marcenia Boot and Odette are long on purpose, so most petite women under 5'3" will want to hem them or wear them with a heel. A petite frame also changes where the rise lands, so read the front rise against your own torso rather than the label.
Low Rise vs. Mid Rise vs. High Rise Jeans
Rise changes proportion more than any other measurement in denim. High rise jeans sit at or above your natural waist and lengthen the leg from there. Mid rise jeans sit at or just below the navel and suit most torsos. Low rise jeans move the whole silhouette down, read longer through the body, and show more of the lower stomach, so they give less coverage than a mid or high rise.
Which is better comes down to the look you want and the tops you wear most. The full explanation lives with our mid rise jeans and high rise jeans.
Every pair here is cut with ease through the hip and thigh, so they also sit within our relaxed jeans. Low rise jeans come in light, medium and dark washes: the Marcenia in Murmur and the Regina in Ethereal sit in medium wash denim, and the Marcenia in Hush sits with our light wash jeans. For a low rise jean with a 90s feel, see our vintage inspired jeans. To compare every rise and leg shape we cut, start from women's jeans.
