High rise describes where the waistband of a pair of jeans sits relative to the natural waist, the narrowest part of the torso. A high rise waistband sits at or above this point, in contrast to a mid rise, which sits closer to the hip, or a low rise, which sits lower still. Rise is measured as the distance from the crotch seam to the top of the waistband.
A high rise waistband covers more of the midsection, which many people find comfortable when sitting or bending, and it works well with tucked in tops since there is less risk of the waistband showing gaps. High rise jeans are common across several leg shapes, from mom jeans to slim and straight cuts, and the rise itself does not determine how wide or narrow the leg is.
Because rise varies noticeably between brands even within the same labelled category, checking the actual rise measurement, not just the name, helps when buying online. See rise explained for how the three rise categories compare, and our jeans size guide for how to measure yourself accurately.
