The waist is the narrowed portion of the body that sits between the chest and the hips. It’s the starting point of the bottom half of the body; just before the buttocks, lower back, and legs. As the garment that covers the buttocks and private bits, for hygienic purposes, comfort, and for privacy, it makes sense that the top of your underwear should sit on the waist.
If it sits too low, you could end up having a plumbers crack, and if it’s riding too high, you’ll end up having a “bite” or a “wedgie” (whichever you prefer to call it), which not only looks unattractive, but can also be downright uncomfortable.
But where exactly does the waist start? That might seem like an easy task to figure out, but believe it or not, for many men and women, it can actually be a challenge. In fact, a lot of men and women think that their waists are much further down or higher up than it actually is. The truth is, the waist starts right at the top of the hip bone and travels upward to just underneath the ribcage, so a tape measure can easily be used to find it.
In order to ensure that your underwear is positioned properly so that it’s as comfortable, hygienic, and provides as much privacy as possible, whether you’re a man or a woman, keep on reading for some tips that you can use to determine where your natural waistline begins – and thus, where your underwear should sit on your waist.
Take Your Measurements
In order to find your true waist, you can simply bend to the side and place a finger in the center of the crease. As you stand upright, the spot where your finger is located will be considered your “true waist”. While the start of the true waist varies from body type to body type, on average, the starting point of the true waist is about 1.5 inches above the navel, and around 3 inches to 4.5 inches below the pelvic crest. A lot of men and women think that the pelvic crest is the waist, as ever since the 1960s, fashion trends.
Remove or lift your clothing
To start the process of determining where your natural waist begins, lift up or remove your clothing. Hold a tape measure so that it is resting up against your bare stomach.
Locate your waist
Using your fingers, locate the top of your hips and the bottom of your rib cage. The waist is that soft, fleshy part of the body that runs between the two bony spots; the narrowest portion of the torso. Often, it is located either at or just above the belly button.
Position the measuring tape
Stand so that your back is as straight as possible, and make sure that you are breathing as you naturally would. Place the end of the measuring tape at your navel (belly button) and wrap it around your back until it reaches the front of your waist. Your measuring tape should be positioned so that it is parallel to the floor.
It should run parallel to the floor and it should be wrapped around the torso so that it’s snug, but not too tight. If it’s digging into the skin, loosen it a bit; however, if it's too loose and appears to be falling down, you’ll want to tight it up a bit. Ensure that the measuring tape is straight around your entire waist and that there aren’t any twists in it; particularly along the back.
Check your measurement
Exhale your breath and then check out the measurement of your waist on the measuring tape. The measurement of your waist will be located at the spot on the tape where the zero meets the slack end of the tape. The number where these two ends of the measuring tape meet will be the measurement of your waist (shown in inches, centimeters, or both).
Do a Re-Check
When it comes to determining the measurement of your waist, the old adage “measure twice” certainly comes to mind. In other words, remove the measuring tape and repeat the process described above. Make sure that the second measurement is accurate to the first one. If the two measurements are off, and the difference is quite significant (an inch or two, not a centimeter), take a third measurement. Use the average of the three measurements.
Give your underwear a try
Once you’ve calculated your measurements and have determined where your natural waist is located, you can give your underwear a try. Position the top of your underwear so the waistband sits along your natural waistline. Put on a pair of pants, shorts, or a skirt over your underwear. Bend over.
Check to confirm if your underwear is still concealed underneath your pants, shorts, or skirt and that it hasn’t popped up over the top. Make sure that it hasn’t dipped down low, below your waist, and that the crack of your rear end is sticking out of your underwear and pants. Walk around, jump, run, dance, and make any other movements, to test the comfort of your underwear.
Make Adjustments as Needed
When you bend over, if your underwear is sitting above the waistline of your trousers, shorts, or skirt, or if it dips below whatever type of bottoms you are wearing, take the time to make some adjustments to the positioning of your underwear.
The same is true if your underwear was uncomfortable when you were moving about. You most certainly want your underwear to provide you with the protection and privacy that it is intended to, but you also want to make certain that it is as comfortable as possible.
Summing It Up
It might seem like it would be pretty simple and straightforward; however, trying to determine where your underwear should be positioned on your waist can actually be a bit more challenging than it appears. By using the tips mentioned above, you can find your natural waist and ensure that you are wearing your underwear properly.
