Trendzilla

High-waisted bottoms: It's another trend that's going to be gone by the end of the season (or maybe the next), and it's also another trend that just doesn't look good on 98 percent of the female population, or even if you're the least bit vertically challenged or have some (read: any) weight to spare. The belly-button-reaching skirts, pants and shorts can be extremely unflattering on people of all shapes and sizes, really, and they seem to work only on a case-by-case basis.

We've just recently broken out of the trashy low-rise, crack-showing hipster jeans of a not-too-distant past. I think we all fell victim to that one—those Frankie B.s you bought in the triple-digit range that you had to buy special underwear for are probably holed up in the back of your closet or at the local Buffalo Exchange at this point. So in that sense, high-waisted bottoms area relief. It's just too bad they don't look good on everyone. (Though, I guess, the same went for the low-rise jeans as well.)

Denim label Sass & Bide is just one of the many high-end designers that's released a line of high-waisted skirts and shorts for the spring/summer season. Their $209 light denim Hulsey Park shorts boast an astoundingly high hemline (right below the cheeks) in addition to a 9-inch rise and a (ridiculous) 2.5-inch inseam. Think Sass & Bide was trying to tell us something here about who can wear what with such teeny proportions?

Granted, when women look good in high-waists, they look good. A few rules: The trick seems to be, again, keeping it simple up top. Most seem to pair their shorts with solid-colored camis and classic pumps, leather flat strappy sandals or, for the ultimate retrograde experience, cork wedges. Also, if you wore high-waisted bottoms the first time around in the '70s and '80s, it's probably not a good idea to break out those acid-washed jeans again. This isn't a time for you to pull your pants up to your boobs to hide that poosh.

The denim short-shorts produced by Australian label Lover are another brand hipsters are going crazy for—but not so much the price. Good news: Topshop, a better H&M that's exclusive to and also from the U.K., is now offering overseas shipping if you can brave the £20 S&H fee (that's $39.92!). Better news: Forever 21 offers its own selection of high-waisted pants, skirts and shorts, like this $22 black skirt.

It may be cheap and not made of the bestmaterial, but sometimes it's just smarter to buy disposable clothing for disposable trends.