The Senate race between Jon Ossoff and Mike Collins gives us good material to illustrate two common problems with men's trousers, which most people miss when shopping.
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When shopping for pants, most men look at themselves in the mirror like this, which only gives them a frontal view. This can be good for assessing things such as whether there's enough material through the front of the thigh, but it does not give you a glimpse at the back.
In fact, most manufacturers know this, which is why they typically build in a very long back rise. The term "back rise" refers to the measurement from the crotch seam to the top of the trouser's waistband, as measured from the back. Brands build-in a long back rise for comfort.
However, not all men are shaped the same, so whether a particular back rise works for you depends on the shape and size of your seat.
For instance, Jon Ossoff's trousers fit cleanly when viewed from the front — no wrinkles or rippling; material drapes without interruption.
But when viewed from the back, we start to see problems. The size of his derrière is causing the back pocket to gape. On a pair of properly tailored trousers, the jets — which is the narrow strip of fabric on the pocket — should come close to touching.
This appears to be a recurring problem for Ossoff, which suggests that his backside is larger and rounder than what most brands account for in their trouser patterns — even with them building a longer back rise for the higher-end of this spectrum.
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To fix this, Ossoff needs to find trousers with more room in the seat and possibly a longer back rise so he has more material to drape over his tush. Depending on the size and roundness of his cheeks in relation to his waist, he may also need darts above the back pockets.
This can be difficult in ready-to-wear. Depending on wearer's body, they may need a tailor who can shape cloth with iron (tailor's iron, not consumer iron). If properly made, the trousers should move from the left to the right. Notice how the "lips" are touching.
Mike Collin has the opposite problem. Since his backside is relatively flat, the trousers are too full in the seat. They are not built for his figure. As such, excess material collapses around his buttocks. The result can look like a diaper.
This most commonly shows up as ripples behind the legs. As the seat collapses, excess material falls down, creating a cascade of fabric that appears as ripples down the hamstring.
Fortunately, this is a much easier problem to fix. Collins just needs to buy trousers with enough inlay in the crotch seam. In tailoring, the term inlay — also known as the seam allowance — refers to the excess material near the seam located inside the garment.
If there is enough inlay, a tailor can shorten the back rise by pinning it up on your body until the trousers drape cleanly. They remove this material and then let out the crotch seam to compensate. This way, you don't get a wedgie.
Cheap pants typically don't have much inlay.
Here is an example of this alteration. On the left, the trousers are too full for the wearer's seat, so you see ripples just under their bum. On the right, excess material has been removed. The jets still touch, but the trousers don't ripple. No more diaper butt.
To see whether trousers fit you properly in the back, you will need to look at yourself in a three-way mirror. This allows you to see if the back drapes properly and if the pockets are closed without craning your back, which can otherwise distort the fit.
Everyone is shaped differently, so you will have to identify your particular fit challenges and find ways to solve them. As usual, this thread is not meant to body shame anyone — only give some tips on what to look for when shopping.
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