Trendlet: Mom jeans

They don't have pleats anymore. And when paired with a fancy midriff, a fitted blazer, or even a chunky sweater, these high-waisted jeans won't make you look outdated.

Mom jeans - whether skinny and spandex-ed, baggy and boyfriend, or with well-placed buckles at the hip - are what's up for fall.

There was a time when jeans were made to hit our natural waistlines. Remember what the original Beverly Hills 90210 squad wore?

Then in the late '90s, Britney Spears happened and waistlines dropped well below the belly button, exposing lots of tattoos and muffin tops. The trendier the trouser, the more was exposed. Low-low-rise jeans were so pervasive early in the millennium that in 2008, a Saturday Night Live skit pejoratively called waist-high jeans "mom jeans," making the name official.

In 2010, Los Angeles denim company Not Your Daughter's Jeans introduced a slimming jean that was anti-low-rise. And in successive years, denim companies like J Brand and American Eagle Outfitters that catered to a younger clientele followed suit. This fall, whenever you see a midriff, a high-waist trouser is just a few inches below.

Everyone from cool, hipster moms like Tammi Gindle, an aesthetician at the Affordable Skin Care Salon in Frankford, to teen entrepreneurs like Philadelphian Tweety Elitou. Even some men - think fashion stylist Anthony Henderson - have been spotted in high-waist jeans. Celebrities who like the elongated-waist look include Miley Cyrus, Eve, Anne Hathaway, and Kourtney Kardashian.

I would definitely wear the super-skinny ones - with plenty of stretch, of course. When paired with a crisp white shirt and the perfect shoe-bootie, they would make me look taller. I'd love to do the looser boyfriend-cut version, but I fear that in order for them to fit over my hips, the waist would have to be humongous - and sagging mom jeans aren't fresh.

In theory, you'd think this look would work for all body types. Not necessarily. Here are my rules: If you've got a little extra in the midsection, pick a jean that is true to your natural waist. With a thin waist and some hip action, you can try the higher-than-natural- waist styles, but make sure they have enough stretch. The fabric between your tummy and the widest part of your hips should be smooth. And pleats, of course, are a no - at least for now.

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