I'm looking at new shorts for the coming summer, and with higher-waisted pants coming into fashion I'm paying a bit more attention to listed rise. But the numbers I've found for reference are making no sense.

I wear my pants on my hips, the top of the waistband usually a good 3-4" or so below my navel and the bottom of the waistband in back resting at the top of my butt. From all descriptions I've read this sounds like low rise. But when I measure the front rise on a comfortable pair of chinos I get 11", which seems to be consistently considered the breaking point between mid and high rise. There's no way I'm getting those pants anywhere near my natural waist without becoming a castrato first, so what gives?