I must be odd-man out here. I was always taught to play the snare drum with the snares directly underneath your sticks for maximum snare action. I use traditional grip 90% of the time, with a tilted-away-from-me snare, so this puts the release and the butt across my body, roughly 8-9 o'clock [release] and 2-3 o'clock [butt]. The important point being that it's the position of the snare itself, in relation to your sticks, that was important. I don't recall ever seeing a major jazz drummer who deviated from this logic. (FWIW - I close-roll, not from 12, but from midpoint 9 -3. Never understood rolling from 12!)

I also play higher than most, I think - seat level 23-24", and the snare doesn't really affect my trouser legs, since the batter rim edge closest to me is above belt buckle and below belly button when seated.