Buying jeans is one of the worst things on Earth⊠at least for me. The waist or thighs are either too big or small. Theyâre so long it looks like I have fins flapping on my feet. So when I ordered a few pairs of well-fitting jeans two weeks ago, I was surprised that I wanted to return them. Miraculously, they all fit perfectly fine, but they were too high on the waist for my taste. Then I realised the low-rise comeback had also gotten to me. A high-waisted pair of jeans no longer gives me the same buzzing confidence it did a few years ago. So how did we get here?
Low-rise jeans were first introduced in the 90s by British designer Alexander McQueen with his âbumsterâ trousers, which peaked in popularity in the early 2000s with stars like Britney Spears, Destinyâs Child, and Paris Hilton solidifying the trend. A classic low-rise jean sits on the hips, revealing the midriff. The style was often paired with crop tops to emphasise exposed midriffs, reflecting the 2000sâ fixation on body-conscious trends. Yet, despite the initial popularity, low-rise jeans began to fade away as the early 2010s leaned more towards high-waisted styles and skinny jeans. Then in the late 2010s, we made a shift towards prioritising comfort. Mom jeans came back, followed by the 90s-inspired wide-legged baggy jeans popular today.Â
(I still cringe at the flashback memories I get on Snapchat of me posing in the mirror with my high-waisted mom jeans.)
These looser styles contrast sharply with the body-hugging and revealing trends of the previous decade. However, it now seems low-rise has fully returned with celebrities like Bella Hadid and Paris Hilton (an OG low-rise icon) embracing the style once again.
The 20-year rule theory may explain why fashion trends seem like one big repetitive cycle. This theory posits that trends tend to repeat every 20 years; which would explain why 90s-early 2000s icons like low-rise have made a comeback alongside thin eyebrows, butterfly clips, and dresses over trousers. Just as 90s streetwear baggy jeans reemerged in the early 2020s, the 2000sâs low waist followed. Another reason might be plain nostalgia. There have been countless debates on TikTok on what counts as a low-rise fitâmostly by millennials reminiscing about 2000s fashion trends. Social media has also played a huge role. Younger generations discover and contextualise older trends, making them relevant again. For example, I bought the cutest red plaid handbag a few weeks ago; a piece that would have popped off in the 70s. With the recent announcement that the beloved Disney Channel is closing down, I expect 2000s nostalgia will be at an all-time high. Although, social media has paved the way for an abundance of micro-trends. Bows, bicycle shorts, corset tops, and jorts all had their moment, but now you can easily find people calling them âtackyâ once again. This may be because social media has rapidly increased our exposure and accelerated the speed at which trends come and go. We are introduced to so many things that they rarely stick for long. So perhaps, low-rise may not last for long. Nevertheless, there are worrying implicationsâŠ
âWhereâs my waist?â âSo skinny I canât be foundâ There are many iterations of these phrases proliferating on TikTok, all representing a shift back toward the casual glorification of thinness. Along with online trends such as âwinter arcâ (grinding at the gym during winter in time for the âperfectâ skinny summer body) and âheroin chicâ (features associated with the effects of heroin including pale skin, dark eyes, and an emaciated look), low-rise may fuel these toxic ideas. The 2000s were notorious for a pro-eating disorder (ED) culture. The eraâs hyper-fixation on thinness can be summed up by Kate Mossâ infamous motto, which is still used as âthinspirationâ online today:
âNothing tastes as good as skinny feelsâ
– Kate Moss, in 2009 interview with Women’s Wear Daily
Kate Moss has revealed that she was influenced by many pro-anorexia websites at the time. Models going on extreme diets and having extreme workout routines to achieve the perfect look is a sad but common story. This pressure trickles down to consumers and society. Many millennials online have expressed their fear over low-rise coming back again, due to the extremely problematic body image issues it promoted in the 2000s.
Society has made so much progress in normalising and embracing all body types, so, as trendy as they are, have low-rise jeans brought back the toxic 2000s ideas with them??