With the comeback of 90s and early 2000s style, trading in a higher waistline for a lower one is finally making its way back to our wardrobes, with some new twists. While this trend might make you internally scream at the thought of having your entire stomach on display, styling the low-rise has never been easier.
Jonna Harper, senior designer at 2235 Apparel, currently works in denim design and created for Frankie B at the peak of the Y2K movement. In response to the comeback of low-rise jeans, Harper offered her perspective on the unique styles she expects to see this upcoming season.
“I do believe in it now, especially as I look at my niece and my friends' kids and how they're reinterpreting it,” says Harper. “I do think on the runway though, it's also getting interpreted in a different way of it being loose. It's low rise, but it's not this. At least going forward.”
As trends tend to make their way through 30-year cycles, each time they come back they’ve changed, and low-rise jeans are no exception.
With the increasing popularity of thrift shopping, older fashions tend to stick around longer, but with new iterations of this trend, completely new styles will emerge also.
With other denim trends popular now, low-rise is taking on a completely new look. New styles will combine current jean trends like a baggier fit and asymmetrical patterns with a low-rise waist in order to create a modern twist on this old trend.
The low rise of 2022 is not the same low rise of the ‘80s rocker’ jean or early 2000s ‘it-girl’ style. In the interest of a more comfortable and accessible style, waistlines are moving up. The six-inch crotch-depth popularized by early 2000s fashion icons like Paris Hilton is rising.
“Certainly the flair, the boot cut…the difference of legs are coming back too. So you have this grandpa jean kind of look that's a little bit higher with the pockets placed a little higher.” designer and stylist Dana Cambuston said.
Between thrift shops, secondhand websites, and new takes on this trend, there are many avenues to shop for trendy, affordable, and unique styles.
Department stores such as Target or Walmart, and secondhand websites such as Poshmark or Depop also have a selection of low-rise jeans.
With so many styles available, low-rise denim is a versatile trend. Having a variety of different retailers makes it easy to take this look to the next level.
For a casual, streetwear look, you could dress down low-rise jeans with an oversized top, or even a chunkier jacket with a tighter, more cropped shirt underneath. For a nighttime look, you might pair an edgier style with a corset top and boots. Still, the real trend we are going to see alongside low-rise denim this year is experimentation.
In upcoming runway cycles, low-rise denim will play around with new shapes, silhouettes, and pairings that we haven’t seen alongside the classic, skinny low-rise. With the popularity of thrift shops and trunk shows, vintage styles and unique pairings will put creativity at the forefront when it comes to styling new trends.
“Just recently, I had a young woman who ended up buying a pair of bones then she saw what I consider the very retro polo shirt if you will…it was actually an old Rusty,” Cambuston said. “I was like, ‘oh,’ like it was such an odd pairing. And I was kind of in shock. She looked really cool. You know, it was kind of anti-fashion fashion.”
“Jeans are about feeling comfortable in your skin. So if you can style a pair of jeans to like the way you look, that's all that matters.” Sarah Cohen, a sophomore undecided major said.
However, a low waistline is not the most comfortable trend for everyone. They accentuate parts of our bodies that we may be insecure about, but there is a style out there for everyone.
“I think if I could find a pair that flattered me maybe I would…I wouldn't necessarily wear them or feel comfortable in them just on a daily basis,” said sophomore undecided major Lindsay Wilcon. “I don't think I would like them on my body type.”
With rising hemlines and a more oversized look coming into fashion, there are a lot more options for staying on trend and feeling comfortable in low-rise jeans.
If you aren’t comfortable with showing a lot of skin, style low-rise jeans with an oversized sweater, a puffer vest, or a longer shirt that you can tuck into the front.
Experimentation is at the forefront of this year’s trends, so play around with it. If you like low-rise jeans, wear them. If you need a little more time to get used to them, that’s fine too. Wear what makes you feel good.