The Rise and Fall of Low-rise Jeans
ARTS & CULTURE | STYLE
Written by Stella Roper (they/she) | @stellyvision | Arts & Culture Editor
CW: Diet culture / eating disorders mentioned
Very few items of clothing have risen and fallen in society as frequently as the iconic and equally controversial ‘low-rise jeans’. Similarly to one of the potted plants on my windowsill - just when I thought that it was time for it to bite the dust, it sprouts up once more. While being known most commonly as a 2000s wardrobe staple, low-rise jeans have been around way before most of our reader’s times. So if the low-rise didn’t suddenly spring up from the textile terrains of the fashion world in early 2000, then where did it come from?
I present to you, the highs and lows of the low-rise jean (and yes, I’m going to wear out the high, low, low-rise pun till it’s the death of me.)
1960s
The low-waisted jeans had originally risen to popularity during the mid-1960s, along with the ‘mod’ and ‘rocker’ youth subcultures which took over the UK. The mods were more conservative in nature than the rockers, sporting well fitted suits on Vespas, hopping on the newest trends in fashion and technology.
The rockers, on the other hand, were into greased hair and leather jackets, fitting their high powered motorbikes with chrome finish for the next illegal race around the block. Rockers despised the modern ways of their flashy counterparts and preferred to have a more raw and dirty look, so it made total sense that low-rise pants got into the rocker sphere. Low-waisted pants represented a lack of care and respect for the government and rebellion against the rules of a ‘civilised society’. The contrasting values between the mods and rockers led to actual chaos through the 1950s to 1960s, with violent confrontations between the two groups taking place on the streets.
1970s
While the mods and rockers subcultures ruled the 60s, hippie culture took the world by storm soon after - bringing low rise jeans with them. Similarly to the mods, low-waisted jeans connected to a desire for freedom, being a way for the youth of the 70s to express themselves and let go of restrictive clothing and ideals.
1980s
The 80s. A time for huge hair, shoulder pads and aqua-aerobics. Within this era, low-rise fell down and high-rise became all the rage. Silhouettes around the top half were more of the focus, with all the tight-fitting garments in peoples wardrobes instead made of lycra - thanks Jane Fonda!
1990s
The revival of the low-waisted jeans in the 90s can be partially credited to British fashion designer Alexander McQueen, who exhibited his iconic low-rise “bumster” trousers in his 1996 Dante collection show. For the first time, the low-rise was seen on the runway. In my opinion, although there are still traces of rebellion in this iteration of the low-rise, the bumster pant seems more intent on highlighting and defining the (thin) body rather than drawing attention to the garment itself. Many credit the birth of the ultra low-rise style to McQueen, and while I refuse to deny the documented predecessors of the low-rise, the tight fitting nature of the bumster is an innovation in comparison - additionally reflecting the “heroin-chic” culture of the time.
2000s
While the influence of the rockers and hippies towards low rise jeans are important, they cannot compete with how the 2000s brought low-rise jeans on the map. This was mostly due to notable celebrities flaunting them, such as Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, and groups such as Destiny’s Child and The Spice Girls. Everyone who was anyone rocked up in low-rise at some point. The influence that pop stars had on people’s closets was massive, and it is still very much that case to this day. However, there is an ongoing debate on how 2000s fashion put pressure on youth of the time. With forms of media spotlighting only slim bodies, body dysphoria and unhealthy habits inevitably followed. It was commonplace for magazines to encourage young girls and women to lose weight to look like their favourite celebrities, creating a toxic diet culture. The overwhelmingly harmful and untrue rhetoric being thinness equaling happiness.
2010s
The era of skinny jeans. I think I’m too traumatised to discuss this too much further, so if you’re wanting some more insight, Tumblr is your go-to.
2020s
The 2020s has had a running theme of trying on all sorts of trends from the past, and the 2000s is not exempt! With the cherry-picked reshuffle of the 2000s look, the ‘Y2k’ aesthetic has become extremely popular amongst Generation Z (with the unintended aim of making millennials feel ancient). As Gen Z yearns for a nostalgia they’ve never experienced, we see key 2000s closet staples mixed with modern designs. What’s interesting about the use of low-waisted jeans in the 2020s is that it’s not limited to the Y2k, maximalist - dare I say - purposefully tacky looks. The item has now become a staple in a wide variety of aesthetics that wasn’t as prevalent in the 2000s. It can be found within grunge, goth, cottagecore and streetwear looks alike. I wonder if low-rise jeans can fit into my hyper-colour-majormaximalist-preppy-rainbowcore aesthetic?
Despite its long-running history, its clear low-rise jeans aren’t exempt from controversy. Whether it’s the 90’s or the 2000s, the item often goes hand in hand alongside toxic and anti body positivity ideals. As Rebecca Jennings wrote for Vox, in explaining how the 2020s have taken on the low rise and acknowledging the unrealistic standards that came with it: “Women’s bodies were the fashion, not the clothes.” However, in the 2020s that ideology began to be thrown out and replaced with a movement of body-positivity and inclusion, both on and off the runway. While there is a long way to go when it comes to non-tokenistic inclusion within the fashion industry, there is change. Diversifying models, designers and campaign promotion is key to representing the entirety of a brand's customer base. Anyone, no matter who they are, should be able to wear something like low-rise jeans if they want to. Even if low-rise jeans hit an all-time low and fall out of fashion tomorrow, I know that eventually, they’ll rise to the occasion once more.