Those of us who lived through the early 2000s will vividly remember the days before mom jeans. Before the hug of high-rise denim that sucks you in and caresses your curves, the options were limited to low-rise jeans or low-rise jeans. They were affectionately called hipsters (as no one had yet come up with a moniker for bearded east London men with kooky glasses and fixed wheel bikes). They required constant hiking up and perpetually ran the risk of builders bum. We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but they are back.
We can point the finger of blame at Alexander McQueen who, back in ’95, introduced the world to ‘bumsters’. As part of his infamous ‘Highland Rape’ collection, he designed trousers that scooped low on the buttocks to reveal a good couple of inches of cheek. Sexy, risqué and revolutionary, the style caught on. For years afterwards jeans got low with abbreviated zippers or three-button fly’s that strategically placed the waistband on the brink hips. Red carpets of the 2000s were awash with celebrities like Britney Spears and Keira Knightly flaunting toned tums in ultra-low trousers.
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The new march towards hip-grazing denim has been heralded, like many throwback trends, by the Hadid sisters. First, they put crop tops back on the agenda, then Matrix-lite sunglasses and now they’re doing the same with low-rise jeans. Bella has been sporting pairs that graze her hip bones, and Gigi has been getting increased ab mileage out of a pelvis-clutching pair.
From left to right: Tommy Hilfiger, Alexa Chung, Ganni
Though this low-slung style does nothing for love handles and makes everyone's legs look like little stumps it’s been making headway on the catwalks. It was seen on the gender-fluid runways of Gucci worn with t-shirts and Mick Jagger swagger. The style had prime position in Alexa Chung’s prim debut show. And, for the last few seasons it has has been a lynchpin of Marques’ Almeida’s collections. Net-a-Porter and Matchesfashion.com have dedicated verticals to the throwback style, and it’s only a matter of time before Topshop and ASOS follow suit. Though the return to the lowrider may strike fear in your heart, if you're armed with a tailored jacket a pair of boxfresh trainers you'll be ready to take it on.
Shop our edit of the best below:
4 of 9lowrise
Low-slung boyfriend denim jeans, £395 from [Stella McCartney](The Skinny embroidered boyfriend jeans)
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