Pants have been through a lot in the last year with the sad goodbye to skinny jeans leaving Millennials to pick up the pieces and find their new preferred wide-leg cut. 2022 is bound to see the next revelation in the world of pants and skirts, the return of the low-rise waistline.
Most Millennials have worn them before, maybe even some Gen Z folks, back in the early elementary school days. It has been a while, and fashion has drastically changed since high-waisted everything took over the scene.
Back in the 2010s before high waists were trending, shirts were worn in longer cuts. High-waisted was accompanied by the age of crop, what will happen now as the waistlines get lower but crops remain hanging in the closets?
There is a lot of work to do in preparation for the upcoming trend, many fashion influencers and TikTokers are already getting ahead.
Last Sighted In The 2000s
The '90s and early 2000s have returned as the iconic fashion influence now and today, every Gen Zer is trying to perfect Jennifer Aniston's looks from Friends, but the low rise jean can be highly attributed to the iconic Britney Spears.
Many famous music videos during this time period pay homage to the trend, even taking the waistline so low that it was fashionable to unbutton jeans or let under games show.
It wasn't just jeans and pants, many skirts were worn in low rise, and shirts varied. If you were Britney Spears, bra tops and crops go with anything, but the average '90s and early 2000s fashion goer wore a long shirt or a shirt that sported midriff and hips.
The midriff and open hip are bound to be the first look to return from the early 2000s, layered with a coat with furry cuffs and a collar, it is a timeless outfit.
As the trend gains traction, it is surely going to be welcomed with open arms by some, and with much skepticism from others.
Low Rise Or High Waist?
Only time will tell how the TikTok fashion community feels about the return of the low rise, but as all trends do, they cause criticism at first, followed by mass appeal.
At the moment, the obvious question is what about all of the crop tops that are currently hanging in the closet? The easiest solution is to wear them anyways, it is a look, but for winter seasons folks will still need to invest in some warm coats to protect the tummy.
The positive side to the low rise trend is no more constricting stomaches and dealing with the awkward bulge created from high rise jeans. Low rise is coming back to address the awkward aspects of a high rise, but not without its own issues.
The biggest challenge will be the adjustment, just like Millennials dealing with saying goodbye to skinny jeans. But as soon as the Millennials put on bootleg jeans for the first time since 2015, they remembered how free their calves feel, and how good bootcut looks with boots for elongating the legs.
Surely, the low rise will have a similar effect, it will just take time to understand the trend and adapt capsule closet pieces. Keep in mind that all waistlines are going down, including skirts. Look out for mid-rise jeans if you are looking for a happy medium and transition back into the low-rise.
How To Style It
Worried about how to style your crops with low-rise pants and skirts? Fear not, just wear them anyways, the trend of showing up midriff is back and in due time it will be the moment to embrace tummies.
Embrace the cold by pairing low-rise and crop outfits with the perfect winter coat, but in summer your outfit will thank you.
Look for style inspiration from your favorite '90s and early 2000s icons, as mentioned by Jennifer Aniston, Naomi Cambell, TLC, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Cher Horowitz and Tyra Banks. Now is a good time to rewatch popular series from the time period for studying the art of the low rise for those who are skeptical to lower their waistlines.
Don't forget your mini skirts, button-up shirts in all their forms and corset tops for pairing with the low rise trend. Surely, any clothing item that goes viral on TikTok is bound to act as style inspo moving forward, as it is the future of fashion social media platforms.
The return of the low rise waist isn't so much of a surprise when mainstream fashion is looking currently to so many '90s and early 2000s trends. Dresses over T's, the button-down shirt is the must-have wardrobe piece, along with satin and leather dominating the fabrics.
