Chloe Thomas
Trigger warning: body image, drug use
The day so many of us have dreaded for so long is finally upon us – low-rise is officially back.
For many, the words ‘low-rise jeans’ evoke a sense of panic, sending shudders down our spines. TikTok users in the comments sections of fashion videos vocalise this widespread horror at the idea of returning to low-rise styles, especially after we’ve all gotten so used to the safety and security of our high-rise denim. But why does something as seemingly trivial as the rise of our jeans trigger such an intense outcry?
If we delve a bit deeper, it becomes clear that the aversion to low-rise is not due to the low-rise jeans themselves, but to the collective social mindset they represent.
Ask any millennial woman you know, and she can probably recall the horrendously fatphobic culture of the early 2000s; famous women in bikinis body-shamed on every magazine cover, with washboard flat stomachs apparently the only acceptable figure allowed to be displayed in low-rise trousers.
“Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.”
Think of all those noughties guilty pleasure movies, the rom-coms and teen dramas – how many of them starred a thin, conventionally attractive woman, probably sporting the low-rise trend in at least a few scenes? Low-rise styles, alongside many other trends, were only celebrated and hailed as fashionable and cool when worn by one specific body type – and, therefore, attaining this one body type was pushed by the media as something that every woman should aspire to.
The Beginning
Indeed, if we rewind a bit more, we’re reminded of one of the top fashion trends of the nineties – thinness. Social media points to the fact that we are already beginning to see people gravitate back towards this era, with current popular searches on social media platforms including the term ‘heroin-chic’ – the celebration of supermodel thinness equated with drug use – which is problematic for a number of reasons. Iconic fashion figures such as Kate Moss are being glorified all over again, made evident, for example, by the resurgence of that infamous quote popularised by Moss that so many of us have engrained in our brains to this day – “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” (which, in fairness, she has since admitted she regrets).
As the fashion trends of these eras are being revered, so are the body types of those who made them iconic. Of course, these women are beautiful, but they only reflect one specific type of beauty – the representation of bodily diversity within the fashion industry is completely inadequate. Low-rise culture perpetuates a world in which thin is in, and any other body type therefore inevitably falls short of the narrowly defined ideal. How are women supposed to find self-confidence in a society that evaluates their worth completely based on their bodies?
Making Progress
We have made decent progress in terms of beauty standards throughout the past few years, as plus-size and mid-size bodies become more greatly represented in the media. Therefore, it is logical that the idea of low-rise returning, and potentially bringing back this harmful diet culture, is a matter of concern to so many people – particularly those who can recall their struggles with body image in the past.
“Our bodies are not trends.”
Yes, we all know that trends work in cycles, and even the most questionable styles of bygone days will probably pop back up at some point in the future. But our bodies are not trends, and yet they are repeatedly treated that way. First we were told to pursue thinness, then curves became a desirable accessory, and now it looks like the epitome of bodily perfection will change yet again. It’s an everlasting battle that none of us will ever win.
This is the massive problem at hand here: the return of low-rise reminds us that bodies are so often treated as trends, and this causes so many issues for the vast majority of women who don’t fulfil the very rigid, restrictive criteria on the latest beauty checklist. The glorification of thinness results in major mental and physical health issues for women, including eating disorders, body dysmorphia, and low self-esteem. When body types and trends become synonymous, women inevitably suffer as a result.
Throughout the 2010s, we have seen these perceptions start to shift. The body positivity and body neutrality movements have taken social media by storm, with so many celebrities and influencers now sharing their lows as well as their highs, their flawed realities rather than their airbrushed ideals. Of course, social media still perpetuates unattainable standards, but it has undoubtedly improved in recent years. And so, whilst the return of early 2000s styles might be associated with thinness, they definitely don’t have to stay that way. Type in ‘low-rise jeans outfits’ to TikTok, and chances are you will see girls of all shapes and sizes rocking the low-waisted denim, all equally beautiful, and equally deserving of wearing whatever they want.
“We are not meant to fit ourselves into the clothes; the clothes are supposed to fit us.”
Let’s make a vow here – let’s reclaim low-rise jeans and micro minis and all those other fashion items from the cruel grasp of fatphobia and body shaming. Let’s stop treating our bodies as objects that need altering at every turn of the trend cycle. After all, we are not meant to fit ourselves into the clothes; the clothes are supposed to fit us.
Maybe this time, the return of low-rise will be the time we reclaim the power that the fashion industry holds over the way we feel about and treat our bodies; maybe this time we wear whatever we like, whatever we want, and whatever makes us feel good. Whether you want to stick with the high-rise, or find yourself becoming a low-rise convert, it’s time to stop letting the ever-changing trends dictate both our wardrobes and our self-confidence.
After all, life is short – wear the jeans!
Featured image courtesy of Andres Ayrton on Pexels. Image license found here. No changes have been made to this image.
Chloe Thomas
A recent BA English with History graduate, aspiring to pursue a career within the journalism and media industry.