"Darling, Those Are High-Rise"
The Great Low-Rise Jeans Debate
trending_up The Viral Moment
TikToker @vintageprincessxoxo tried on what she called "historically accurate" 2000s low-rise jeans, with her video gaining over 4.2 million views. While she thought she was experiencing authentic Y2K fashion, millennials who lived through that era had a different perspective.
history Millennial Reactions
Millennials quickly pointed out that what Gen Z considers "low-rise" today would have been considered "high-rise" or "mid-rise" in the early 2000s. The viral moment sparked nostalgia mixed with horror at remembering the true extremes of this fashion trend.
style True Early 2000s Low-Rise Characteristics
Real millennial low-rise jeans were dramatically different from today's versions:
sentiment_very_dissatisfied The "Never Again" Sentiment
Millennials recall the discomfort and impracticality of these jeans with a mix of nostalgia and relief that the trend has evolved. As one commenter noted: "We were ALWAYS pulling our pants up. I once broke the side belt loop because of the constant pulling."
A TikToker has inadvertently started a painful discussion about “historically accurate” millennial-era low-rise jeans.
“I’m literally trying on actual, historically accurate low-rise jeans,” @vintageprincessxoxo told viewers in a recent video that’s been viewed over 4.2 million times.
It was clear from her reaction that the jeans, which she notes in her caption are from the 2000s, were lower than she’s accustomed to, but she admitted that the fit “looks nice.”
“I hear if you bend down, things…my crack gets air,” she added.
Not quite low-rise jeans
It’s understandable why a young person might consider the pants @vintageprincessxoxo pulled on low-rise jeans. They certainly are by today’s standards, sitting snuggly towards the base of the hips.
But as millennials were quick to point out, this was not anywhere near as low as our era of low-rise jeans could go.
“Darling, those are high rise with the double buttons,” wrote @biggestfan050.
Others chimed in that the TikToker’s pants may have technically been classified as “mid-rise” at the time, adding that real low-rise jeans often had shorter zippers, single buttons, or even simply hooks to keep them connected. There certainly wasn’t enough space for a full double-button situation.
One response video from @rachelelizabethx0 on Instagram really drove home the difference.
“Low-rise jeans that people wear today and what we wore back in the day are not the same,” she said.
“Real millennial low-rise jeans? Your pubies were sticking out of the top. Your clitoris was almost ready to make an appearance. You could not bend forward or backward without being exposed to the world, babe. We were always one small movement away from being fully buck naked in the undercarriage area. And that’s just how we lived our lives.”
Reminiscing about the low-rise jeans trend
Most millennials who participated in the era of true low-rise jeans are in their 30s now, and not particularly keen on going back to it. Still, there was a lot of amusement in realizing what Gen Z now considers low-rise compared to 20 years ago—and an opportunity to bring up some fond (and not-so-fond) memories about that time in fashion.
“This trend was a nightmare,” wrote @glitteryletter. “We were ALWAYS pulling our pants up. I once broke the side belt loop because of the constant pulling.”
“This is why belts were also an essential ’00s accessory. seeing everyone try the low rise but not a studded belt in sight. people forgetting to give out the ingredients to the recipe!” @somethinktotalkabout added.
“This is why millennials wore long tank tops under our shirts,” @cass2the_e pointed out, while @chippmunkcheeks recalled having “a pair so low the zipper only moved like 2-3 teeth distance.”
There were also more than enough people calling out the way low-rise jeans gave life to the whale tail era…but some things may be better left forgotten.