I remember reading a popular fashion magazine when I was a kid called Top Model. I would beg my parents for an issue and every time I read it, I would go up to my mom and tell her in a snarky voice, “One day, I’m going to be a fashion designer, you’ll see!” It didn’t matter that my drawing skills were close to zero. 

One day, when reading an issue of Top Model, I stumbled upon one of the most controversial 2000s trends: low-rise pants. And that day, on one of the drawing pages provided in the magazine, I drew my first outfit with a pair of low-rise jeans.

Initially dubbed “hip-huggers,” low-rise pants became a hit in the early 2000s. The nascent trend was encouraged in 1995 when a then-Gucci Designer, Tom Ford, made pants that were so low that you could see the thong straps. 

And suddenly, low-rise pants were everywhere. Even though they were insanely popular, the trend slowed down in the 2010s and for around a decade, were rarely seen anymore. However, fashion never dies.

In my opinion, low-rise pants are a statement. Though some consider them “unflattering,” they assert confidence about what you wear and show that you don’t care what people think about you. Low-rise pants encourage all kinds of fashion and are not limited to just denim. Cargo, dark green, low-rise pants support street fashion. Black, sleek, boot-cut, low-rise pants support a more elegant and chic style. It’s true that the pants are not for everyone, but the attitude they assert is truly unique.

Despite the controversy around them, there are only a small number of downsides to low-rise pants. Wearers are discouraged from sitting, as the pants will slide down. The main problem though, in my opinion, is that the fashion industry has yet to make these pants more size-inclusive. Other than that, it is challenging to find anything wrong with low-rise pants.

Love it or hate it, low-rise pants were definitely a prominent fashion trend of 2022. So the question is, will you take them into 2023 with you?