While Low-Rise Jeans Make A Comeback, We Chart Their Evolution

An old trend that is making a comeback in the fashion world is low-rise jeans, trousers or bottoms. Despite being not-so-comfortable, celebrities in India and abroad are wearing them.

In recent years, we went crazy after mid-rise and high-waist jeans. However, actors like Nia Sharma, Disha Patani and Bella Hadid are sporting the low-waist jeans, and we feel that they are here to stay.

History Of Low-Rise Jeans

Irene Kasmer designed hip-huggers in 1957 in Los Angeles, America. They were precursors to low-waist jeans. They became popular and a part of hippie culture around the 1960s. Rock icons and celebrities from pop culture wore them.

In the 1970s and 1980s, high-waist bottoms became a part of the trend. As a result, low-rise jeans took a back seat. Women started to see them as comfortable and tasteful designs for the corporate world. Hence, commercial brands like Calvin Klein started to cater to the demand.

Around the 1990s, a British fashion designer introduced the world to the design of low-rise jeans, and soon after that, it caught up with the trend. They were manufactured in many designs, including flared, boot-cut, baggy, loose and skinny.

Image Courtesy: Ingenio Virtual, WhoWhatWear

Popularity In The 90s Trend

In the 90s, low-rise jeans were one of the most popular pieces of clothing in the world.

Sitcoms like F.R.I.E.N.D.S and Sex and the City had lead actresses wearing low-waist trousers and jeans throughout the series. By the late 90s and early years of the 21st century, low-waist bottoms became a popular trend in India as well.

From Karishma Kapoor to Raveena Tandon, many Bollywood actresses wore them on the screen. Do you remember Kareena Kapoor Khan in ‘Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon’ and Lara Dutta in ‘Andaaz’? They donned low-waist jeans.

Priyanka Chopra, Bipasha Basu, Deepika Padukone and others continued wearing low-waist trousers and jeans in films and off-screen appearances.

Image Courtesy: Alamy, Sify.com

The New Trend

Almost more than a decade after, low-waist jeans are trending again. In one of the posts on Instagram, Nia Sharma was wearing low-waist jeans and a black t-shirt. In another post, she was wearing a pair of wide-leg rugged low-rise jeans and paired it with a black jacket.

While the trend is only picking up in India, international celebrities are even endorsing low-waist jeans. In the post below, Bella Hadid, an American Model, is wearing low-rise beige-coloured trousers. In most pictures, one would witness models and actresses pairing the jeans with a short top.