When I first saw the Miu Miu mini skirt on the spring summer 2022 runway, I was taken aback. The beige ragged edge skirt was short, really short — more of a micro than a mini. It was paired with a cropped shirt and jumper (with a whole lot of torso) and gave an interesting juxtaposition between office and schoolwear. But what really stood out for me was the waistline — it was low-rise.
Since then, the Miu Miu skirt has taken on its own identity. We’ve seen it cause quite a stir when actress Nicole Kidman wore it on the cover of Vanity Fair. It’s also been on the cover of InStyle Mexico, Elle Korea, and Vogue Korea — to name but a few. Perhaps my favourite rendition was ID magazine’s cover featuring curvaceous model Paloma Elsesser, who inside discussed her experiences with her body and representation in the fashion industry. We’ve seen it in the streets too – a bevy of influencers wore it en masse on the recent European fashion week circuit. The skirt has become so salient it even has its own Instagram page.
While many are still fawning over the original skirt, the trend is evolving, spurring on a whole movement towards low-rise waists. And that includes (gulp!) – jeans. From a fashion perspective, I can appreciate this move, and I’ve been enjoying seeing what’s become known as the Y2K fashion trend (a take on the style of the early aughts) being worn and talked about. In reality? When it comes to low-rise? I just can’t.
You see, I was there the first time. The time when we saw paparazzi photographs of Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie and Misha Barton all wearing their low-rise jeans, belly-buttons bared. Jeans so low they couldn’t bend over without revealing their underwear. I certainly never looked like them in mine. I bought a pair of low-rise Lee jeans from my local surf shop and wore an oversized Carhartt hoodie while self-consciously walking around continuously hitching them up from the belt buckle. I never felt entirely comfortable in them. But then, as I aged, so too did the waistlines — maturing upwards and upwards to where they currently hold court as the high-waisted pants and jeans many of us have come to know and love. A high waist is flattering, it’s comfortable, and after three babies — it feels secure.
In some ways, it’s reassuring to note today’s low-rise jeans have evolved and are a little more approachable. They’re not the second-skin-esque fit worn by Hilton, Richie and Barton et al. Instead, you see models like Bella Hadid and singer Dua Lipa in a baggier rendition with a slouchy silhouette and a fit naturally slung low on the hipbone. Interestingly, it’s not only celebrities testing the low-rise waters. The Guardian reports ‘searches for low-rise jeans are up 58% year on year on fashion shopping platform Lyst’.
Despite a part of me hoping the low-rise comeback would be short lived, it’s clear to see it isn’t a fleeting trend. Still, for me personally, when it comes to low-rise anything, I will respectfully sit this one out.
