Across the board, there has been a yearning for all things ’90s and ’00s. Susie Draffan, the senior denim strategist at trend forecasting company WGSN, says this comeback is driven by the youth market.

“This nostalgia has been manifesting in the shift to looser fits, with the low-rise a key part of that.

“What began as a low-rise baggy jean trend has evolved to incorporate other Y2K looks, so now we’re seeing the low-rise across denim silhouettes – like the boot cut jean – and also on skirts, cargo [trousers] and woven bottoms”

We examine this trend, from its rebellious origins right through to its modern-day resurgence – and provide tips on how you can wear it yourself.

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1. The early ’90s

Before TikTok influencers led and created trends, magazines were the ones calling the shots. The first sign that there was to be a drop in waistlines was – like most things in the ’90s – hinted at by Kate Moss, who flashed her midriff on the cover of British glossy magazine The Face in 1993.

2. The mid ’90s

For his autumn/winter 1995/96 collection, McQueen sent models down the runway in what at first appeared to be exaggeratedly low-rise skirts and trousers.

It was only when they turned around that the audience saw how deep the garments were cut at the back – hence the design’s name, the “bumster”.

The designer had been making them since his debut collection in 1993. The inspiration for the pieces has been attributed to the rather unglamorous sight of construction workers’ bottoms peeking out of the tops of their waistbands.

While McQueen – who died in 2010 – never denied this, he did say that he “wanted to elongate the body, not just show the bum. To me, that part of the body, not so much the buttocks, but the bottom of the spine, that’s the most erotic part of anyone’s body, man or woman.”

Whoever his muse was, the show was a sensation, and the low-rise waistlines were seen as risqué and provocative, and proved him a fashion visionary.

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3. The 2000s

Back in the early aughts there was one woman who captivated most of the world.

Pop princess Britney Spears was the one who took the low-rise trend to the masses – she wore little else when she appeared in music videos, at award shows and for concerts. They became her signature style and made it a trend that defined the decade.

It girls Paris Hilton, Nicole Ritchie and Lindsay Lohan – along with singers Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson and Beyoncé – all followed suit and wore low-rise jeans, skirts and shorts.

By 2002, even Barbie had got in on the action: the doll’s “My Scene” collection ditched rollerblades and princess gowns in favour of low-rise jeans and cropped tops.

Because of how low the style sits it can be unforgiving, and it became associated with the decade’s obsession with “size zero”, or extreme thinness. By the end of the decade, trend fatigue had settled in and low-rise went out of fashion.

4. 2020

The trend and its proclivity for jutting hipbones had pretty much disappeared until all things Y2K-related began to creep back into the fashion discourse in 2020.

When asked if the return of low-rise style also meant the return of the size zero body, Draffen acknowledges concerns.

Nonetheless, she is confident that “Gen Z is all about inclusivity and they’re more bold and confident in their fashion looks, dressing how they want regardless of size and shape”.

Designers are proving that millennials and those older can embrace the trend too, says Draffen.

“They have been pairing low-rise jeans with tucked-in shirts, longer-length T-shirts and bodysuits, to elevate the look for an older customer unsure about baring her midriff,” she says.

And, while low-rise, wide-leg fits are a key driver for those looking towards the youth market, luxury brands are adopting straight-leg and boot cut fits for everyday smart casual appeal.