You can take my freedom but you cannot take away my high waisted jeans.
Hair clips? Sure, I could get on board. Was I thrilled by the return of the French manicure? Absolutely not - yet I let it be.
From belt-bags to tiny glasses, dresses over jeans and bandanas, I've sat back quietly and watched both the runways and highstreet alike slowly but surely morph into an MTV red carpet circa 2003.
But I cannot hold my voice back any longer as I've begun to spot the low-rise jean quietly scheming for a comeback. For any of you who might have rid the trend from your memory — or, you know, any Generation Alphas out there — low-rise jeans, or hip-huggers, became popular after stars like Britney Spears, Beyoncé, Keira Knightley and Paris Hilton made it so. The style was also frequently paired with some sort of a belly chain or a g-string with its straps peeking above the jean's waistband.
Its association with the '90s and '00s, however, is actually credited to Alexander McQueen, who debuted a pair of crack-revealing pants, referred to as Bumsters, during his debut collection in 1994. The designer would go on to include the style in a few subsequent collections. It seems the late designer's brand is trying to bring the trend back, with low-rise jeans appearing in two Alexander McQueen shows in the last three years, most recently in its Spring 2019 collection.
TRENDING TODAY: Just A List Of Every Takeaway In Ireland Worth Ordering From
However, after over a decade in the safe clutch of high-rise and mid-rise waistbands, I've gotten used to the flattering cinch and proportion control they offer. While I appreciate its importance in the canon of denim, I already lived through the height of the low-rise trend as an awkward adolescent in the 2000s, and my belly wasn't ready then and it most certainly isn't ready now.
But a recent Instagram post saw Bella Hadid sporting low-rise combat pants has prompted an urgent, quite startling question: is the low-rise back? Dissapointly, it looks that way. Emily Ratajkowski, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Hailey Bieber have all lowered their waistlines in a variety of daring low-rise denim.
Street style faces, too, are letting things hang low in straight-cut and cropped variations, signalling that the trend has already found itself a home in the mainstream.
But even if the slew of supermodels and fashion influencers are getting in on the throwback trend, I refuse to go down without a fight - I would sooner rather die than put them near my body.
So with that - rather bold statement - allow me to present to you the best high waisted jeans (the ONLY jeans you should be wearing) the high street has to offer.
SHOP HIGH WAISTED JEANS FOREVER:
A mom jean - now that's one vintage trend I can get behind.
501 Cropped Jeans, €115, Levis at Brown Thomas
Leopard Print, a high waist - what's not to love?
Leopard Slim Fit Jeans, €192, Ganni
Leather - a notoriously hard fabric to master but a highrise waistline makes you the boss.
Faux Leather Slouchy Trouser, €29.95, Zara
A staple for every outfit.
Straight High Ankle Jeans, €27.99, H&M
Pair with a matching denim shirt
High rise culotte jeans, €69, & Other Stories
A must for Winter styling
Sand Raw Hem Straight Jeans, €55, Topshop
Look, I'll meet you halfway and accept a mid-rise, k?
Relaxed Mid-Rise Slim Jeans, €34, M&S
Main image by @kaiagerber on Instagram
READ: The 5 Jeans Trends Our Editors Are Willing To Fight Over
READ MORE: The Summer Accessory That Actually Looks Better In Winter
