11 Australian creatives show us how they style low-rise pants
IMAGE VIA @wayanpreston/INSTAGRAM
WORDS BY RUBY STALEY
The bitch is back.
I know, I know, it’s a scary prospect for most of us, but there’s really nothing to fear. Just because your pants may start a little lower, it doesn’t mean you have to show off anything you’re not comfortable with.
Although this trend may not have been for everyone the first time ’round, this time, we’re taking the reins and doing low-rise our way. Hugely hesitant to jump back on the trend myself initially, I’m now a huge supporter.
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I wear my favourite pinstripe low-rise pants with a cute tee, mesh long sleeve, or shirt basically everywhere, every day. The trick, I’ve found, is to size up and go for the comfy oversized look instead of a pair that will cut your lower stomach in half. Here’s how our favourite creatives do the low-rise, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll want to join in on all this fun too.
Madison Finn, hairdresser 
I think low-rise pants are really sexy how they sit on the hips and accentuate the body. It’s fun with oversized trackie pants and a crop top, or baggy boyfriend jeans and a shirt tied up at the front. There are a number of cool ways to style low-rise pants.
Here, I’m wearing a pair of green Saks Potts pants that sit low on your hips, and I have my G-string peeking through to incorporate a fun contrast of colour that also matches my pink crop top. I love having sexy undies peeking past my low-rise pants in an opposite colour for a splash of fun.
Trinity, model, makeup artist at Foxxy Sstudio and creative
These low-rise jeans are one of my fav hottie go-tos. The waistline has been trimmed off so they sit so perfectly on the hips and butt if you have a cute G-string or bikini you want to show off. The one I’m wearing is [a] cheetah print fur high cut G-string I made for an outfit last week.
The jeans are my mother’s from the ’90s, so it seemed fitting to pair them with my vintage Baby Phat boob tube that allows you to sinch the waist on the sides. I’ve been in love with fur lately and recently made these lavender cheetah print leg warmers and I thought the colour would match perfectly with the pants without being too much. I wanted to go for [a] brown or dark bag to tie the look together and remembered I had this iconic Moschino moment.
Whenever I have my waist out, I like to add something to draw attention to my waistline, so I chose one with multiple chains and some pearls for more depth and character. I like that it’s a belt and sexy. To add my perfect finishing touches I’m wearing a gold vintage Juicy Couture charm bracelet and vintage Juicy Couture gold Pomeranian chain [and] my diamond tennis bracelet for [something] simple but sparkly and a sun-kissed bronzed face!
Hakika Lateef, online fashion creator
I did once say long ago… low-rise will never get me, but here I am. The ’00s low-rise resurgence happening right now has me in a grip especially when it comes to cargo pants – could it be the strong desire to cling onto a romanticised ’00s nostalgia post-pandemic? Or just a 20-year fashion cycle? Who knows!
My faves are the Urban Outfitters ‘Y2K low-rise pant’ – an absolute staple. They’ve become my ultimate go-to pant because you really can just pair them with anything [they’re] simple but cute. Baby tee, blazer and a hat? I’m in love! I wear them running errands or when I head out to meet friends for dinner. I think for me dressing them up was definitely adding the blazer [it] just adds a little bit of chic to streetwear.
Laura-Mae Will, DJ, co-owner of Lucky Tooth Gems and fashion student
Our saviour Paris Hilton really walked so we could run with the low-rise pants trend. To me, low-rise pants are the perfect piece to style as they are so versatile in being dressed up or down! I love to show a bit of midriff, so my favourite pants are these pinstripe Face Off flared trousers. I usually wear these with a tight tank or cute going out top styled with sneakers or some heeled boots.
I love that low-rise pants can also be worn in a super casual way, like a good baggy pair of vintage Levi’s with a crop, parachute-style cargo pants with a baby tee or tight fitted suit trousers with a tee and an oversized jacket.
Wayan Preston, creative, designer and model
I love wearing low-rise because it’s a shift from the chokehold that high-waisted pants had on me for so long. Don’t get me wrong, high-waisted still showcases throughout my looks but I love wearing low-rise at the moment because I can wear it with longer tops and you can still catch a little bit of skin.
I’m into low-rise pants that create a loose-fitting shape from top to bottom as I think it gives a bit more of an edgier look. Low-rise pants give off a little more of a carefree energy, it’s fun and I’m excited to see more designers doing their own take on it. In this picture, I’m wearing some loose-fitting military-style snow pants, these are great for Brisbane summer as they are cool to wear!
Sabina McKenna, writer, producer, model and curator
I never thought that low-rise pants would make a comeback but here they are, and I love it! My favourite pair are these Emma Mullholland on Holiday snakeskin pants. They go with just about everything, but I especially love styling them with a button-down top or cropped singlet for a little midriff moment.
Hansika, designer for docGIRL and model
Low-rise pants have been a favourite type of style for the longest period of time now. People will definitely find me wearing anything low-rise – it’s one of those styles that I hope won’t leave fashion and will always be a part of my wardrobe.
Personally, to me, it’s super beautiful because it reveals our bodies in their truest form and I love that it encourages body positivity. Here is one way I would style low-rise pants, with a tight fitted off the shoulder top, paired with doc Martens and Gucci shades.
Zali Ghelardini, model and creative
You can never go wrong with low-waist pants; I always love styling a baggy low-waist pant with a fitted top. I’ve styled these baggy tan cargo pants with a fitted one hook long sleeve top, vintage Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses, Louis Vuitton handbag and mocha Jordan ones.
If I’m ever struggling to find something to wear, I always seem to come back to brown tones whether they are light or dark tones and an outfit that colour coordinates. I feel like you can never go wrong with an outfit like this, it’s great for day and night and I would highly recommend it!
Emaan Alamgir, online creator
These are my go-to low-rise pants, a basic and super affordable pair from H&M. I love low-rise pants like this because they’re so easy to style! In this pic, it was a little chilly so I paired them with an all-black outfit – [a] black baby tee and oversized blazer.
I finished it off with some cute accessories like my Acne scarf for a pop of colour, my white Coach shoulder bag and my Naked Copenhagen New Balances. It’s one of the most comfortable, cute and easy outfits I own!
Bella De Almeida Reis, marketing coordinator
I honestly don’t reach for low-rise pants usually, but as I’m gravitating a lot towards ’90s/early ’00s fashion recently, I find they offer a fun edge to my outfits: the cheeky midriff, plus the long length cut… I adore.
I enjoy styling these black pants with an oversized shirt, like this pink one, for a flash of colour and an off-duty look. And I’m utterly obsessed with my green checkerboard bag and New Balance sneakers, so I’ll always work them into any outfit.
Ella Borg, designer and visual artist
So my love for these pants developed when I wore them for Emily Watson‘s grad show in 2019. I ended up buying them off her a couple of years later and they have become a very sentimental piece of mine.
I love a good exaggerated pant paired with a tight cropped tee – she’s a classic combo that can’t be faulted. I’m wearing a children’s rash vest with these crazy Asics. Both were found from the op shops. I really wanted to emulate the feeling of finishing swimming lessons and grabbing a Slurpee on the walk home.
For more evidence that low-rise pants are cool again, head here.
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