I’m Going All In on Low-Rise Jeans

My very first pair of low-rise jeans is everything I thought jeans weren’t: soft enough to nap in, loose enough to wear during a flight, and comfortable enough that I don’t want to change into sweatpants the second I get home. They have a generous leg opening that drapes over my shoes (as is the Gen-Z custom) and a baggy yet straight fit that makes me feel in touch with the rest of my generation. I’ve worn them everywhere from East Village bars to the flight back to my high-school reunion in a very full-circle moment. Paired with a belt and some ankle boots, I’d say they’re office appropriate, too (at least at the New York headquarters).

After multiple attempts to buy these in another color, I’ve learned you simply need to buy (or try) these jeans in multiple colors to find the perfect fit. While my blue jeans sit at my hip bones, the black-washed and khaki-esque colors I’ve tried fit more like mid-rise jeans even in the next size up. All this to say, don’t be discouraged if you don’t find the perfect fit at first.

Perhaps my friends and I are all getting the same Instagram ads (the impetus for my purchase), but I’ve had multiple friends ask me, “Are those jeans from Gap?” I ordered them as a replacement for the dark-wash Madewell jeans that snatched my waist but left me gasping for air after just an hour of wear. And I’ll admit: I almost returned them. They’re sub-$100 jeans, and it shows in the thinner denim that wrinkles after a few hours in a suitcase. As long as I lay them flat or hang them in my closet, though, that’s not a problem. They’ve become my go-to party jeans, dinner-with-friends jeans, and, of course, my shopping in Soho jeans. They’re easy to pull on and pair well with a sweater or a cute top. I’m tempted to buy another pair in the medium-indigo wash.

These low-rise Levi’s have the benefits of high-rise jeans without actually covering your bellybutton: They’re flattering on the behind, and thanks to the stretch, they can be pulled up whenever you’d rather have a mid-rise fit. The fabric composition varies vastly depending on the wash you go for — all the way from just 55 percent cotton to 100 percent — meaning the jeans on the lower end feel almost like jeggings. Comfort (or a lack thereof) drove my jean conversion, so I don’t mind if my jeans are stretchy. But if you prefer a more rigid denim I’d check the composition before checking out. (They’re certainly cheaper than Rag & Bone’s sweatpant jeans, too.) A note on sizing: According to the Levi’s website, customers say the jeans run big, but I got a 26, the usual size I go for in low-rise jeans.

Even while I was interviewing girls on Tween Row, the low prices and generally skimpy pieces at Edikted dissuaded me from ever shopping there myself. But when Edikted offered to send me a few pieces, I figured I might as well try out the brand all the teens I interviewed rave about. I selected the black-washed version of the baggy, low-rise jeans I learned about last year when interviewing “cool teens” about their favorite pairs. Given the price, I expected them to be ill fitting and thin with sewing imperfections, but they’re actually my favorites to date. They’re the closest I’ve gotten to a true early-aughts low rise (read: hip-bone baring), and I’ve since purchased them in another color, the blue-washed version. They have a slightly slimmer fit than the black-washed pair, so I’d recommend buying a size up if you’re between sizes. (For reference, I’m usually a 26, and a medium works for me in both washes.)

I can’t lie: I’m tempted by the Still Here Cool jeans. Perhaps it was my time on Normie Street (a.k.a. Elizabeth Street) or a ringing endorsement from our updates coordinator, Najwa Jamal, but I’ve found myself daydreaming about the style’s signature waist drawstring.

These Frame jeans have a similar button fly to the high-rise jeans of my youth. They’re heavier than most of the other jeans in my collection, which is something I’d expect given how pricey they are. I haven’t been able to test them since Frame sent them to me — they’re still at the tailor getting a shorter hem — but I’ll report back.

Here’s another heavyweight pair I was sent and have in the works at the tailor. I’ve had the brand on my mind ever since Strategist contributor Peyton Dix waxed poetic about jeans that, she says, “made me gay.”

In the year or so since we reached peak barrel-jean mania, I’ve been searching for a low-rise version of the style. Most, it seems, are either mid or high rise. I’m waiting for Gap’s next big sale to take a chance on this unicorn.