In order to understand the return of low-rise jeans, it's important to understand their origin. The time was the early 2000s. Enthusiasm for all the new millennium would bring was high but the waistbands were low. While the low-rise jeans of 2022 are baggy and not typically thong-exposing, the early-2000s iterations were tight and very low. They were often paired with crop tops or fitted tops that exposed the depths of the waistband—and it wasn't just the usual suspects that wore them. We all know that Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, and Miley Cyrus embraced the trend but celebrities such as Angelina Jolie, Anne Hathaway, and Reese Witherspoon were also in the low-rise club.
Below, you'll find 15 historic photos of the aforementioned celebs and more proudly posing in their low-rise jeans. (Fun fact: Many of them were taken on red carpets or while they were guests at TRL.) If these throwback Y2K outfits leave you inspired to re-adopt low-rise jeans yourself, we also found some of the best current pairs, all of which are decidedly easier to wear than their early-2000s counterparts.