Don’t try to fight it—the low-rise jean is back.
The Spring/Summer 2026 collections unveiled at the men’s fashion weeks in Milan and Paris this summer—followed by those at Copenhagen Fashion Week this month—have all but sealed the fate of the polarizing silhouette.
However, designers are reimagining the youth-driven trend through a broader lens for its comeback. Rather than the ultra-tight jeans and micro skirts that defined low-rise in the early 2000s, today’s runways are embracing a wider range of relaxed, looser silhouettes.
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Styling is playing a key role in how brands are modernizing low-rise jeans. Designers like Hed Mayner and Junya Watanabe showed low-rise jeans worn slouchy and oversized.
Barrel legs added volume to Sacai’s low-rise styles. Alis Copenhagen combined low rises with skate-inspired chinos and long shorts. The label emphasized a pair of low-rise, wide-leg jeans with a fitted denim jacket with a two-way zipper.
Still, tight-fitting, low-rise silhouettes exist. The rise of the “Hedi boy,” the moniker given to an aesthetic inspired by designer Hedi Slimane’s 2000s rocker aesthetic, is captivating edgy 20-somethings. Labels like PLN are capturing the vibe with black leather, lacing and slim fits. Low rises are also cropping up outside of denim—from lace maxi skirts to leggings.
