Cropped pants were popularized in the 1970s, but low-rise pants made a comeback in the mid-1990s. However, the fit did not flatter all body types, leading to fashion faux pas like the “muffin top” and “whale tail.” In 2007, high-waisted pants made a comeback, but the degree to which they flatter depends on the figure.
Cropped pants are a style of pants that fall below the navel and rest on the hips. A “cropped” version of the hipster pants features a waist that falls just below the belly button, while the “extreme” hipsters fall lower, exposing the hipbones. The extremely low-cut pants, which also feature an extremely short zipper, have been sported by super skinny celebrities like Paris Hilton, as well as models like Gisele Bündchen and Kate Moss.
First popularized in the 1970s, low-rise pants took a backseat to high-waisted pants during the 1980s, which were the most popular pants during that decade. Low-rise pants made a comeback in the mid-1990s when “tummy shirts” came into vogue, as the low-rise fit paired with a crop top allowed the midriff to show.
Cropped pants became the standard fit for pants in the mid-1990s and into the new millennium; however, the fit did not flatter all body types. Because of low-rise pants, a faux fashion emerged known as the “muffin top,” which refers to the bulge of the hips and torso that can protrude from the top of improperly fitting low-rise pants. In addition to the “muffin top,” another faux fashion that grew out of the low-rise pants trend was known as the “whale tail.” This refers to the triangular shape made by thong underwear when it is visible above the back of hipsters.
In 2007, high-waisted pants made a comeback, eclipsing cropped pants as the style trend for waistlines. Many curvy women who felt low-rise pants were unflattering welcomed this trend; however, like the cropped pants, the degree to which this fit flatters depends on the figure. In 2009, singer Jessica Simpson was ridiculed for her concert appearance sporting high-waisted jeans, which many found unflattering on the star’s hourglass figure. Proponents of low-rise pants cited this fashion misconception as evidence that lower waistlines are more flattering on the female figure.
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