LOOK OF THE WEEK: Willow Smith makes a strong case for ultra-low-cut pants

Willow’s outfit came straight from Stella McCartney’s summer 2023 collection, which Bella Hadid previously wore on the runway. But where Hadid styled the sandal with a more summery look, Smith made it even sexier with pointed platform crawlers. With a wavy, asymmetrical black bob, bleached eyebrows and smokey eye shadow, Smith epitomized chic ’90s style—her models as recently as when she was venturing musically into rock music.

Although Smith’s outfits garnered much praise, the return of the low-cost contestants was divisive. While Generation Z has cheerfully trotted through ’90s fashion and the year of Y2K, and embraced the look as well, millennial women in general have faced the returning trend with disdain, having sought comfort in high-waisted alternatives after an era of harsh jean cuts and body image expectations. unhealthy. Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, and Keira Knightley may have perfected the curvy red carpet look a couple of decades ago, but they didn’t have to deal with the discomfort of straddling so-called “dangerously low-cut” jeans to sit in class or on public transit.

The pants have been hot off the runway, debuting in Stella McCartney’s Spring/Summer 2023 collection earlier this year. attributed to him: Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images

Hadid, Emily Ratajkowski, Julia Foxx, and Kendall Jenner have all stepped out in hip-hugging looks for the past year and a half, driving fashion writers crazy. Vogue begged in October 2021 before admitting defeat in the form of “17 Pairs of Low-Rise Jeans to Consider Rocking This Season,” which was published less than a year later. A flurry of headlines from Vox and Refinery29 to The New York Times have all been tinged with anxiety. (Vox advised: “Don’t panic.”)

Despite the resurgence, trouser and jeans styles haven’t returned to one mainstream silhouette since Gen Z effectively declared the death of skinny jeans. Mid-rise, high-low, and low-rise styles seem to have made their way onto store floors suggesting that, perhaps, there’s room for more than one type of rise this decade. Then we can all appreciate Smith & Hadid’s low-slung styles without the baggage—they don’t have room for pockets, anyway.