Denim
Jun 14, 2022

15 Historic Photos of Celebs Wearing Low-Rise Jeans During the Early 2000s

by Allyson Payer

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 on MTV's TRL.) If these throwback Y2K outfits leave you inspired to readopt 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.

Angelina Jolie, 2004

Photo:

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Yes, even Angelina Jolie wore low-rise jeans, but she managed to make them look as elegant as possible by pairing her jeans and tank top with a gold shrug and matching heels.

Photo:

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Halle Berry combined low-rise boot-cut jeans, a Von Dutch T-shirt, snakeskin bag, and colored sunglasses for perhaps the most early 2000s outfit possible.

Paris Hilton, 2000

Photo:

Frederick M. Brown/Newsmakers

Paris Hilton was rarely pictured without a low-rise waistband in the early 2000s. Jeans this low made every top look like a crop top, her cowl-neck top included.

Anne Hathaway, 2004

Photo:

Peter Kramer/Getty Images

Anne Hathaway was also a low-rise fan during her The Princess Diaries days. In this instance, she gave them a preppy twist with a polo shirt.

Jennifer Lopez, 2001

Photo:

KMazur/WireImage

Given that she's been quick to wear low-rise styles again this time around, it's no surprise that Jennifer Lopez was one of the original adopters of the trend (which she always made look glamorous).

Lucy Liu, 2006

Photo:

Jeff Vespa/WireImage

Lucy Liu's proved that low-rise jeans weren't only meant to be paired with crop tops and flip-flops.

Britney Spears, 2001

Photo:

KMazur/WireImage

When you think of low-rise jeans and the early 2000s, you probably think of Britney Spears. This is why.

Blake Lively, 2010

Photo:

Marc Piasecki/GC Images

Blake Lively on the set of Gossip Girl gave an Upper East Side twist to low-rise skinny jeans.

Beyoncé, 2001

Photo:

Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Beyoncé, seen here in her Destiny's Child days, wore low-rise jeans often—even on stage with her fellow group members.

Reese Witherspoon, 2005

Reese Witherspoon wearing low-rise jeans

Photo:

James Devaney/WireImage

Here, Reese Witherspoon proved that low-rise jeans could even work with her signature classic style.

Cameron Diaz, 2003

Photo:

Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Cameron Diaz's low-rise jean outfit plus a slew of Y2K accessories made for an outfit that defined the times.

Mariah Carey, 2002

Photo:

Jim Spellman/WireImage

We wouldn't be opposed to wearing this Mariah Carey outfit today.

Mandy Moore, 2001

Photo:

SGranitz/WireImage

Mandy Moore's denim-on-denim look made the red-carpet cut.

Lindsay Lohan, 2003

Photo:

SGranitz/WireImage

Lindsay Lohan loved low-rise jeans so much that she wore them on the red carpet and to events often. We wouldn't be surprised to see Bella Hadid in this exact outfit today.

Mila Kunis, 2002