How to Style Low Rise Jeans If You’re Over 30, According to the Fashion Pros

Be honest: Is this the first time you’ve needed to know how to style low-rise jeans? Millennials reading this are shaking their heads no.

As you may have heard, the hip-baring silhouette has crept back into the zeitgeist much to the chagrin of the over-30 crowd still recovering from their memories of teenage trend experiments. And I’ll admit I was firmly in that camp—until recently. Once I got past the Y2K flashbacks, I realized how chic low-rise jeans can be.

Don’t just take my word for it. As of late, celebrities of all ages have made a convincing case for low-rise jeans. Take Gen Z darling—or, depending on who you ask, zillennial—Kylie Jenner, who harked back to the early 2000s in a pair of True Religion low-rise jeans last August. Paired with a midriff-revealing white tank top, the pants read surprisingly sleek. Fellow It girl Bella Hadid has also put her stamp on the low-rise comeback. In January, the supermodel stepped out in Aspen wearing a lace-up bootcut look that she layered with a vintage lace duster and a quirky smiley-face baby tee. The takeaway here? Elevating your low-rise jeans lies in thoughtful, trend-forward styling.

Inspiration can be drawn from the street style pack too. Lately, fashion insiders have delivered a masterclass in styling low-rise jeans in ways that are far more sophisticated and mature than the early aughts outfits we remember, pairing them with everything from furry vests to sporty jerseys. Ahead are several different ways the most stylish women we know are wearing their low-rise jeans right now.

How to style low-rise jeans for 2026

With an extra-long vest

In early spring, swap your faux fur coat for a fuzzy vest. (It’s the perfect layer for those high-50s, low-60s days.) Then, when summer comes, look for a boho lace or tailored style. The point is, a long, voluminous vest will balance out the form-fitting jeans without taking away the entire point of wearing low-rise pants. Finish the belly button-baring look with sneakers for an effortless feel or ankle boots for a sophisticated polish.

Embrace the nostalgia

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