Millennial Proves Gen Z Doesn't Understand 'How Low' Y2K Jeans Really Went

Newsweek

16-05-2025

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Generation Zers might think they know what low rise jeans are, but one millennial has proved otherwise after sharing a throwback clip of Charmed to show how it really used to be done.
Like many people, millennial Bianca Blanche, 36, can't resist the nostalgia of watching her favorite shows from the 1990s and 2000s. Of course, that includes the 1998 TV show Charmed, starring Alyssa Milano, Shannen Doherty, and Holly Marie Combs as three sisters.
Part of what makes the older shows so fascinating is the nostalgia they bring back, particularly when it comes to their fashion. Blanche recalls how chaotic the styles were, telling Newsweek that it was "mostly super fun," although it could certainly pass for "criminal" at times.
One of the most-iconic 1990s styles was the super low-rise jean. We don't just mean sitting above the hip bone either—they were extraordinarily low on the waist. Blanche, who resides in Los Angeles, California, shared a clip from Charmed that shows Milano's character wearing pants that were so low, they bordered on revealing.
Alyssa Milano (middle, and pictured right) wears low-rise jeans in an episode of Charmed.
Alyssa Milano (middle, and pictured right) wears low-rise jeans in an episode of Charmed.
@realitybianca / TikTok
"It was a full-on reminder of just how iconic the Charmed sisters were, and also how dangerously low that trend used to go," Blanche said. "I couldn't escape low-rise jeans back then. As a self-proclaimed gordita, these were my arch-nemesis back in the day."
It is often said that fashion occurs in cycles, so perhaps it is not surprising that we are seeing countless Y2K styles making a return. Just like crop tops, cargo pants, and bucket hats, low-rise jeans have also made a comeback—albeit thankfully not as low as before.
Blanche loves seeing people play around with fashion and thinks it is fascinating to see old styles become en vogue once again. Indeed, it makes her feel like "a 36-year-old teenager" getting to relive the days of her youth.
After seeing the episode, Blanche felt a mixture of nostalgia and slight horror at reliving that fashion moment. She couldn't resist sharing it on TikTok (@realitybianca) on May 3, joking that "Gen Z doesn't understand how low they used to go."
In just a matter of days, the clip has gone viral with more than 4.2 million views and over 369,400 likes at the time of writing. Blanche was "extremely surprised" by the online response to her post, as she never imagined a pair of super low-rise jeans would generate so much attention.
"I never thought it would provoke such a strong reaction from both millennials and Gen Z," Blanche told Newsweek. "I think I unlocked some deep-seated fashion trauma with this one.
"Gen Z kept commenting that they remember this trend, and I get it, but respectfully, they didn't live it the way we did. Millennial core forever," she continued.
The fashion has certainly divided opinion, leading to over 3,100 comments on the viral TikTok post.
Among the responses, one comment reads: "all they have to do is google Paris Hilton low rise jeans and they'll really see."
Another TikTok user wrote: "so did y'all not sit down? I'm confused how you get away with something so low."
A third person posted: "I feel like we are the reason for dress codes."
One commenter added: "As gen Z, this is what we grew up seeing lol [laugh out loud]."
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