Brace Yourself: Thong Pants Are Back

Mom, can you pick me up? I'm scared.

thong pants
(Image credit: Getty)

Back in my youth, when my pals and I thought Limited Too epitomized haute couture, celebrities like Britney Spears, Halle Berry, and Christina Aguilera were donning one of the most controversial fashion trends of all time:

Thong pants.

What are thong pants, you ask? Also known as the whaletale, this trend involves allowing your G-string to ride up over your low-rise jeans (another dreaded Y2K trend that's making a reappearance). Remember this?

thong pants

(Image credit: Getty)

thong pants

(Image credit: Getty)

The only logic I can come up with for this trend is that it's risqué and a little coy. I read once, in a book about body language, that when women let one shoe hang off their toes a little, it makes their admirers imagine the rest of their clothes coming off. Thong pants are like that, I suppose, although an exposed G-string strikes me as a little more in-your-face than a slightly too-big pair of flats.

Anyway, Julia Fox's recent appearance wearing thong pants on her date with Kanye West—and with stars like Dua Lipa, Bella Hadid, and Jennifer Lopez also sporting this trend—proves that, against all reason, thong pants are back and here to stay.

Want to stay on-trend and wear thong pants without actually sagging your jeans below your waist à la Christina Milian? Girl, I could not agree more. And I've got you covered.

Check out some alternatives below to achieve that thong-pant vibe while keeping your thong tucked safely in your pants.

Gabrielle Ulubay
Beauty Writer

Gabrielle Ulubay is a Beauty Writer at Marie Claire. She has also written about sexual wellness, fashion, culture, and politics both at Marie Claire and for publications like The New York Times, Bustle, and HuffPost Personal. She has worked extensively in the e-commerce and sales spaces since 2020, including two years at Drizly, where she developed an expertise in finding the best, highest quality goods and experiences money can buy. As a film school graduate, she loves all things media and can be found making art when she's not busy writing.