Why Do We Keep Returning to the '90s Whale Tail Trend?
L'OFFICIEL delves into the history of this season's most revealing trend and a late '90s and early 2000s cult: the exposed thong.
In reference to the controversial fashion trend from the '90s and early aughts, The Cut recently declared that "Cracks Are Back." If you're left with a raised eyebrow, not to worry; we'll fill you in on the whale tale trend made popular by Y2K It girls like Paris Hilton and Christina Aguilera. The trend was essentially to wear a high-rise thong beneath low-rise jeans so theat the thong can be visibly seen sitting atop your hipbone.
The trend rose in popularity due to the raunchy girl-gone-bad aesthetic that was pegged to a lot of celebrities who fashioned the look. The once-girl next door archetypes like Britney Spears and Victoria Beckham were confident and sexy bombshells who weren't afraid of showing a bit of skin. With the comeback of high-rise jeans in the 2010s, many thought they saw the end of the whale tale until Hailey Beiber brought the trend back to life for the Met Gala in 2019. Since then, it seems the trend oscillates in and out of fashion every year or so, but for the most part, celebrities like Bella Hadid and Dua Lipa, and more recently, Katy Perry, have been seen donning the provocative trend. However, this time, the rendition comes to us in the form of what's called "butt cleavage," where instead of the thong being the object of focus, the entire butt crack is exposed, sometimes sans thong. Zendaya recently fashioned a less-intense rendition of the trend at the World Premiere of Dune: Part Two; nevertheless, as seen below, the butt is very much still the star of the show.
Below, we'll explore the origins of this racy trend and how it eventually morphed into "butt cleavage."
However, by the mid-2000s, the whale tail obsession came to an end, when both the thong and the low-rise cut fell out of vogue. But like all trends, it circled back. In 2018 and 2019, designers began elevating the look on the runways, and at the Camp-themed Met Gala, Hailey Bieber showed up on the red carpet in a pink gown with a revealing low back and built-in thong. Alexa Demie sported a similar look at the premiere of Euphoria in 2019.
Since then, the high-waist thong detail has populated the runways of Jacquemus, Givenchy, and more. In the Versace Spring/Summer 2021 collection, models strutted with hip-strap details, similar to those worn by Bella Hadid on the Versace Spring/Summer 2020 Men's runway with a pair of sparkly low-rise pants.
While we may not fully retire our high-waist denim for low-rise cuts and exposed thongs, the daring trend is begging to go mainstream again. And after a year spent inside in 2020, many of us are ready to take some fashion risks. Judging from the various A-listers and fashion mavens' photos, and the continuous social media push towards '90s and Y2K fashion, we might be soon walking around in our G-strings thinking, "Oops We Did It...Again!"
As can be seen above, the latest version of the trend eliminates the thong and puts attention on the derriere. For the 2024 Billboard Women in Music Awards, Katy Perry donned an Ellie Misner set that featured lace-up detailing across the entire backside, showing off the crack in the process. During a premiere for Dune: Part Two, Zendaya wore a bumless Thierry Mugler suit of armor that is quintessential to the brand's love for alluring and borderline erotic silhouettes.