Move over, mom jeans — the Levi's Ribcage Jean is taking denim to new heights. With a soaring 12 and one-eighth inch rise that cinches your waist below the ribcage, the fit features the highest rise Levi's has ever released, and shows that the brand is betting big on the high-waisted trend lasting into 2019. And so far, it looks like its bet is paying off: select styles are already sold out online, and popping up all over Instagram instead.
For Levi's, the Ribcage Jean is a love letter to vintage denim. According to a quote from Karyn Hillman, Levi’s Global Chief Product Officer, in a press release, the fit is inspired by a pair of Levi's 501 jeans from the '90s. While you probably don't need to be told how much there is to love about a pair of form-fitting, hip-hugging vintage Levi's, Hillman pointed out how the Ribcage Jean can be "perfectly styled high or low" in a quote on the brand's website. So wear your Ribcage Jean with a T-shirt tucked into the waistband, or with a sweater that drapes lower; any option works with the sky-high silhouette.
Currently, Levi's website offers three Ribcage Jean styles for you to pick from: the Ribcage Straight Jeans ($98), the Ribcage Pleated Crop ($98), and the Ribcage Split Flare ($128). Each fit captures a different vibe and vintage aesthetic, with the Ribcage Straight a more basic, straight-legged fit, the Ribcage Pleated Crop a loose fit with throwback denim pleating, and the Ribcage Split Flare made for the weekend. The fit gets its flare from a hemmed split tailored into each jean leg's side, for those moments you want to show off a great pair of boots and still wear denim.
The Ribcage Jean styles are available in stores as well, so you may be able to find the out-of-stock Ribcage Straight Selvedge Jeans that TZR's Managing Editor Lauren Caruso said on Instagram she wore for three days straight. The flipped, raw hem is of-the-moment and slightly editorial, while still effortless — because all you need to do is pull the denim on, throw on a jacket and boots, and you're good to go.
Or, grab one of the Ribcage Straight's online-only washes like Seventeen's Senior Style Editor Kelsey Stiegman. There is a lot of competition for the title of "Perfect Everyday Jean", but the Ribcage Straight in the deep indigo Life's Work color is definitely in the running.
You can browse all of the available Ribcage Jean styles on Levi's website, but continue scrolling to shop five stand-out pairs.
