The “Last Jedi” costume designer has a legit explanation for shirtless Kylo Ren’s high-waisted pants
Pants are, obviously, standard issue for everyone in the First Order, and now thanks to the most amazing scene in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, we know that super high-waisted pants are a wardrobe option. In what is one of *the best* scene of the whole film, Ben Solo shirtless Kylo Ren appears, and since he is sans shirt, we can see that he’s wearing ridiculously high-waisted pants.
There’s a reason for this scene, and it’s not just to give us fan service or a proper “beefcake” moment in Last Jedi. Rather, Kylo appearing shirtless immediately establishes that Rey and Kylo can see each other via their Force Skype phone calls — Rey asks him to put a towel on, or something. She doesn’t want to talk to him while he’s shirtless.
While the scene is funny and clearly has spread across the internet like wildfire, the big question now is just why is Kylo wearing high pants that come all the way up over his navel? (Are those even comfortable, Kylo?) But aside from this visual clue linking Rey and Kylo, there’s another reason for the high pants. It’s because that was the ~style~.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Last Jedi costume designer Michael Kaplan explained his reasoning for the pants that launched a thousand memes and one pretty hilarious challenge:
“The world of Star Wars is not our world…Kylo Ren is not some hipster in hip-hugging jeans. Think Errol Flynn swashbuckling coolness as a point of departure. Hide that navel!”
Well, wouldn’t necessarily compare Kylo Ren to who played 1938’s Robin Hood, but sure. That makes sense. Kylo Ren is not living in our world, so he is not following our fashion trends — even though we all know if he were here, he would totally have been that kid who dragged mom and dad into Hot Topic at the mall every. single. time.
