Is the ankle monitor aesthetic making a comeback?

Who would have ever thought that one of the trends of 2025 would be wearing an ankle monitor? Probably no one, precisely because this new fashion trend has nothing to do with house arrest. However, among Apple Watch owners (the high-tech watch and step tracker capable of monitoring some of the body's most important vital parameters), a new trend is emerging—wearing it on the ankle instead of the wrist. Some might say this look is reminiscent of the era when star Lindsay Lohan had to roam around Los Angeles with an electronic ankle bracelet. While back in 2007, Lohan was required to wear a SCRAM (Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor) due to multiple DUI-related incidents, today, people are choosing to wear an Apple Watch on their ankle to more accurately track their movements—and consequently, calories burned. It all started when fitness influencers Ana Espinal and Kristen Hollingshaus documented their workouts on TikTok while wearing their Apple Watches on their ankles. The content created by these two influencers was enough to convince many people—particularly, as reported by the New York Times, new moms who engage in the well-known power walks and need to keep their hands on the stroller—to move their smartwatch from their wrist to their legs. But will this trend ever earn a place in fashion, much like the ankle monitor did in the past thanks to Lindsay Lohan?

After Lindsay Lohan, it was Anna Delvey who brought the ankle monitor back into the spotlight of pop culture. The Russian con artist, who was arrested for fraud in 2017 and became the central figure of Netflix’s hit series Inventing Anna, was placed under house arrest in 2022. Last September, Delvey participated in the American edition of Dancing with the Stars, wearing an ankle monitor covered in rhinestones to match her performance outfit. This week, she opened Elena Velez’s show at New York Fashion Week, once again wearing the same device. Although her look caused a stir on social media, Lindsay Lohan remains the only true icon responsible for turning the ankle monitor into a trend—a 2000s icon known for more than just scandals. In fact, Lohan herself once tweeted, asking Chanel to help her decorate her SCRAM bracelet: «Can CHANEL please help me out by getting me some stickers to put on my scram bracelet so that I can at least wear a chic dress?! Maybe?! x», she wrote. Back then, Chanel's creative director Karl Lagerfeld granted her wish and, in 2008, created the Chanel Ankle Bag 2.55. Other brands like Fendi (in an episode of And Just Like That, Carrie Bradshaw wears a mini Baguette on her ankle) and Gucci (which designed a lipstick holder for SS20) followed in Chanel’s footsteps. But even in this case, the first innovator remains the most memorable example.

In short, if the Apple Watch ankle trend really takes off, there are already plenty of luxury accessories on the market ready for use. That said, despite the belief that wearing the watch on the ankle can help track vital signs more accurately, Apple has already clarified that the Apple Watch is calibrated to be used as a wristwatch and not as an ankle device. For instance, the company explained that the LED light sensor used to measure blood pressure needs to be in contact with the wrist to function properly. In any case, next time you go to the gym and see someone with an electronic ankle bracelet, don’t worry—they’re not under house arrest; they just fell victim to a TikTok trend.