By the mid-2000s, whale tails became common to celebrities, providing opportunities to the paparazzi.[17][18] Whale tail display spawned a new accessory — clip-on jewelry for the visible straps.[19] Jess Cartner-Morley of The Guardian claimed that following pop stars in the hipster trousers gave rise to the "low-slung jeans, whale-tail G-string era".[20] On 17 September 2004, a writer for the Chicago Sun-Times stated, "Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera regularly were photographed with thong straps riding high above their low-rise jeans.