# How has the sagging pants - exposed underpants look survived decades? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 30, 2012, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812 "2012-07-30T02:51:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/1 "2012-07-30T02:51:41Z")
Fashion trends come and go but [sagging pants](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagging_(fashion)) with exposed underwear seems to have remained in vogue as an urban youth style for a remarkably long time. I’m thinking it’s got to be close to 20 years now. What’s keeping it alive? From what I’ve seen of everyday kid wear on the streets it appears to be pretty much a black only thing. Is it different in large cities? Has it been embraced by fashion designers? ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/2 "2012-07-30T03:06:16Z")
I’ve wondered the same thing. What I wonder about even more is when I see guys wearing pants that are too big without a belt and using one hand to hold them up. Wouldn’t you want to have full use of both your hands at all times? ---
**Author:** ![oreally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ab992/32.png) [@oreally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oreally)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/3 "2012-07-30T03:07:31Z")
Brace yourself to be labelled a racist, for starters. Number two, you appear to be looking for logic and/or sanity when it comes to “urban” fashion. lol. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/4 "2012-07-30T03:21:01Z")
> [@oreally](#): > > Brace yourself to be labelled a racist, for starters. Not so sure about that. The most militant anti-sag contingent appears to be black adults. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/5 "2012-07-30T03:22:42Z")
> [@Accidental\_Martyr](#): > > I’ve wondered the same thing. What I wonder about even more is when I see guys wearing pants that are too big without a belt and using one hand to hold them up. Wouldn’t you want to have full use of both your hands at all times? That’s what I wonder also about women in Iran. The chador has no way to be attached and will slip right off if not held on by hand. If you need the use of both hands, you have to hold the chador in your teeth! ---
**Author:** ![listedmia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e0b2c6/32.png) [@listedmia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/listedmia)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/6 "2012-07-30T03:58:04Z")
In my experience, the comically huge sagging jeans are going out of fashion in some places. Young, urban black males of my acquaintance (Chicago, Memphis, New Orleans) are mostly wearing slightly tighter pants. They still sit below the waist, and expose an inch or two of boxer shorts. This is typical: [http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr\_m3gjavQY2Y1qzikspo1\_1280.jpg](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3gjavQY2Y1qzikspo1_1280.jpg) I also see a lot of the more trendy guys going for a “skater kid” look, whether or not they actually ride skateboards. This can include super tight jeans or pants that would be considered “normal” by your average white old person: [http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KO9WiTPbWtI/TsUb6YA2r\_I/AAAAAAAAAdo/APw76nV6yQo/s1600/black%2Bskater%2Bkids.jpg](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KO9WiTPbWtI/TsUb6YA2r_I/AAAAAAAAAdo/APw76nV6yQo/s1600/black%2Bskater%2Bkids.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/7 "2012-07-30T04:21:41Z")
Heck, I’ve been expecting the girlfriends to kill this trend years ago. “No way am I dating you. You’re to busy holding your pants up to hold hands/hug/snuggle…” ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/8 "2012-07-30T04:25:48Z")
What one poster suggested and I find more and more appealing as time goes by is that youth fashions die when their parents start following them and no one over the age of 30 would be caught dead with sagging pants. ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/9 "2012-07-30T04:50:19Z")
> [@listedmia](#): > > This is typical: [Tumblr: Image](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3gjavQY2Y1qzikspo1_1280.jpg) That’s typical of what I see too. Now granted Seattle’s urban culture is a little defective, but I very rarely see kids with those super baggy pants you used to see in the '90s. What I do see occasionally are super saggy, super skinny jeans. That’s a million times worse than sagging baggy jeans. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/10 "2012-07-30T04:57:11Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > What one poster suggested and I find more and more appealing as time goes by is that youth fashions die when their parents start following them and no one over the age of 30 would be caught dead with sagging pants. Except for the guy from Green Day. 😉 > **[Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong Kicked Off Plane for Saggy Pants | Us Weekly](https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/green-days-billie-joe-armstrong-kicked-off-plane-for-saggy-pants-201139/)** > > "What f\*\*k?" the rocker Tweets after the shocking incident ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/11 "2012-07-30T05:03:43Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Fashion trends come and go but [sagging pants](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagging_%28fashion%29) with exposed underwear seems to have remained in vogue as an urban youth style for a remarkably long time. I’m thinking it’s got to be close to 20 years now. > > What’s keeping it alive? From what I’ve seen of everyday kid wear on the streets it appears to be pretty much a black only thing. Is it different in large cities? Has it been embraced by fashion designers? That’s still a thing? I haven’t seen it in years. Not that I’ve been looking. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/12 "2012-07-30T05:08:24Z")
> [@oreally](#): > > Brace yourself to be labelled a racist, for starters. Sheesh, aren’t you tired of employing the same shtick in almost every thread? ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/13 "2012-07-30T05:14:16Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > What one poster suggested and I find more and more appealing as time goes by is that youth fashions die when their parents start following them and no one over the age of 30 would be caught dead with sagging pants. Are you kidding me? I thought old white guys with no butt was a rule of fasion 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/14 "2012-07-30T05:15:02Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > Sheesh, aren’t you tired of employing the same shtick in almost every thread? Seriously. For everyone’s convenience, I have composed a complete list of people who have to worry about being called racist all the time: 1. Racists If you get called racist a lot, it’s not everyone who has that experience, it’s just you. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/15 "2012-07-30T05:18:19Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > Sheesh, aren’t you tired of employing the same shtick in almost every thread? So that answers it then. When I first read oreally’s post I was just confused. What in the world does racism have to do with wondering about sagging pants? I’m curious about sushi; does that mean people will think I hate those dirty Japs? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![filling\_pages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9bd4f/32.png) [@filling\_pages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filling_pages)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/16 "2012-07-30T05:22:19Z")
> [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](#): > > Heck, I’ve been expecting the girlfriends to kill this trend years ago. > “No way am I dating you. You’re to busy holding your pants up to hold hands/hug/snuggle…” Considering that some of the point is to show off your ass, I don’t think that will be the death of the trend. ---
**Author:** ![listedmia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e0b2c6/32.png) [@listedmia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/listedmia)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/17 "2012-07-30T06:09:08Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > What one poster suggested and I find more and more appealing as time goes by is that youth fashions die when their parents start following them and no one over the age of 30 would be caught dead with sagging pants. Weirdly enough, the people I have seen recently who DO have the humongous, very saggy pants are mostly drug dealers in their 30s and 40s. ---
**Author:** ![oreally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ab992/32.png) [@oreally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oreally)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/18 "2012-07-30T06:12:03Z")
> [@Blackberry](#): > > Seriously. > > For everyone’s convenience, I have composed a complete list of people who have to worry about being called racist all the time: > > 1. Racists > > If you get called racist a lot, it’s not everyone who has that experience, it’s just you. :smack: Who said anything about “a lot” or “all the time?” Anyone who hasn’t noticed how criticizing minorities tends to bring out the race card nazis like ants at a picnic has probably been living under a rock for about oh the past 20-30+ years IMO. > [@Ambivalid](#): > > What in the world does racism have to do with wondering about sagging pants? Try re-reading the OP, esp the part where he states it’s a “black only thing.” This shouldn’t be so hard. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/19 "2012-07-30T06:20:30Z")
> [@oreally](#): > > Try re-reading the OP, esp the part where he states it’s a “black only thing.” This shouldn’t be so hard. > [@astro](#): > > What’s keeping it alive? \*\* From what I’ve seen \*\*of everyday kid wear on the streets **it appears to be** pretty much a black only thing. Is it different in large cities? Has it been embraced by fashion designers? Uh huh, well here it is. I’ve bolded what I feel are the relevant sections. I see someone curious about the popularity of sagging pants and is reporting the anecdotal evidence that he has seen himself and is asking a larger segment of people for a better perspective. You’re right, it was even easier than I thought. ---
**Author:** ![oreally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ab992/32.png) [@oreally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oreally)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/20 "2012-07-30T06:22:53Z")
Again: you appear to be looking for logic and/or sanity when it comes to “urban” fashion (and the whole “race thing”). Good luck w/that. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812.md?page=2)