# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/41 "2012-07-30T22:53:34Z")
According to two of my acquaintances in the prison system (as guards, not guests), as far back as the early 1990’s in the prison population wearing your pants down to show your underwear was the method that gay men advertised their sexual availability. This is merely anecdotal information, but if it is true then it demonstrates that many young men are essentially clueless as to why they wear what they wear. Things were, of course, considerably different when I was younger and never ever wore ridiculous clothes merely because they were cool. Or blazingly hot and uncomfortable. I remember the Summer of 1975. I can only say two words to describe the horror: leisure suits. But, running down the street holding my pants up with my hand to my crotch? What next? Stilts? ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/42 "2012-07-30T22:59:59Z")
I’ve been waiting from the begining of this trend for the next phase my friends and I predicted back then. Underwear on the outside of the pants and or backwards pants. Has that trend made a significant foothold yet? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/43 "2012-07-30T23:14:25Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > [http://www.uselesshumor.com/2011/04/funny-pictures-your-father-says-hell.html](http://www.uselesshumor.com/2011/04/funny-pictures-your-father-says-hell.html) Actually, that reminds me of my neighbor…only he also lets his underwear sag. I have never seen such a horrid case of plumber’s ass in my life. _shudder_ > [@billfish678](#): > > … or backwards pants. Has that trend made a significant foothold yet? Two words: Kris Kross. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/44 "2012-07-30T23:53:52Z")
> [@oreally](#): > > :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. That was **Blackberry’s** point. I’ve criticized minorities a lot in the past 20 years. Nobody has ever called me a racist. If your life experience is that you get called a racist a lot it’s probably you, and not everybody else in the world but you. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/45 "2012-07-31T00:06:16Z")
> [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](#): > > That was **Blackberry’s** point. I’ve criticized minorities a lot in the past 20 years. Nobody has ever called me a racist. If your life experience is that you get called a racist a lot it’s probably you, and not everybody else in the world but you. Maybe it’s because you criticize individuals, and not minorities. Just a guess. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/46 "2012-07-31T00:17:43Z")
Haven’t the long hair, rock band t-shirt or the punk rock look things lasted for 30-40 years? ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/47 "2012-07-31T00:42:35Z")
What’s up with neckties? Can we get over that fad already? ---
**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 31, 2012, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/48 "2012-07-31T00:46:52Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Two words: Kris Kross. Yeah, backward pants and shirts were cool for about 15 minutes in 1992. ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/49 "2012-07-31T00:48:44Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > What’s up with neckties? Can we get over that fad already? I hope we get over the skinny ones, I hate those. ---
**Author:** ![urban1a](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47c2d/32.png) [@urban1a](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/urban1a)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/50 "2012-07-31T02:21:07Z")
Several years ago I went to my niece’s wedding. One of the guests was a fairly attractive hispanic looking guy. He was wearing his pants low on hips and he had NO underwear on at all and about half of his crack showed. I was hoping that would become a trend (he had kind of a nice ass), but no luck so far. Bob ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/51 "2012-07-31T02:33:08Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > According to two of my acquaintances in the prison system (as guards, not guests), as far back as the early 1990’s in the prison population wearing your pants down to show your underwear was the method that gay men advertised their sexual availability. This is merely anecdotal information, but if it is true then it demonstrates that many young men are essentially clueless as to why they wear what they wear. How many women who wear high heels do you think could tell you why they wear them? Or how many men who wear ties could tell you why they wear them? They do it because they feel it is socially expected of them, or maybe they like the look. I suspect the people who wear saggy pants do so for the same kind of reasons. > [@](#): > > Things were, of course, considerably different when I was younger and never ever wore ridiculous clothes merely because they were cool. Or blazingly hot and uncomfortable. I remember the Summer of 1975. I can only say two words to describe the horror: leisure suits. 🙂 > [@](#): > > What next? Stilts? [Only for women.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platform_shoe) But you might remember those from the 70’s as well. > [@Blackberry](#): > > Oh, you’re right. Well, keeping tags on is still a real thing that people do, in case some people don’t know that. I was taking tags off of clothes for our upcoming baby today. There were so damn many of them on each piece of clothing, I almost said fuck it, she’s going with the keeping the tags on look. If I weren’t worried that she’d chew on the tags and choke, I might have done it. ---
**Author:** ![denquixote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@denquixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/denquixote)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/52 "2012-07-31T03:08:04Z")
> [@Blackberry](#): > > And it looks like he also has the ‘not cutting off the tags on your clothes’ look, if that’s what that white thing is. That’s so tacky. I used to have a job as a sort of host in a very nice club a while back and I noticed a young man, early 20’s or so, and he had a very nice sport coat on and the label with the size was still attached to the sleeve. I was sure this was inadvertent so I told him about it and asked him if he needed a knife or some scissors. “No man I’m cool.” That’s a fad eh? I thought he just wanted to return it the next day. ---
**Author:** ![MacCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maccat/32/216_2.png) [@MacCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacCat)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/53 "2012-07-31T03:37:32Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > My boyfriend had a suitemate in college who had this look. Now he really was the nicest guy in the world and a total gentleman, which is why I will not put his name here. However, when he was late to class, it was very hard to not fall over laughing as you watched him hitch his pants up with one hand and half lope, half stumble off to class, all the while holding his pants up. Oh, god, I’ve never forgotten it, even almost twenty years later. About a week ago on my way to work, I was stopped at the traffic light with many others by the train station, when an obviously late young lady in very high heels was attempting to hurry. It was hilariously laugh out loud funny. It actually looked like she would have been faster with a cautious walking pace. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/54 "2012-07-31T07:11:56Z")
I don’t understand why it’s even a discussion. _I don’t want to see your asscrack._ ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/55 "2012-07-31T09:35:14Z")
Well, now the kids are wearing tight jeans AND [sagging](http://www.justinbieberoriginal.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/justin-bieber-sagging-pants-rain-85.jpg)them. I’m used to the sag. I grew up with it. But sagging \*skinny \*jeans is silly even to me. And it’s not just a case of old cranky folks not getting it…I hear the young kids tell each \*other \*to stop with the skinny-sag. But what can you do. As a kid, I had lots of fun with fashion. And as an adult, I’m down to wearing black button down shirts and blue jeans every damn day that I’m not wearing business casual black slacks. Can’t knock the kids for having their fun with fashion, even if it is all wrong to me. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/56 "2012-07-31T16:39:03Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > What next? Stilts? [Yes.](http://www.zappos.com/giuseppe-zanotti-i27029-blue) ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/57 "2012-07-31T18:10:53Z")
As a counter, while I was on the subway going home to the Bronx after work a few months ago, I overheard this conversation between a group of young (I would guess 13 - 14 year old) teen boys. The topic was whether or not one of the kids’ new sneakers were okay. Kid 1: Those sneakers are the worst. Kid 2: What do YOU know? YOU (dramatic pointing gesture) are still sagging! Kid 1: (shock, horror, outrage) I am NOT! Kid 2: You ARE! I saw you last week at Parkchester, and you were sagging! Kid 1: (about to die of mortification) Um, okay … but I stopped! Kid 2: Whatever. Kid 1: No really, I STOPPED. So with this report of a teen boy being mocked by his peers for sagging, I am proposing this as a glimmer of hope that our long national nightmare might soon be over. For those of you further out, “soon” might mean “in 20 years,” … but still. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/58 "2012-07-31T18:19:42Z")
What I’ve noticed (Pacific NW) is that the sagging pants have slowly been trending out of the cities. It’s still very prominent in the semi-urban “strip mall” regions like Everett, Lynnwood, Kent, and the like. It also seems to be trending younger. Once boys hit about 16 it becomes very scarce. They then either get absorbed into the urban hipster style, or the upscale rap fashion style. ---
**Author:** ![ceilidh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@ceilidh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ceilidh)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2012, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/59 "2012-08-01T04:26:31Z")
I teach high school, and I’ve found that the boys of every race sag their pants. What’s really sad is that outside of the academic day, some of my male coworkers do too. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2012, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812/60 "2012-08-01T04:34:28Z")
> [@Motorgirl](#): > > [Yes.](http://www.zappos.com/giuseppe-zanotti-i27029-blue) :eek: My best friends have always been women. I love women. These… contraptions are EVIL. And, for the record, they are pretty dang funny as well. Imagine actually wearing these things? Why? Once, when we were young, I put on my wife’s pumps. That one experience of walking to the door and back to the bed stopped all of my whining about my footwear forever. Of course, it was primarily because she would remind me when needed. But, among the things I think an alien anthropologist would be most amazed by are the things we do to look attractive to others. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-sagging-pants-exposed-underpants-look-survived-decades/629812.md?page=4)