# It finally happenned! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 7, 2000, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-finally-happenned/44559 "2000-12-07T23:18:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sassy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@Sassy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sassy)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2000, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-finally-happenned/44559/1 "2000-12-07T23:18:41Z")
Waiting for a bus after a doctor appointment, so I am out and about when the kids are getting out of school. As usual, I am marvelling at the clothes… seven sizes too big, and hanging off hips that are at best theorethical. Then - one fellow running for the bus, and _ka-blam_ his pants are around his ankles! I kept my snickers to myself, so as not to damage any fragile adolescent ego - but I was dying to howl! ---
**Author:** ![Demo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demo/32/8472_2.png) [@Demo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demo)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2000, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-finally-happenned/44559/2 "2000-12-07T23:25:46Z")
Oh boy, I woulda been cracking up, pointing at the kid and calling everyone around me too! Hahahaha! That’s too funny. Of course, no one _ever_laughed at me in my Pink Floyd shirt, army trenchcoat and ripped up jeans… 😉 Nice score Sassafrass. ---
**Author:** ![steeljaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aca169/32.png) [@steeljaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steeljaw)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2000, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-finally-happenned/44559/3 "2000-12-07T23:45:06Z")
It’s things like that that make me glad I only buy my _three_ sizes too big. It’s all about moderation. ---
**Author:** ![oldscratch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ed655f/32.png) [@oldscratch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oldscratch)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2000, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-finally-happenned/44559/4 "2000-12-07T23:46:59Z")
That’s great. Haven’t seen it yet, I’m anxiously awaiting the day. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2000, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-finally-happenned/44559/5 "2000-12-08T01:19:28Z")
I woulda busted a seam **Sassy**! When I was foreman for a house restoration I actually had one kid show up with suspenders “down” and his shoelaces untied. Needless to say, he was quickly informed that the workplace was not a fashion show. ---
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2000, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-finally-happenned/44559/6 "2000-12-08T02:32:07Z")
Woohoo! I’d pay money to see that! What is it with the big pants, anyway? I don’t get it. Big shirts, yeah. I wear big shirts. Big shirts are comfy, and they won’t fall off. Big pants, you run the risk of losing them. Could some kind young person (or the parent of a teenager) explain the big-pants thing to this old geezer? ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2000, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-finally-happenned/44559/7 "2000-12-08T04:27:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Persephone \* > \*\*Could some kind young person (or the parent of a teenager) explain the big-pants thing to this old geezer? \*\* Well, remember zoot suits? Same concept. ---
**Author:** ![Danalan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@Danalan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danalan)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2000, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-finally-happenned/44559/8 "2000-12-08T04:39:35Z")
I know they are just fashion statements now, but there must be some reason people started wearing this stuff. Consider that the pants are big enough to hide a sawed-off shotgun, or a kilo of weed. Then consider the needs of gang members to transport contraband. At some point, wearing those pants probably developed into a way to taunt the police into stopping/harrassing you. That’s when they began to become ‘cool’. The lack of white suburban culture to develop an identity of it’s own that included routine drug use, led to the adoption of pseudo-gang symbols and clothing by bored middle-class youth. Wow, am I FOS tonight, or what? ---
**Author:** ![steeljaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aca169/32.png) [@steeljaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steeljaw)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2000, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-finally-happenned/44559/9 "2000-12-08T04:44:04Z")
I will inform you about the big pants thing. It has it’s origins in prison where prisoners would get uniforms that occasionally didn’t fit. Over time this became more and more common and eventually became the standard in prisons. As all of the members of counter culture exited the prisons, they carried with them certain customs, including the pants thing. As teenagers were rebellious they followed their ex felon styles. Again the same thing happened, it started as a small fashion thing and eventually became mainstream for the generation. As hip hop culture began to permeate middle class suburban life, big pants became more and more common. sounds good? ok. just a theory. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2000, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-finally-happenned/44559/10 "2000-12-08T05:33:11Z")
My theory is that as each generation matures and then, in order to distinguish themselves from the dreaded adult/parental generation adopt some outrageous clothing style or hairstyle etc. Something that makes adults gnash their teeth is best. The whole thing got really critical when we, as a culture, began to truly adore youth above all else. You remember when the thirty somethings, and forty somethings adopted the latest trend in the eternal search for youth. (Think 40 yr olds in leisure suits). So the current generation has had to resort to the likes of body piercing in search of some style that the adults won’t coopt. Let’s face it, some of us just aren’t willing to go back to bellbottoms and platform shoes. That’s my theory and I’m sticking to it. ---
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2000, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-finally-happenned/44559/11 "2000-12-08T06:31:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Muffin \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Persephone \* > > \*\*Could some kind young person (or the parent of a teenager) explain the big-pants thing to this old geezer? \*\* > > Well, remember zoot suits? Same concept. \*\* Thanks, Muffin. Now I get it. I remember zoot suits well. Excuse me for a moment. It’s time for me to go take my Geritol. [sub]Persephone wanders off, muttering “damn kids & their sassy backtalk, why in my day we didn’t have a sense of humor…”[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2000, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-finally-happenned/44559/12 "2000-12-08T10:06:09Z")
WAG? the big pants started as a skateboard thing. They wore big pants over the knee protectors, as knee protectors over trousers looked “stupid”. As the fashion took, the baggier the pants became, and to get baggy pants, you had to buy bigger sizes, hence the sagging pants with underwear showing. ---
**Author:** ![fierra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58956e/32.png) [@fierra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fierra)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2000, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-finally-happenned/44559/13 "2000-12-08T10:29:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Muffin \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Persephone \* > > \*\*Could some kind young person (or the parent of a teenager) explain the big-pants thing to this old geezer? \*\* > > Well, remember zoot suits? Same concept. \*\* nope - wanna explain more? ---
**Author:** ![Emperor\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c2a13f/32.png) [@Emperor\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emperor_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2000, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-finally-happenned/44559/14 "2000-12-08T10:56:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by fierra \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Muffin \* > > Well, remember zoot suits? Same concept. \*\* > > \*\*nope - wanna explain more? \*\* Ask, my dear, and you shall recieve… Although, a [ul=“[http://www.suavecito.com/images/Images/JayRedZoot.jpg](http://www.suavecito.com/images/Images/JayRedZoot.jpg)”]Zoot suit must be seen to truly be appriciated. I gotta say if I had one I’d wear it. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2000, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-finally-happenned/44559/15 "2000-12-08T11:04:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Corvus \* > [Zoot suit](http://www.suavecito.com/images/Images/JayRedZoot.jpg) must be seen to truly be appriciated. > \*\* Now I gotta go and wash my eyeballs. That’s the thanks I get! Harumph! ::wanders off in search of saline solution:: ---
**Author:** ![tatertot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@tatertot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tatertot)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2000, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-finally-happenned/44559/16 "2000-12-08T11:11:22Z")
Is what TinyTot could possibly come up with to shock me when he becomes AdolescentTot. \ And I have no idea why they wear those things, but I do remember thinking I looked pretty stylin’ wearing huge pants, belted so that the excess waistband ruffled around. Used to spend ten minutes every morning getting all the ruffles even. And I don’t remember why we thought that looked good, but we did. Now, pegged jeans with loafers and no socks and a big 'ol rugby shirt (pref. a green Benneton one) now **that** was fashion! ---
**Author:** ![Spritle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Spritle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spritle)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2000, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-finally-happenned/44559/17 "2000-12-08T13:11:32Z")
When Spritle was an High School Teacher… [Note to self: get someone to make the “screaming in terror” and/or “shudder” smileys] that’s how he broke up fights. Well, more often than not. See, most high school boy fights turn into on-the-floor wrestling matches with headlocks and tight holds. The easiest way to get the person on top to let go of the person on the bottom was to tug their jeans downward. They _instinctively_ let go of their adversary to pull the pants back up. Natch! Breaking up girl fights? Damn! where’s that shudder smiley? ---
**Author:** ![Rosebud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rosebud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rosebud)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2000, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-finally-happenned/44559/18 "2000-12-08T14:30:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\*\*Originally posted by Corvus \* > I gotta say if I had one I’d wear it. \*\* Bravo, Corvus! I like zoot suits. Wish I could think of a good way to use the word “hepcat” right now. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2000, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-finally-happenned/44559/19 "2000-12-08T16:15:06Z")
I didn’t see this myself, but a reliable friend claims she did. A young woman wearing pants, the waist size of which was so much larger than her actual waist, that she had to hold a big fistful of waistband in her hand. I just don’t get it. I know fashions change, and older people don’t understand younger people’s affectations. When my dad sees me wearing a baseball cap backwards he physically turns it around on my head. But I would never say that a fashion I didn’t understand was “wrong.” But surely function should come first, followed closely by comfort, and then fashion. When you’ve gone to the extreme that you’ve effectively lost the use of a hand for your look, shouldn’t you maybe reexamine your motivations? ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2000, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-finally-happenned/44559/20 "2000-12-08T16:24:31Z")
Okay, Five, why do kids wear baseball caps turned backwards? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-finally-happenned/44559.md?page=2)