Run DMC are the Godfathers of Hip Hop and do not dress “baggy” style. You could emulate their look and make your father happy.
And
Makes me think that I’m the only one to notice this:
Unles the skater look has changed considerably in the last couple of years–I don’t follow.
Both wear pants that are too large and look silly, but gangsta at least has a background of being someone menacing. Skaters have…skateboards. I mean if you’re going to look silly, may as well look tough-guy silly.
But pinstripe zoot suit, mmmmm. I could do that (unfortunately, I missed the swing revival it appears or I would have stocked up.)
Maybe as well as looking at your Father’s points for not wearing the clothes, you should look at why you wear them yourself. If the reasons are even related you should at least look at where your Father is coming from.
If he’s being a prejudiced adult though, I think you’ve got a fair case.
Nah, you’re just the only one to think there’s a significant difference between the “styles.” Skaters wear less bling, eschew the sports jerseys but wear the same baggy pants(just different labels) which is what makes both styles look so stupid in the first place. For god’s sake kids, if you want clothing you can conceal a skate board in, wear a skirt and get it over with.
The yearbook comments make me happy I graduated from high school in the mid-90s. Other than the “high bangs” than I never bothered with, there’s nothing particularly silly about the popular clothing of the time - t-shirts and regular jeans (no rips, no acid wash) for the most part. 
Okay, I have no intention of picking a fight, and please don’t think I intend this in a mean or rude way, but. Um. Language, please?
I don’t buy it at all because my uncle is 30 something and he still dresses in Hip Hop style clothing with the sagging jeans and all. He also drives a pimped out BMW and lives in a niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice house and unlike me who will wear a suit and tie you couldn’t get him near anything formal unless it is for a wedding or funeral. Oh yeah, he also went to college and graduated, would you tell him to dress respectably?
As for why I dress like the way I do, it’s part of my culture. The Hip Hop culture, I’m a B-Boy, I write raps, I graffiti so I’m part of the Hip Hop culture. You wouldn’t tell somebody not to wear clothes that are part of their culture?
And yes I have been to enough Hip Hop functions to know that not all Hip Hop heads sag but many do. I just find it comfortable and I actually like the way it looks on other people so I figure it would look good on me.
Go more with the #1 and #4 tactics I mentioned. salutes
My guess: It’s not actually the clothes that matter, it’s the culture itself.
Say what you want about hiphop, but it seems that a fair proportion of hiphop dressed people are thugs, or thug wannabes. Schoolwork isn’t a high priority for them, and jail stint or two is probably on the books. If you dad could get you away from that culture, it’ll be to your eventual benefit. Speaking as a friend of someone who went down the trash chute, it aint pretty once you get mixed with the bad company.
And grafitti? I’m pretty sure that’s a criminal offense of some sort. Now, I’m not saying that it’ll lead to you eventually becoming a hitman, but honestly, these are things you could do better without.
By the way, arguments about exceptions do not exclude you from the rule - your uncle is an exception. I guess that he’s probably self employed, somehow… but you, more likely than not, will have to work for someone else.
Oh yeah, the graffiti is only in my sketch books and on art walls or whatever they are called, anyway I do it all legal.
As for working, I actually like getting dressed up. I would gladly wear a suit and tie 5 days a week and my own clothing choices on my own time and if my boss sees me in the street and wants to fire me for how I wear my clothes, then it’s obviously the wrong place to work at.
Also whenever the day comes that I can’t spin around on the floor, rap no longer interests me and graffiti looks like trash instead of art, that’s probably the day I begin dressing more conservative.
I meant to say “he” will never wear a suit… not “who”.
The way some people are patronizing START here is a little, I don’t know, irritating.
Ah yes, one of those new companies where you go, don’t do productive work, and then don’t get paid for it. This is an interesting definition of business. 
Not surprisingly I think you’re in the right: if you brought your grades up like that, congrats! You’ve shown you’re actually serious, as opposed to making cosmetic changes to your wardrobe, which would do little to nothing. Some people dress like that in college too. Guess what? Doesn’t affect your grades, the work does. I also think the baggy look is silly, but why do you give a crap what I think about your clothes? I hope you’d have the sense to dress differently at a job or a job interview, but that’s another thing.
strike that…I meant what I said. Good Night for now :smack:
I’m so torn here. On the one hand, I’ve noticed you transform over the past few months from a Spike Lee warning tale to a young man who might make Denzel proud. You’ve ditched the loser friends, brought your grades up and frankly, even your writing is more entertaining and skillful than it was a few months ago. I like the newer START. And I suspect your father has a lot to do with the wonderful changes I’m noticing. So part of me wants to say, “Hell, Dad seems to know what he’s talking about - go with that! Listen to the old man, Son, he ain’t steered you wrong yet!”
The other part of me wants to say, “Clothes are the least of a teenagers worries. If you can keep off drugs, in school, not get anyone knocked up and not be arrested, then wear the stupidest, baggiest, nastiest clothes you want. It’s not like you won’t be able to change your outfit for a job interview. Wearing “corporate clothing” isn’t something you need to do everyday in high school to get good at it.”
So, there you are. The two sides warring within me. And probably, warring within your dad. I agree that the grade angle is the best tactic to take, and I’d throw in a clear confirmation that you’ll dress conservatively at church, at company picnics, going to Grandma’s house or any other function where it’s in everyone’s best interest to keep the family peace and ake them talk about something other than START’s ass hanging out. At school, you need to work the school social system a bit - just like you’ll need to work the corporate social system should you choose to get into that. Promise that if your grades drop (and get specific - “If I get less than B’s” or “If my GPA falls below X”) or you get in trouble (again, be specific - legal trouble, trouble at school, etc.) then you’ll accept Dad’s dress code with grace and dignity.
See if you can negotiate your terms with maturity and respect. Whining or shouting at him will only convice him that he has to do your thinking for you.