by Charing Ball
A couple of weeks ago, I was walking my dog through the neighborhood and witnessed a man, maybe in his 20s, mowing the lawn with his pants hanging below his waistline. I watched with a surprising wonderment at how he was able to successfully maneuver the lawn mower up the steep incline in the turf with his pants loosely fastened around his thighs.
As I walked passed, chuckling at the absurdity of it all, I questioned if his fashion sense was a matter of comfort or some sort of public, political statement about his rebellious nature for society’s rules, particularly his disdain for yard work?
Whatever the answer, it’s definitely a trend in which I think its safe to say, we all could do without.
Apparently I am not alone in my feeling about the fashion – or lack thereof – trend as a couple of lawmakers recently made headlines with their legislation, which would make it illegal to hang the pants under or in the middle of the position where the sun don’t normally shine.
In Louisiana, Baton Rouge Metro Councilwoman Denise Marcelle is asking the parish to support a public awareness campaign called “Low pants, no chance,” which is aimed at men who wear their pants so low that their boxer shorts show. And in Georgia, Dublin Mayor Phil Best will amend that town’s indecent exposure ordinance to include a provision that prohibits the wearing of pants or skirts more than three inches below the top of the hips.
Of course, none of this is new news, as towns and cities across the country have either passed laws or attempted to do so, making criminal offenses of saggy pants. Many of these laws even come with fines and prison time for repeat offenses. But while the saggy pants may be a fashion faux pas for some, it does raise a valid question as to whether or not the government should be in the business of legislating good fashion sense.
Grown-ups and those of the most prudent nature alike have always taken issue with what the younger generation has worn. Some of these trends, including mini-skirts, piercings, long hair and political t-shirts, have resulted in clothing banned in schools districts as well as at private businesses and clubs. But as distasteful as a style may have been, rarely have they garnered as much disapproval as the saggy jean trend.
The only other comparable trend in history that comes to mind is the Zoot Suit, which was a suit with outrageously padded shoulders and tapered ankle trousers made popular by young Black and Hispanic men in the 1940s. Much like the saggy jeans trend, the Zoot Suit trend was associated with delinquents and mostly frowned upon for being anti-establishment. Often times, the wearers were harassed and targeted by police and angry mobs alike. The ending result of that trend was a series of Zoot Suit riots in major cities across America.
With that kind of history, it is hard not to consider the potential racial undertones of many of these sagging prohibition laws. Saggy pants are most associated with hip-hop culture and of course, hip-hop is mostly associated with young African-American men. Yet by passing laws criminalizing a singular style choice we encourage the profiling and potential harassment of individuals, particularly inner city black men, based solely on appearance.
Lucky for us, we have the first amendment, which clearly allows for Americans to exercise their Freedom of Expression, which includes the wearing of clothing that may seemed offensive to the rest of us. Besides, if you ban saggy jeans, the youth will find another fashionable way to rebel – like skinny jeans.
