Saggy

A couple weeks ago, on a Saturday, I pulled into a gas station to fill the petro tank of the vehicle I was driving.  In pulling up to the pump, there was an older model vehicle next to me, and both of its occupants, probably mid-twenties in terms of age, were out of the vehicle and appeared headed into the building.  I took little notice as I got out and put my back to them to make the fuel selection and fill the tank.  My spouse, however, took notice as they passed in front of her view, and she noticed that their pants were not just below the waist, but well below the waist and even, below their, let me keep it simple, their butts.  Saggy pants has been common, but the level at which these two were wearing their pants, takes it to new lows (pun intended).  While this has been too common of a sight for more than ten years, it raises the issue of how much longer will this go on, or has it passed from fad to commonplace, and is now part of our culture? 

Now that my children are both in college, I am no longer regularly at high school sporting events or at locations frequented by the demographic that tends to wear their pants at such a low level.  As we pulled out of the gas station, we both talked about the occurrence of wearing of pants so low that you have difficulty walking, or should I say, you waddle, and if this was hipster related.  NowMASH).  While no one would mistake me for being a savant on current cultural trends, even I knew they were trying to be hip.  I am sure I have nieces and nephews, not to mention my own children, that may take umbrage at this stereotype, yet that is what came to mind.  Now, to verify whether or not my stereotype is relevant, I did what any hipster would do.  When I got home, I pulled out my I-Pad (a truly connected, hip individual would have pulled out their smart phone, but I proudly claim to be neither), and looked it up on a site any hip person would turn—urban dictionary. 

Saggy pants at a residence of college students. (photo from Facebook)

 I say hipster, because they both had winter stocking hats on during one of the few nice springs days we have had this spring, one with a little bill (not unlike the type Radar O’Reilly wore in the TV series,

Sagging, at urban dictionary is said to have been present in prisons to indicate either the availability of a person, or that one has already been claimed.  Although Andy Dufresne, in the movie Shawshank Redemption had to put up with the “three sisters” no one in the movie wore their pants that way.  Although, that was some generations ago.  Yet, there is disagreement on the origin of saggy pants, and some say it has no relation to prison culture, and began with rap artists.  Still others say it did begin in prison, but more due to the ill-fitting clothing issued to prisoners who for obvious reasons are not allowed to have belts, and hence their pants would fall below their waist.  Others say that the low riding pants is a statement countering the Steve Urkel culture of nerd’s wearing pants high. 

Illustration of various levels of saggy pants.  (Google images)

Whether it was rebellion, the prison system, or rap, men’s styling website, Cladwell, a commentator on male fashion, makes the following comment:  “Looking ridiculous (though inevitable) is not the only risk of sagging pants, it is linked to erectile dysfunction, hip problems, and lower back issues. These issues stem from consistently wearing pants well below the buttocks, so low that one must change the way he walks.’ But hey, I’m sure the ladies you’re attracting with your sweet look won’t mind, right?” 

Anyway, I am not sure if it is a fad.  For example, Bikhchadndani et al writing in the Journal “Political Economy” (1992) defines fad as being “seemingly drastic swings in mass behavior without obvious external stimuli.”  Quite obvious to this statement that is that only a Dismal Scientist can likely come up with such a definition. Really, “without obvious external stimuli”?  I do respect economists, although my respect for that profession is only surpassed by those in the legal profession, as economists may be one of the few professions that actually make lawyers look good.  But having an economist look into fads is probably a good thing, and likely a result of the work accomplished by the recently departed economist, and Nobel Prize winner, Gary Becker. 

Now back to fads.  Saggy pants have not become ubiquitous to other demographic groups, although as these young men age at what age do they discontinue the practice?  At what age, does it no longer look cool to wear pants below the waist?  Since the trend has been present for some time now perhaps it is no longer a fad, but a cultural practice, although it is not as short-lived as the leisure suit craze, or going back even further, the Nehru jacket phase.    The Rubik cube was short-lived, but some inventions, like the wash machine, have lived on.  Sometimes inventions, trends or traits may appear to be a fad, but become common and part of our daily living.  When the I-Pad debuted, people scoffed, and joked about the name; I was among those who joked and scoffed, but now I own one.  This gets us back to economists, where Margo Bergman at the University of Houston, in an undated professional article found on-line, quotes a sociological study that says a fad should be homogenous, novel and odd; but, also it should be sudden, rapidly spread, quickly accepted, and short-lived.  Being a good economist, Ms. Bergman even developed equations to explain human behavior in regard to fads.

(Google images)

 Unfortunately, the era of saggy pants has not been short-lived as many of us would like.  Going back to when my boys were in high school, my wife and I were at an athletic banquet when the conversation quickly turned to the trend of sagging pants.  One parent suggested that the best way to put an end to the trend is for adults to wear their pants like that, and in so doing wearing saggy pants would no longer be seen as cool, or hip but quite the opposite. Of course, for a parent to do that they have to risk the negative effects of the pant wearing noted by Cladwell, and I think few adult men would like to take the risk of the negative effects, particularly the first one noted.  There is also the option my wife noted, make them wear tighty whities.