Sagging Pants History
Over the past two decades, sagging pants have emerged as one of the most infamous fashion trends - not just in the United States, but in many other parts of the world as well. The world seems to be divided into two groups - people for this trend and people against it. For those individuals in support of this trend, it is all about the comfort level, while those against it are of firm belief that this is just a public display of indecency. The history of sagging pants can be traced back to the American prison system, wherein the inmates were not allowed to wear belts or shoestrings, citing the possibility that the inmates could use them as potential weapons during fights or to commit suicide.
Sagging Pants: An Overview of the Trend
The term 'sagging' actually refers to the practice of wearing pants below the waist, in such a manner that it reveals some part of the person's underwear. In various parts of the world, this fashion is also referred to as 'low-riding'. Though it started as a male fashion trend, females were not able to resist it either, and soon the trend flared among the youth all over. With time, the notorious practice of wearing sagging pants became so prominent, that several authorities had to come up with laws and resolutions to curb its increasing popularity. A trend which began in the American prisons returned to the prison as several administrative bodies passed resolutions making sagging a criminal offense, which could result in penalty or jail time for the offenders.
How it Began?
A popular fashion trend today, wearing sagging pants was not at all a fashion trend - nor was it introduced as one. Though there are quite a few versions of how sagging was introduced to the fashion arena, its origin can be traced to the American prison inmates who wore loose fitting prison uniforms without a belt. In those days, belts were popular weapons used by the inmates in prison, either to commit suicide or murder others by hanging or strangling them. Same was the case with shoe strings, and hence both these objects were banned in prison. In such circumstances, people with over sized uniforms were left with no option but to let their pants hang loose below their waist. Eventually, the inmates became so used to this, that the trend continued even after the inmates were freed once their term was completed. The trend of sagging pants got a major boost as a style statement when rappers started wearing them in 1990s. This made the style popular among hip-hop fans who fancied following their idols on stage and in music videos. Soon enough, it became one the most popular fashion trends among the youth, something which didn't really go down well with everyone.
Some people still believe that this notorious trend was an African-American creation which was eventually embraced by the mainstream culture. There are some more versions which associate the trend of sagging pants with homosexuality and the world of crime, wherein criminals used these loose clothing to hide their weapons. These things were however dismissed as baseless allegations, owing to lack of substantial evidence.
Initial efforts to ban sagging pants ended disastrously as individuals in support of this style raised the issue of the right to self expression. However, the authorities came up with new laws pertaining to indecency in order to curb the rapid growth of this infamous trend. The history of this trend is an apt example of how an objectionable fashion trend can move on to become an illegal action, severe enough to attract some time in jail, which ironically, is where it all started.
