Sagging pants is a trend with many opinions and stigmas attached. Some believe sagging pants represent a culture of gang affiliation, a life of imprisonment, a lack of education, or a poor decision to follow the crowd. However, others perceive this trend as a fashion statement for male masculinity, popular trend in hip-hop culture, and/or a representation of preferred sexuality identification. Politically, sagging pants are frowned upon because "some people might not want to see your underwear," as President Obama said. Cities and country leaders have been passing their own laws that result in some sort of lawful punishment, such as fines, community service, and even prison time.
Laws against sagging pants generally target minorities. However, all people from every race, gender, and social background sag their pants. Men of color are usually perceived as thugs, gangsters, etc. when they are seen sagging their pants. Therefore, this makes them more likely to be victims of racial profiling. On the other hand, women are stereotyped as "sluts," or confused if they also choose to make this fashion statement. One must consider the fact that sagging pants is simply an ideal of freedom to express supported by the First Amendment of the Constitution.
I decided to do my own poll to ask my peers why they chose to sag their pants or what they think about the trend in today's time. One of my male interviewees said, "I wear it for fashion, and it just feels a little better when you do sometimes depending on what you're wearing." He also remarked the extent that he sagged his pants was never too far below his waist or too far below his butt. Another male interviewee admitted, "I can't even lie. It's something I did as a child to fit in because everyone else was doing it, but it's something I despise now." Another male interviewee jokingly explained, "Back in the day, black parents used to buy your clothes two sizes too big to save more money for the next season, so you had no choice but to sag if they forgot to purchase a belt as well." So, what does this say about black culture in general and how we apply our fashion choices?
The women I interviewed only admitted to sagging their pants if they wanted to imitate a style from hip-hop culture of the early '90s to 2000s. Some also pointed out the type of garments they consider acceptable for a possible sag, such as sweat pants, and how society finds an issue with women sagging yet criticizes women if their pants are too tight. The statement that followed this explanation was, "It's just a form of expression depending on how I want to look for the day. It doesn't mean anything especially if I'm not showing a thong and things like that. I don't think we should be judge so hard on what we choose to wear. Isn't this America: home of the free?"
The issue with sagging pants is the overall difference between perception and our lack of pure facts. The older generation will associate sagging with a negative connotation while it is observed in a different light by Millennials, who aren't afraid of changing culture norms. Sagging pants has always been associated with the idea of prison culture and inmates participating in the act to signify their sexual preference while incarcerated. Others view it as immoral because it isn't a fashion statement they would make, and it is even furthered as a "health issue" detrimental to the way people will walk as they become older.
