Sagging Pants Essay

478 Words2 Pages
Within the last two decades, sagging pants have become one of the most noticeable and controversial fashion trends in the United States. The opinions of how society feels about this trend can be divided into two groups. People who are in favor of sagging pants simply say that the style is comfortable and is a way to show their freedom of expression. Those who are opposed to this fashion statement complain that it is no more than a display of public indecency. Some of the opposition even wants to make sagging pants into a criminal issue. Sagging, which is primarily a style for men, is the wearing of ones pants below the waist. The pants are usually worn so low the person's underwear show. The history of sagging pants can be traced back to the American prison system. Inmate had to wear loose fitting uniforms. Belts were not permitted in prison because they were used as an instrument for inmates to commit suicide or they could be used as weapons. However, the sagging pants style was later popularized by many "hip-hop" stars around the 1990's. As this fashion trend forged its way into mainstream America, the debates for and against sagging pants began to heat up. "Saggers", which became a term to describe individuals who wore sagging pants, defended their choice of style because it was simply more comfortable. Many of them said that tighter jeans felt too restrictive and did give them the same comfort level. Others stated that sagging pants became of symbol of freedom and cultural awareness among some youths. Supporters of the sagging pants fashion also felt that this fashion statement was a symbol of their rejection of mainstreams society's value system. Those who oppose sagging pants feel that this fashion is a form of public indecency and have even gone as far as making it a legal issue. Since the overwhelming adoption of the "swagger" image, many schools and

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