Criminally Fashionable

Image taken from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/30/fashion/30baggy.html

In Atlanta there's talk of mandated fines given to people who are caught "with their pants down". Actually, it's more or so directed to teenagers and young adults who wear their pants hanging down, exposing their undergarments-all for the sake of fashion. Even women are wearing low cut pants that expose the strings to their thongs, and sometimes even the back of the thong itself.

Congressman C.T. Martin has displayed major disgust regarding this latest fashion trend. He issued statements to the associated press expressing concerns that this is an "epidemic that is becoming a major concern around the country". I tend to agree with the congressman in that all across the country this "look" does not cause a positive impression when viewed, and can sometimes even be offensive. Try eating out at a restaurant with your family and look over to a brunette bending down showing her behind, thong at all. It could definitely shock you and sometimes even ruin your appetite.

I had a supervisor once who had just lost all of her weight and really wanted to show off her new figure (she also had a tummy tuck done, so she was nearly perfect). She wore a slender new business suit that was fitting well; until she bent down after dropping a marker during a meeting and exposed those thong strings. Everyone gasped, and I concluded that she knew perfectly well that her thongs would show, and that she wore her clothes that way thinking they were attractive. It was not.

My oldest son is into the whole "pants hanging down" thing. I hate it. He walks so funny, almost like a duck or worst. But he keeps wearing his pants that way. My husband explained to him that even though this is a hip hop trend, it is in fact derived from a prison trend (Parishioners wore their pants sagging below the his bottom, this was a sign that he was homosexual). My son says that he's not a homosexual and it doesn't matter what other people think; which totally contradicts his reasoning for wearing his pants down low anyway (saying, "it's the style, mom!").

As a parent, it can be embarrassing to see my sons (or daughters)wearing their clothing that way. I wonder how they would feel if I did the same thing around their school, the neighborhood, or their friends. I can only imagine the names people would call me, and I can guarantee that my kids wouldn't like that very much at all.

But what does it say to a young person when this fashion trend is engulfing the nation, even spilling out to other countries? Well, some places want the message heard to be that by "indecent exposure" of the undergarments, a citation will be issued and a fine will be mandated! Delcambre, Louisiana's lawmakers have already put this ordinance in place with the fine being $500 or up to a six-month jail sentence-whichever the judge chooses if the accuser is found guilty. In Mansfield, a town Shreveport there is a possible fine up to $150 plus court costs or a maximum of 15 days jail time. Other states are following this trend of establishing ordinances against the sagging style, however some states have failed due to objections towards to "freedom of expression". And, lets say, a homeless person was to have his/her pants hanging down-not due to fashion but because they didn't have a belt to hold their pangs up-; would they be fined and/or jailed? Who enforces this law and are there any exceptions to the rule?

And I also suppose, in all fairness, that if this thing gets any deeper, we could have the issue at hand of being mandated by law to dress a particular way in general. But I think that possibility is a bit extreme. Back in 2005, Virginia passed a bill in the House of Delegates which mandated a $50 fine for anyone with sagging pants, but after much ridicule from the citizens, the Courts of Justice Committee met "solely for the purpose of addressing this bill, senators admitted today that they had been embarrassed by the publics reaction and quickly voted to dismiss the controversial measure. The committee's vote was unanimous". They determined that the style of people's clothing could not be an issue governed by the government.

Not all states are dismissing the initiative, though. The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) got several calls regarding this topic, stating that the ordinance would cause racial profiling towards black youths(even though this style isn't limited to one race in particular). The mission of the ACLU is to preserve all of these protections and guarantees such as citizen's First Amendment rights, equal protection under the law, the right for due process, and the right to privacy. They've extended their services to all citizens, including Native Americans and other people of color; lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people; women; mental-health patients; prisoners; people with disabilities; and the poor. The ACLU was founded in 1920. The ACLU's position was that they agreed that these efforts could possibly lead to racial profiling against the black community.

As cities crack down on this issue, independent businesses such as some public school systems have implemented stricter dress code restrictions. In most cases this has been successful in decreasing "sagging pants syndrome". It's a start, right?

Okay kids, here's my favorite part of the show! It's Q&A Time!

1- Is your city/state involved in creating/enforcing laws regarding pants hanging down?

2-What is your opinion on this topic?

3-Do you agree that a law or bill should be passed in your area, or is this a attack on your civil right to freedom of expression?

4-Any additional comments?

I've given the Q's, now you give the A's! Please leave a comment!

Copyright ©2007 Attica Lundy