Saggin

I remember when I first saw dudes with saggy pants. It was 1992, the height of Kris Kross hysteria. They were young, black, corny, cute. Hell they were me. I immediately wanted to wear the baggy overalls backwards like they did. Thank goodness my mom never let me. It’s hard to believe that saggin has become a standard part of how guys dress today. It was so taboo back then. We know we know! It started with the prisons. But if you didn’t sag, you were a lame. I figured I would sag my jeans and shorts forever, or at least until I was 50!

I laugh now when I see signs that say sagging is prohibited and city ordinances are past to criminalize it. While there is a certain level of appropriate dress and decorum to uphold, how harmful is it really? Look around! Everyone under the age of 45 sags. It should be easily dismissed as a phase that young people go through. Instead, when it comes to people of color, it is an indictment of our cultures and the failures of our parents. “Saggin is niggas spelled backwards” is a common lamentation. Our boys aren’t learning how to be men because there are no men in the home. All of this is true. But you know what else is true? Teenagers are going to do shit that is old heads think is corny, feminine, childish, or downright head scratching. We have to be a little more self-aware and allow kids to be kids. They are trying to find themselves. They will challenge you, frustrate you, confound you, and ignore you! But they will always love you! Then, when they approach their late twenties and early thirties, you will see them dress as you are right now. They will become parents themselves. They will slow down and instill the values you taught them to their own children. Your grandchildren! So yes, sagging can be unseemly. Yes, dress codes should be enforced. But let’s not demonize kids for being just that! Sagging pants should be the least of this country’s worries!