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I have seen several times people posting on Facebook about the history of wearing very low trousers. They claim that it was invented in U.S prisons. Apparently by showing a little bit of their butts inmates were letting know other inmates that they were sexually available.

This seems to me like a hoax made to convince people to dress 'properly'. Is there any truth behind this?

Here is an example of one of these posts

Sam I Am
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santiagozky
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  • It's a very old myth. It dates back from when I was in grade 6 or secondary 1, when wearing baggy pants was becoming fashionable, which makes it about ten years old. – Borror0 Feb 05 '12 at 20:48
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    Please do not use the [sex] tag. Thanks. Also please note: outside the US "pants" = "underwear" :-) – Sklivvz Feb 05 '12 at 21:27
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    @Sklivvz It's only really the UK that uses pants to mean underwear. Canada, USA, Australia, South Africa etc...all use pants to mean anything going over underwear. – Sonny Ordell Feb 05 '12 at 22:38
  • Still, I guess "trousers" doesn't sound funny anywhere :-) – Sklivvz Feb 05 '12 at 23:07
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    @Sklivvz: SEO-wise, I think pants is ideal. Trousers sounds funny to me. I've never hear it from someone outside of the UK. – Borror0 Feb 05 '12 at 23:13
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    @Borror0 I can assure you it doesn't sound as funny as "pants" i.e. "underwear" in this context ;-) "Does dropping your underwear indicate sexual availability?" – Sklivvz Feb 06 '12 at 00:00
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    I would think that for SEO purposes pants is the better term, as outside of the UK trousers tends to refer more to work pants...what people in the UK call slacks. Outside of the UK pants is the general term and how I have most often heard the claim worded. – Sonny Ordell Feb 06 '12 at 00:27
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    I've never heard anybody call thier trousers slacks, you sure about that Sonny? – Ardesco Feb 07 '12 at 15:42
  • @Borror:Saggy pants were popular when I was in xxxx school. Thus, the saggy pants fad is at least 30 years old and maybe older. – Dunk Mar 11 '13 at 19:30

1 Answers1

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From Mark Anthony Neal, professor of African and African-American Studies at Duke University (2007):

Also, saggin' is nothing new. Long-time observers of urban youth culture can recall seeing examples of saggin' at least 20 years ago.

In those days, saggin' was linked to prison culture and the fact that prisoners were not allowed to wear belts.

For many of those first generation of saggers, the style was an emblem of their hardcore status.

but he also mentions:

Within gay subcultures, saggin' can be read as a sign of availability.



From BBC News:

The practice of wearing low-slung, baggy or sagging trousers is thought to have begun in US prisons.

Inmates were issued with ill-fitting clothes and denied belts due to fears over use as weapons or suicide aids.



From The New York Times:

Sagging began in prison, where oversized uniforms were issued without belts to prevent suicide and their use as weapons.



From Snopes:

Snopes


It seems that the origin of "Sagging " is not known for sure, but the prevailing opinion seems to be that it began in prison, due to inmates not being allowed to wear belts.

Oliver_C
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  • So what is your summary - I'm confused. False, yes, this and that? – user unknown Feb 06 '12 at 03:32
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    @user unknown - I could not find an authoritative source confirming the "sexual availabilty" origin, which, of course, by no means is proof that there is none. That's why I'm hesitant to give a definitive confirmed/debunked verdict. – Oliver_C Feb 06 '12 at 11:39
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    so you claim that while it originated in prisons, it doesn't have anything to do (originally) with sexual desires but rather just practicality. Sounds at least somewhat feasible. – jwenting Feb 06 '12 at 13:18
  • @jwenting, if people think you have spent time in prison you do look tough. – Kortuk Feb 07 '12 at 08:37
  • maybe to some. To others you look like someone to avoid :) All depends on the circles you like to be associated with I guess. – jwenting Feb 07 '12 at 08:42
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    You have to notice too that the "pants-down" was not the only sign saying "I'm a nasty one, I've been in prison" : they also wear their shoes without strings (have a look at the video of RunDMC, "Walk this way"). No laces, no beld, that's how you look like in the prison :-) – Rabskatran Feb 07 '12 at 13:33
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    @Rabskatran Interestingly enough, that's also how you look in a psych ward... – Yamikuronue Feb 07 '12 at 19:18
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    Rabskatran sums this up so well. It seems to me there is a lot more evidence that this look is about black cultural experience than homosexuality. I think this is one of the strongest fashion statements made today, and certainly has a lot of political meaning behind it. To discount such a strong statement by claiming ignorance is in-itself ignorant. Fashion and history are constantly being shaped by culture and perception. I know seeing someone's ass hanging out of their pants can seem homosexual, but when you experinece the whole "look" (baggy clothes, no shoe laces, heavy gold chains, etc), –  Mar 08 '12 at 16:48
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    @loveperiwinkle "and certainly has a lot political meaning behind it" - with all due respect, while *some* people may be dressing a certain way with a political meaning, I *suspect* that is a tiny minority. It would be a question in its own right, but: I suspect most are simply dressing like their peers; that is part of identity, but is not by itself political. Care to substantiate your "certainly" here? – Marc Gravell Mar 10 '12 at 09:56
  • I fail to see what the BBC quotation adds here: all it says is what's "thought" and not what *is*. – msh210 Mar 11 '13 at 07:14
  • @msh210 - Which is why my last sentence says that the origin is not known for sure. – Oliver_C Mar 30 '13 at 10:22