Have you ever wondered why guys tend to show a somewhat varying degree of their underwear in public?
You’ll usually find them with their pants just low enough to either show just the top of their underwear or in some cases, let their pants “sag” down to show their boxers in all its glory?
If you are curious to know why guys show their underwear, then the answer is because it’s a fashion statement for men. “Sagging” has predominantly been a male fashion trend which has varied in degrees over the years. Starting from the early ’90s, the fashion has recently made a comeback since the late 2010s.
While some choose to show just the right amount of underwear, where the brand label is visible, others may also completely droop their pants down to show their underwear in its entirety. Sagging or “low riding” can sometimes be considered as unacceptable in society.
The fashion, however, can be appreciated by many if it is done correctly. Read on to learn more about this fascinating and strange fashion.
The Fashion
Popularized by media and the rap scene in the early ’90s, sagging or low riding became a cultural phenomenon, thanks to it being endorsed by many high-profile artists.
The fashion itself has taken on many forms over the years. From extreme drooping to an acceptable showing of the underwear, this versatile trend has received both criticism, and in acceptable cases, praise as well. It quickly became a hit amongst the youth. Suddenly, every teenager started to sag their pants down. This led to teenagers trying on various styles and yes, this meant that they got to experiment a lot with their underwear choice as well!
However, with time, low riding subsided and the youth moved on to a more approachable fashion, which was to show just the underwear brand label. This tactic was endorsed by many underwear brands that wanted people to show their brand name, thus gaining more attention towards the brand.
Think about it, people were displaying the brand name willingly every time they stepped out of their home. It was genius and it worked wonders for the sale of branded underwear as well. It wasn’t long until the youth was gripped, and everyone started to show their underwear.
From musicians to athletes and fashion models. The ubiquitous endorsement of the fashion helped it make a comeback in the late 2010s. The main reason why this fashion really worked was that almost everyone could pull it off. It looked great with tight jeans and a T-shirt, paired with some killer kicks.
The fits-all nature of the fashion quickly made it very common in the youth demographic. The underwear industry boomed to the point that it had introduced a lot of varieties for the public which included quotes instead of a brand name, tag lines, colors and even eye-catching designs.
How to Sag
The fashion is self-explanatory and easy enough to accomplish on its own. The right way to do it varies from person to person. Some like a little more sag than others, but one thing is for sure: always start with the choice of underwear. We recommend jumping on the fashion trend with a pair of white boxers. White is the safest, and also the perfect color to experiment with. You can wear them under black jeans with a contrasting T-shirt to completely own the look. Check out these Lapasa Modal Boxer Briefs (Click to view on Amazon). They are definitely an ideal choice and are sure to look great if you are just starting out with the trend.
Once you are equipped with everything, it’s time to adjust. Make sure you pull down your pants just enough for the rim of the underwear to show. The rim is where you will find the brand name. It’s a separate area that has its own top and bottom. The rim usually has a slightly different color or stitch marks so that you know where it starts and ends.
You want to just end it at the bottom stitch marks beneath the brand name. You can then finish the look by wearing a fashionable belt. We recommend the Bostanten Leather Belt (Amazon).
You can also experiment a lot with the type of jeans you wear. If you are looking for the right jeans to start with, do check out these classic Wrangler Jeans for Men (link to view on Amazon). Try on different colors to spruce up the look. We guarantee that you won’t run out of pairings for this style.
To Sag or Not to Sag?
There is indeed a difference between just showing the label of your underwear and sagging your pants to show it in full.
Low riding or low-slung pants are now considered to be unacceptable in the mainstream society where you have your pants dropped down to reveal the underwear in full. Sagging one’s pants down, in recent times, is tagged as public indecency and is attached with a fine of up to $600 in some states, and even outright banning of the trend. It’s safe to say that it’s better to just show the brand label rather than your full underwear.
A lot of high-profile people, and of course parents, have spoken against the lowriding culture. The disapproval seems to be unanimous when it comes to low dropping pants and it was made even more apparent when top government officials took notice of it.
Barrack Obama, speaking just before the 2008 US Presidential Elections, appeared on MTV and said that laws banning the practice of wearing low-slung pants that expose one’s underwear were “a waste of time” and “having said that, brothers should pull up their pants. You are walking by your mother, your grandmother, your underwear is showing. What’s wrong with that? Come on. Some people might not want to see your underwear. I’m one of them.”
Many schools have also imposed a ban and a warning that may lead to suspension from school if any student is caught sagging their pants in school premises. The trend has garnered such a bad rep that most professional and commercial companies have also reserved the right to refuse a customer any service if they are wearing saggy pants.
For example, many airlines have repeatedly asked customers to cancel their flight or kick them off their flight just because they were low riding. This includes celebrities and us mere mortals as well. So, the next time you think of low-riding and going coast to coast, you may need to pack a different set of clothes as well.
A lot of gym goers helped solidify the style by just showing their underwear label while working out. This inspired more interest in the fashion of just showing the label vs. fully sagging pants because if you think about it, you can’t even function well with drooping pants.
Many underwear brands also took the liberty of making the fashion more decent and approachable by increasing the length of the underwear label to accommodate for the sagginess. But the default style is decent enough to be worn properly in public without getting fined.
All in all, guys show their underwear as a form of cultural awareness and as a fashion statement. If you are looking towards showing your underwear, you should do so with moderation. Remember, the underwear look can also be classy if done right.
Related Questions
Do women have a similar fashion? Yes, as a matter of fact, women wear low-rise jeans that reveal their thong or G string in a similar fashion. The trend is called “white tailing” and was widely popular in the early 2000s. White tailing is also considered as disrespectful and obscene and has faced similar attempted bans in the US.
Can you only wear jeans to show your underwear? No, throughout the life of the trend, people have tried many styles of clothing to accompany sagging. The best that seems to work well are saggy pants, cargo pants, and jeans. It’s worth mentioning that these pants should have tight waists so as to not promote low riding.
