He doesn’t know it – and probably wouldn’t care if he
did, him bein’ a young’un and all – but for the next couple of minutes, I am
holding him directly responsible for the battle I am engaged in, the battle
wherein I consciously work on not
frowning.
His pants, heavens above, his pants are buckled just
below his butt.
Not a jaunty slip of the waist, not a ribald flash of
crack, but a full-on, you-don’t-know-me-I-wear-my-pants-the-way-I-want,
belt-cinched, thigh-hobbled, future-chiropractic-needing middle-finger-by-way-of-trousers to every single person passing him on
the street – nay, every person in the world.
OK. Maybe not
every person in the world.
Whew.
That descent happened so much faster than I expected it
would.
Mr. These Are My Underwear passes, a half-smoked cigarette
stuffed behind one ear, one hand holding a cell phone, the other holding up his
pants. The urge to trip him wells up in
me as I feel a crooked smile spread across my face.
“Hey,” I say, “Your pants are falling down.”
He doesn’t hear me but instead continues his way down the
street where he will no doubt meet up with others of a similar fashion
ilk.
Good luck to him.
34 comments:
You wear your pants below your ass and have to hold them with one hand so you don't trip when you walk, you wear your hat with the brim over your ear and the sun glaring in your eye, and you wonder why "The Man" won't give you a high paying job.
I used to wear my belt buckle on the side, my cuffs at high water level, white socks, pennies in my loafers, and a pack of cigarettes rolled up in the short sleeve of my white tee shirt and "The Man" didn't give me a good paying job either.
Still I'm pretty sure I looked cool!
Hari Om
...round here, what gets my 'hot' up are those folks who insist on wearing shorts, sandals and sleeveless near-nothings jus' coz the calendar says its summer. This is West coast Scotland FOR CRYING OUT LOUD... 58'F, horizontal sea 'breeze', 'Scotch Mist' (drizzle so thick ye canny see the next hoose)... Hangy-doony breeks would almost seem decent compared to some of these idiots.
...do we feel better for our rant, Pearl? Maybe not. But it's good to share. YAM xx
I just like to watch. Too old to pass judgement; I no longer influence my world.
Enjoyable fashion critique! People progress at all different rates. Maybe he's still learning to dress himself --I am. Was the cigarette lit?
I really don't understand that fashion statement at ALL. And it peeves me, too. I want to trip people who buckle in below the crotch, then punch them. No other fashion faux pas makes me feel hostile, just that one.
You describe it so well.
Oh, how I WISH he had heard your comment! Unless it had ended badly. But if not? how I WISH ...
You reminded me of a natural redhead I saw dancing in the middle of the road with all of his pants (under and over) hobbling his ankles. I was in awe. I am completely certain I would face planted very early. And find my nasty self wishing that some of those with 'fashionable' droopy drawers do the same. Some days I am not nice.
I had hoped that this fashion statement had gone away. It was big in the 90's so maybe this is just retro. I remember my daughter dating a boy who liked to show the world his tush. We called him Underwear Boy and the good news is that she did not marry him. I often wonder where he is today and did he ever buy a belt.
This fashion "statement" makes me completely stabby. He deserved to have been tripped.
Now that I'm in my 80's, I have trouble walking without falling down when my pants are at my waist!!
I would think that not being able to move about freely and only having one hand to protect yourself would be dangerous, but maybe he's of the impression that he's so dangerous nobody would dare try him? I don't know. I don't get it. The sheer discomfort of hobbling through my day would keep me away from this fashion choice the same way it's keeping me away from high heels lately.
The trend that irritates me are the tattoos on both men and women all over their arms, legs, necks and who knows where else. I see ahead an era when people who are my age will all have faded and saggy tats. And no, nothing is misspelled there.
Catalyst, that reminds me that once I overheard a young female telling a friend she wanted a tattoo so people would know, when she got older, that she had been cool. I suggested that she tattoo "Wipe here" on the crack of her ass for when she was in a nursing home. Was I insensitive?
When those guys cross the street, they often take extra time crossing the street because of the "dance" they have to do to keep their britches up.
And that aggravates me when I have to wait on them AND look at their whole underwear-covered rear end...
I've thought this "style" would completely go away if the fathers of these knuckleheads would wear their pants that way. Can't you just picture older guys, say over 60, dressing like the 20 year olds?
I detest that pants at half mast look and admit to laughing hysterically when I watched a pair of young men trying to run to catch a bus when dressed this way.
Thankfully, the style seems to be disappearing from Australian streets.
It is a wonder, these kids who wear their pants below their ass if they even know what and where the look is appropriate? It is very popular in American prisons, where the fashion statement started, for them who are being turned out by their prison pimps. It means "available."
I am still up in the air as to whether I prefer these street hookers in tighty whitey's or multi-hued boxers. I have seen them trying to run from the police which was outstanding street theater, comedy at its finest.
Great description, Pearl, and Walking Man's mention of watching them run from the police brought a smile to my face.
One wonders... If, for some reason, he had to run (frome the cops, from an enemy, from a rival gang), would he be able to?
When fashion contends with essential movement, I just think it's silly. To have to adjust simply to function? Waste of energy. To this I relegate mermaid dresses, corsets, and every other binding, lacing and confining garment ever. And to think I hid in the bathroom if someone told me my slip was showing...
Well, if it makes Pants Boy happy he can look like whatever he wants. Personally, I'm looking to move up to suspenders. They need to be adjusted just right so I don't become a soprano, so there will be a learning curve to look forward to.
I see this "look" all the time. I honestly don't know how they walk with their pants like that without tripping and falling. My main thought when I see these young men dressed like this is where are their mothers?
This task might eventually require a bullhorn, but neXt time try repeating your message to the low riding pants person, waiting 6 seconds for him to respond. Then increase your decibels level of your voice by 10 until he responds.
One of the dumber fashion trends. I'm not sure it is even a trend anymore. One problem with trends is some of the followers don't pay attention to when the trend ended and continue much too far with the trend. You know if I didn't stop smoking I might still be rolling the pack of cigarettes in the top of my short sleeve shirt.
Tripping him would have been acceptable to most peoples minds.
Yeah I often feel the urge to trip these blokes, why do they think everyone wants to see their underwear is beyond me and who wants to walk around hitching up their strides all the bloody time. I really don't get it.
I don't understand that look either... it makes no sense that they have to hold them up with one hand, just to show their underwear off... it's nasty but oh well, to each his own xox
I read once the way to deter these droopy drawers is to start a trend with old folks doing to. So losses you belt and let's flash our granny panties and fruit of the looms.
I don't think fashion's ever been about comfort - I remember sporting some pretty terrible shoes and crazy hair in the 90s, and too many blisters to count, but nothing compares to the too-low-pant-butt. Nothing. It's like someone thought, "Let's prank everyone by creating the stupidest fashion statement ever and see if anyone falls for it." and then...well, they did.
Yes, they look ridiculous and yes it's hard to keep a straight face when confronted by their desperate need to clutch at their trousers ... BUT .... they aren't hurting anyone any more than the kids with bingo dabber coloured hair, nose rings, facial tattoos and all the other fashion statements that get us older folks (note I did NOT say OLD folks) shaking our heads and chuckling are.. I can remember my mini skirts and Beatles bangs, back combing and stretch pants and a multitude of other fashion sins (remember tent dresses?) I'm sure folks had a good laugh on us too. It's harmless folks....annoying as heck but harmless.
I've tried the "dude your pants are falling down" and also "pull your feckin' trousers up, no one wants to see that," but neither have ever been successful. :/
I fight the same battle often, to keep from becoming cranky and continue smiling as God intended. Hey, I hope your lack of recent posts means you've had some marvelous success in gaining print in some ways that reward your talent monetarily. You deserve that. You're a wonderful writer.
You haven't been here in quite a long while Pearl. Hope all is well with you.
I hope you and yours had a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and are having a very HAPPY NEW YEAR. May we display your header on our new site directory, SiteHoundSniffs.com? As it is now, the site title (linked back to its home page) is listed, and we think displaying the linked header will attract more attention.
fashion, it has always been the same. Wait till there is a fashion for growing your hair to your waist then putting it up on top of your head and keeping birds in it. I think there was a fashion for that in the 17th or 18th century, only for women though.
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