Funny Mall Story

[HoneyBerry]

So I was at the mall. As I walked by 2 young guys, they asked me if I had some spare change. For bus money, they said. They looked to be about 14-15 years old. They were slovenly and wore the funny looking baggy pants with their underwear hanging out. I said that they needed to get a job if they wanted money. They said that they couldn't do that. After some back and forth chit chat like that, I finally said to them "Okay, I'll give you a dollar if you pull your pants up." They both quickly stood up and pulled their pants up to their chins. I said "You have to walk around like that for the rest of the day, even in front of your friends and girl friends." They both agreed "Okay! Okay!" So I gave them each a dollar and they left walking down the mall holding their pants up to their chins. They turned around and waved at me from the other side of the mall. They were still holding their pants up to their chins. It was funny. I wish that I had a video of it all.

[webmaster]

This is a story right? This didn't actually happen?

[Lindsaylew82]

[tomf]

[HoneyBerry]

Webmaster: This really did happen. I wish that I had it on video. Those kids looked so funny walking down the mall holding their pants up to their chins.

Tomf: Those images are hilarious.

It seems like an uncomfortable way to dress. That style glorifies prison life. The pants that were provided to the prisoners were usually too big. I guess that's where the baggy pants look started. But I don't think kids know that. That's the street style and they just want to fit in. The baggy pants kids trip over their pants when they try to run from the police. Ha-Ha.

[webmaster]

It's a look that evolved from earlier fashions originating with the Hispanic community in East Los Angeles in the seventies. Baggies were popular in the 1970's, which were usually 1940's pants purchased from the Goodwill stores or from retro clothing shops. That look actually originated from the days of the Zoot Suit. But then another look came after the baggies look that was modeled after prison uniforms. The baggy pants were an attempt to give the jeans the 1940s pant look, complete with pleats created by folding them over in the front and cinching up the waists.

It was this look, the jeans and t-shirt style, that was then co-opted by the Los Angeles African American gangs who "innovated" the pants on the ground thing in the 90's and it then spread out of California from there. So that whole look had it's origins with the Zoot Suit. I remember going to a mall outside of Denver in 1999 and marveling (and laughing) at all the blonde haired teenagers walking around sporting that look, swaggering like they were in a rap video.

[HoneyBerry]

Thanks for the history. I had no idea it goes back so far. I also read some stuff on wikipedia about it. I don't care for the look. I think it looks stupid. I wish that style would die out. Pop culture and people like Justin Bieber keep it alive.