Savannah, Georgia Debate: Are Baggy Pants a Fashion Trend or Indecent Exposure?

Picture a handsome young man, neatly groomed and fashionably dressed, walking confidently through the mall with a smug smile, knowing full well that heads turn as he walks past. But then notice that the waistband of those pants are barely hanging on below his butt, the crotch of his pants are below his knees, and his entire boxers are showing.

He knows he has successfully pulled off a look that is envied by his peers and he struts, knowing that all eyes are on him. There is a certain gait involved, with legs spread wide to offer enough resistance to keep from losing the pants entirely. Tell me you are not holding your breath in delighted amusement, hoping to catch a glimpse of the pants pooling around his ankles and tripping him face down!

I used to find this ridiculous but have grown to find it mildly amusing. Over time I've become desensitized to seeing this fashion trend among young men around town and it hardly registers anymore. After all, every generation makes their own statement and has the right to express themselves through their choices in music and fashion trends. I might be tempted to issue a fashion citation, but how is it my business and why should I care?

Isn't that everyone's right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, so long as their choices are not hurting anyone else? I'm sure my parents rolled their eyes to my purple suede boots with platform soles and matching suede patchwork purse with 24" fringe when I was making my own fashion statement in 1976. Believe me, they were hot!

But, evidently, I'm not involved in current events enough to know that this trend has become an issue for public debate. Imagine my surprise when the headline in today's Savannah Morning News caught my eye... "City weighs baggy-pants ban"