This combination of factors led to inmates’ trousers riding at half-mast much of the time. In actual fact, prisoners were often given uniforms that were several sizes too big for them and due to suicide prevention efforts behind bars, were not allowed belts. The real origins of the sagging fad did come from the American prison system, but not as a signal that the wearer was up for a bit of action.
However, both of these theories are untrue. Another rumour is that gang members in the states took to wearing their jeans in this way, as it made it easier for them to conceal weapons. One of the most widely repeated stories proposes that in the American prison system, sagging pants were a sign of ‘sexual availability’ and that this is where the trend first originated. But how did something as stupid as this make its way into the mainstream? Well, there are plenty of rumours. To those in the know, this is called sagging – a male fashion trend that has dipped in and out of popularity since the early 1990s and was first popularised in Hip-Hop and skate culture.
However, few of them are quite as ridiculous as the practise of wearing one’s jeans around one’s arse, with boxer shorts on full display. Trends are by their very nature, ridiculous.
