saggy pants crop
© New York Times
Sagging pants with a belt... how does that work??
Ok I'm going to get straight to the point: Sagging is not cute. Never has been.

In the 8th grade, I went to a Lutheran school where students had to wear uniforms. But somehow, the boys would find a way to sag their khaki pants. Our principal would try to explain to these young boys why they should not "sag." Not only did it look stupid and uncomfortable, it originated in a place where he hoped they would never end up: Prison.

The trend eventually infiltrated the hip hop culture and for the last 15 years, has been adopted by young (mostly black) boys everywhere.

In all of my 24 years, I've found that as men mature, they are less likely to perpetuate this trend of sagging.

In college, I saw that as young men associated with campus organizations, such as fraternities or student government, that were bigger than themselves, the trend of not only sagging, but baggy clothes in general began to die out. Mature men that "real" women are attracted to care a lot about their appearance and how they present themselves, which does not include sagging.

Twenty-four year old, Talisha White explains, "I'm not attracted to guys who wear sagging pants and I prefer a more preppy, tailored look."

And even with the more tailored look of fitted, skinny jeans for men, some still find a way to sag with a belt attached. I'm baffled by this-- your pants are the same size as mine, why are your boxers showing?

I see men walking strategically awkward, in an effort to keep their pants from falling, when all they have to do is pull them up over their rump!

Other ladies suggest the trend is outdated and contradictory.

Brittany Jones, 17, said, "Sagging I guess used to be cool, but it just looks sloppy to me. If a guy tries to talk to me, I just need to make sure his shoes aren't busted."

"In theory, the purpose of pants is to cover your bottom, so if they're not covering your bottom, why wear them at all?" said 22-year-old Sherrelle Smith.

In conclusion, sagging is not cool. In fact, it's WACK. Not only does it make you look immature and sloppy, it makes you walk funny.

So bottom line guys, pull the pants up over your butt. And wear a belt. Go for a more mature, tailored look. The ladies love it.

*For more stories on saggy pants, click "The Baggy Pants Epidemic: A Male's Perspective."