Baggy Pants
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Posted By: orok edem on March 13, 2011 Thesis: Because a person’s first impression (appearance, communication skills and etiquette) creates a lasting image in the eyes of whomever you encounter, it is paramount that one tries un-relentlessly to always dress for success. Baggy Pants It is not surprising that as you walk around the streets of any inner city in America you will notice that the line between what was once considered the appropriate style of dressing and the current style of dressing exhibited by a large number of the general population has become obscured. The baggy pants that are now worn below the waist exposing one’s underwear and extra large bright colored shirts that were once reserved for the inner city black kids are now being worn by white and Latino kids in wealthy suburban neighborhoods. This fashion style has become very popular, especially, among teenagers and young adults in high school and colleges who graduate and incorporate this style of dressing into the main stream society lacking the proper dress etiquette required to succeed in the corporate job market. Many reasons like the tough image persona frequently exhibited by so called ‘Gangster Rappers’ have been fingered as one of the many culprits responsible for influencing this trend that has become a fashion statement. Two other major culprits that are also responsible for influencing this undignified form of fashion are the media corporations that use their ability to reach a large viewing audience to promote music videos and movies that portray supposed ‘role models’ in baggy pants that virtually hang from their buttocks, and the parents, yes the parents that allow their teenagers to watch and imitate this fashion trend, allowing their kids to leave the house with their pants almost falling off their waist while turning a blind eye without saying a word. It is no secret that in passing judgment, corporate society usually considers a person’s choice in clothing as an extension of their identity, and because a person’s first impression (appearance, communication skills and etiquette) creates a lasting image in the eyes of whomever you encounter, it is paramount that one tries un-relentlessly to always dress for success. Before an argument can be made for or against cloths especially baggy clothes being an extension of a person’s identity, the origin of the trend that has now unfortunately become a fashion statement has to be examined. Baggy clothes have always been attributed to incarcerated individuals whose prison issued uniforms always tend to be a size larger without any belts to hold the pants up, hence the sagging. Unfortunately, many of these inmates that are released into society continue to wear baggy clothes that sag as a way to identify themselves and communicate a certain kind of toughness to onlookers. This perceived aura of toughness has been picked up by various music artists in an effort to promote album sells, without consideration of what message their appearance sends to their young audience. An example of one such artist is “Fifty Cents”, a self proclaimed gangster rapper who often appears in his basketball jerseys and baggy-pants, a style of fashion that appeals to many teenagers and young adults, who in turn try to dress and immolate the behavior of these artists. Although one might argue that wearing baggy clothes can be considered just a ‘fashion trend’ or a ‘phase’ that many young men go through, the danger lies in the fact that sometimes we forget or don’t realize, that we are sending both true and false messages through the clothes we wear and how we choose to wear them. Because baggy clothes are generally associated with gangster tendencies by society, teenagers and young adults in deciding what to wear need to keep in mind what type of message they want to send to the gazing eyes and even maybe a prospective employer. For example, a young man that walks into an office building for a job interview wearing baggy pants and shirts that are sagging enough to expose his underwear irrespective of his educational achievements or professional references, would not be considered for the job because the first impression created lacks any form of professionalism in appearance thus showing that the individual did not dress for success. Nowadays teenagers and young adults are obsessed with music and anything connected to the music world. Since the lunch of the first twenty four hour music television station in 1981, people have been able to observe the lifestyles of their favorite artist. Teenagers and young adults who are more easily influenced go as far as idolizing their favorite artist or artists; walking like them, talking like them, and even dressing like them. The media corporations capitalizing on the huge profits this hip hop programs generates through advertisement revenue, sales of music Cds and clothing apparels, continue to promote and cast African Americans in stereotypical roles that promote the gangster look. Because the media corporation has the capacity to reach a large number of audiences, it plays a very big role in encouraging the baggy pants trend by producing programs that feature roles with gangsters and musicians who flaunt their wealth and success dressed in extra large pants and shirts. The regular young viewer influenced by these images, subconsciously connects the dressing and language perpetuated by these characters as the norm to symbolize success. This is evident in the way teenager’s dress today, extending the wearing of baggy pants that most times are begging to be pulled up to schools, as well as to social and professional events. Because the way teenagers dress to immolate their idols tend to have an effect on their character and overall well being, various groups have started a campaign against major media corporations to curtail the type of images broadcast to teenagers and young adults. In an effort to address the baggy pant fashion trend, many public schools today are making decisions that will entail its students to wear school uniforms and adhere to strict dress codes as a way to promote a dress for success culture and also as a way to improve the self image of their students. Surprisingly parents who should be vigilante and make it a point of duty to encourage their kids to always dress for success have failed in this aspect. Because parents have not been able or have just giving up on ways to control what their children watch on television, many inappropriate forms of fashion and lifestyles are learned by the kids. Another factor that has prevented parents from being able to enforce a dress for success policy at home is the fact that many parents nowadays would rather be their children’s friend in an effort to have a close relationship with them. In order to be considered ‘cool’ by the kids, most parents have gone as far as not only listening and watching inappropriate material with the kids but in some cases resorted to dressing and acting like the various television role models. Most teenagers who do well in school and are well mannered but dress in baggy clothes use excuses like their choice of clothing is just an effort to keep up with the latest fashion trend, and that ‘you can’t judge a book by its cover’ to convince parents not to worry about their appearance. Although parents, for most part of their teenager’s life (at least till they go to college and find a job) are responsible for purchasing the clothes they wear, parents fail to encourage a dress for success attitude when they buy outfits that are visibly larger in size for their kids. Because parents have allowed their kids get away with dressing as they please, most teenagers have been encouraged to incorporate the baggy pants fashion into formal occasions like church events and job interviews. Even though it is true that one should not judge a book by its cover, parents should be the first to know that society’s stereotypical way of judging people usually means that no matter how successful a person is, their appearance has a large part in determining how and what kind of audience they receive. Teenagers and young adults give different reasons why they wear baggy clothes especially baggy pants, but amongst all the reasons giving, being comfortable and being in line with the fashion world tends to top the list. Although one can see how the argument for dressing comfortably makes a lot of sense, there is a difference between wearing loose fitting clothes and walking down the streets with your pants hanging close to your knee. To the observer, the image portrayed does not show someone who is trying to dress comfortably, but rather it shows someone who is trying to dress like a ‘gangster’. Because society usually considers a person’s choice in clothing as an extension of their identity, young qualified men are passed over during hiring opportunities because they lack proper dress etiquette. Dressing for success, should be an important part of a child’s upbringing, as parents should emphasize to their children that appearance plays a major role in how a person is categorized into society. Individuals should also understand that not all fashion trends are acceptable in the work place and should endeavor to always dress in a professional manner that shows that they understand the importance of dressing for success. Most importantly, teenagers and young adults in choosing what they wear should remember that some “opportunities come only once in a lifetime” so creating a strong first impression (appearance, communication skills and etiquette) can be the difference in whether a person receives a favorably response, so it is paramount that one tries un-relentlessly to always dress for success. If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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orok edem
From atlanta, GA Clark Atlanta University class of 2013 Member Since March 2011 |
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