Baggy Jeans and Hip Monks

We all know guys who swagger down the street, clutching their belts and spreading their legs, so that their sagging jeans, four sizes too big, don’t fall down. Prefer a visual? See the example below.

image by Hiroko Masuike for The New York Times

Hip hop baggy style jeans became popular in the late 80’s, but the style didn’t become mainstream until the mid-nineties. Some people hope that this fashion statement would slip away just like the jeans themselves do in many a wardrobe malfunction. In fact, some hate this style so much that sagging is actually outlawed in parts of Georgia, Louisiana, and Michigan. Unfortunately, I have bad news for those who want to ban sagging—baggy jeans are not a fad; they’ve been with us for twenty years and they’re here to stay. Neither laws nor lectures will keep jeans up.

Baggy clothing itself has been in style much longer than twenty years and has always symbolized wealth and opulence. Excess material shows that the wearer can afford to purchase more fabric than necessary to cover the body.

Some might be surprised to hear that medieval monks preferred clothing similar to the style that upstanding citizens are now prohibiting. That’s right! Monks liked to sag, too. The monks wore their sleeves several feet longer than their arms, dragged their hems on the ground, and had hoods large enough to fit multiple heads.

Need proof? Check out the hip monk with his sweet threads below.

Painting by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot

posted by: danielle on July 1, 2009 at 2:51 pm
filed under: Denim 101 | comments (1)
TAGS: history of jeans, mens jeans, baggy jeans, hip hop jeans, sagging jeans

Back to blog home

On 07-02-2009, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) said

Wow, I never thought that baggy jeans were related to monks’ robes. I learn something every day!