The young women here in my part of the south do it too, and it doesn't look good. I'm usually not too critical of the way people dress, but i just don't get the boys with their pants below their rears, having to walk with their legs apart to keep them from falling the rest of the way down.

Yes, the bulging sausage look. I don't get it either.

And while we're venting, I love the comfort of sweat pants and yoga pants, but please, gals, take a look at your derriere in the mirror and jump around a bit, before you unleash your buns on the rest of the world. You MAY be a little too jiggly in the trunk to go without a good pair of supportive undies. Or you may just decide you don't look as good as you thought you did back there and put on some jeans instead. Jeans that fit, that is.

(And then there are the sweats with something written across the butt. Pleeeaase! I don't know what kind of parents are letting eleven-year-old Missy out of the house with "Juicy" or such across her rear end.)

At least in my area, the pants falling off your rear-look is gone. Thank goodness for small favors!

Muffin tops are all over my area. Totally unfathomable!

Whatever happened to dressing to look slim? Those ham arms in sleeveless tops too...

I live in Toronto and am afraid that things are just as bad here. What is really funny though, is when I worked in a corporate office environment, I dressed in suit and heels - always - others shall we say often dressed as noted above. But I was the subject of much criticism for taking the effort - hair done and makeup applied. Well, the bottom line is is that I don't suit - thankfully - the "other" look - or frankfully, you could put me in $5,000 worth of casual and I would look a frump.

Thanks for the replies LOL. Luckily the employees here dress nicely, it's the college students that assault my eyes. I walked into the office where I pick up our mail, and this student worker was sitting there in this tiny shirt and tight jeans and her midsection was enormous and overflowing out everywhere, and it was everything I could do to not grimace in front of her. Her shirt was exposing at least 5 inches of her midsection and her jeans were squeezing it all up and out. It was so horrid-looking and it's not the first time I've seen this girl or others like her.

I suppose you could make a catty comment like "Looks like someone needs to do some crunches." or "Would you like to borrow my 8 Minute Abs workout?" or "I hear Pilates does wonders with flabby abs." Barring that, I suppose you could lobby the school for a dress code for students working in the professional offices.

I too will be glad when this fashion trend is over. I'm so tired of see asses hanging out. Leave something for the imagination people. Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?

Hey amy, I'm in PA too and I hear ya! For me personally, I don't mind if someone is wearing lower rise pants with a longer top, where maybe a hint of skin is showing, but I so agree with you on the bulging and blobs! lol The way I was raised was that you should always go out looking nice. Dh and I were just discussing this the other day. Now mind you, we don't dress to the nines or wear a ton of makeup and such (like good example would be the one lady on the TV show Wife Swap the other night----the one that was all about looks). We are NOT like that! But when I go out, even if it's just jeans and a t-shirt, I'm not wrinkled, my hair is brushed and I may have a bit of lipstick or something on. Dh and I were remarking about how some folks just don't care. I understand that some folks don't have money to buy fancy clothes---I don't even care about that. I am cheap and shop at Goodwill and Salvation Army and such, sometimes even wearing hand-me-downs. You can put some great looks together that way. But please, iron it and wash it! And if it's the middle of winter and someone is wearing black pants and a dark sweater, is it okay to wear the white canvas tennis shoes with that??! I know someone who does this. I agree too with the very young girls drawing attention to their bums with writing there---I hate that.

OK, I agree that the look is awful. I blame the clothing designers and cheap manufactureres. These folks put out clothes that require a minimal amount of material that is way too short, set a high price for it and have skinny models with no hips and short waists and small boobs to model it. We have all heard that America has a big problem with obesity. These styles are making fools out of us. Such irony. And, there are not a lot of choices out there. I wish we had a real voice. And don't get me started on "low rise"
pants. I feel we all better learn how to sew for ourselves.
Anyone out there have a solution or a positive forecast for the future. I'm out of fashion courage :)

Oh yeah, the bare midriff is awful, even with women who have the body. I'd say I cannot wait for this fashion trend to end, but I fear what is next!

What has always made me laugh is seeing boys walk with their legs apart so their pants don't fall completely DOWN!! How can they possibly think they look cool??!! They look hysterically silly.

A different way to look at it - think of it as cheap entertainment. After all, it does create a diversion.....

It is going on out here in California too, and it is not just teens. They seem to think they look good, but they just look fat. My DD just does not buy slacks or jeans because she does not like that peek-a- boo look, thank goodness. She is a clothes horse, and that means stores are not selling to her when they only carry very low rise pants.

What I think looks even worse than the teen girls with the bulging fat above the low rise jeans, is over-40 women with flabby, stretched-looking stomachs wearing them. And some of them sport belly rings. They should be old enough to know better. (I'm 40, not heavy, no kids, therefore my stomach looks ok, but I still wouldn't wear them).

Fashion victims. I saw a woman last night in Target who had to be in her mid to late 40s. She was wearing low rise capri pants with an exposed midriff. Not pretty. Flabby, stretchmarks, with a misshapen navel. Her hips also hung over the the top. My daughter said she felt sorry for her.

Just look at the crowds in the streets or malls and compare them to the street crowds during the depression. Men and women really dressed nice when they left the house. These days the only people you see dressed for business or being in public are politicians. In general, we all look like slobs with jeans and sneakers and think that's the way to dress. So naturally, kids have very poor role models. Few teachers dress business like, almost everyone dresses appropriately for a picnic. Then there's the obesity problem. We need more full length mirrors in public places, perhaps this would help correct the problem. Then again, it may just make it worse.

I agree with all of you who hate to see a flabby stomach hanging out of a pair of lowrise jeans. HATE.

Another trend I can not stand is the thong hanging out of the back of the lowrise jeans, or worse, the ass crack. UGH! If you bend over and your butt is hanging out, your pants do not fit.

Hi, here in NY, the style is the same as you've described. Thankfully my own daughter got over it, because I honestly couldn't tell her the truth when she asked me "How do I look?" I would tell her do you want the God's honest truth or do you want me to just say you look nice? As her mother I reallt felt it was my responsablity to tell her how she appeared to others.
I did it with the help of the televison. I would turn on Jerry Springer, Maury Povich and the like and you know the kind of people they have on. I said "Do you think these girls look nice or trampy? Is is a nice thing to look at when you see an overweight girl who is 14 and her rump is hanging out, needless to say her belly and boobs were hanging out just as much.
Then we turned on the soaps and most of the girls were dressed much differently. Nice dresses, skirts, pants that fit and were classy.
I asked her what the difference was between the two types of girls and what the impression they would make to strangers. Would people automatically judge them as to being a certain type of girl because of the clothes they wore.
After much discussion, I said to my daughter I would let her choose the type of clothes she could wear to school. I told her I trusted her to make the right choice, as to what she wanted to present to the public.
You know what happened? GONE were the belly clothes, the deep "V's", and the tiny skirts that barely covered her butt. I don't mean to make it sound like she became conservative over night, but she did start choosing very carfeully. I am so proud of her.
And one last thing, can you believe the other night at Target, I saw a BIKINI saying "Boy Crazy" in a TODDLER size??? What in the world is happening? why would any parent buy something like that? Do they think its funny or something?
And why do boys want to dress like they look like homeless people and girls just want to portray sex, sex, sex? I know the boys like the look, but do the girl really find that dirty unwashed look attractive?
Where are the parents of these children. I know its hard, I have a 22 year old. I've been there. But parents have to STAND UP and be a parent. It seems some parents are afraid of their own children.

Unfortunatly I am a part of that younger crowd being 23. Its winter. We have a foot of snow here. I see girls under the age of 15 wearing clothing that I would not wear to a night club. I get tempted to pull down the pants of the young men when they are hanging off their butts. I will admit that I wear clothing that may be a little...little. But NOT in a foot of snow. Younger people are still thinking that less is more. Personally I think that if you cover up you are going to be more attractive, and if you are looking to attract someone, dont you think you shouldn't bare it all before you get to the bedroom...

On a side note. My friend just pointed out that many of the girls that are complaining that they get no respect and are treated like prostitutes are the ones who are not wearing any clothing. Makes a person wonder about our society...

Except for the pull-on polyester slacks, it's near impossible to find pants--even pajama bottoms--that aren't low rise here in Toronto. I've had to shop at thrift stores for years, not because I can't afford new clothes, but because I want to "just say no to crack". I am so glad that I do not have girl children to raise in today's oversexed popular culture.

"just say no to crack" - LOL!!

*shudder* How people can wear pants that show their crack is beyond me. I wear belts because I cannot STAND to have my pants riding that low. Hh now I'm going to have nightmares of large people in too small clothing... ugh!

Personally, I'm tired of anything that screams "Look at me! Look at me!" no matter how good it looks on the person wearing it.

And why do young gals wear teeny tiny white t-shirts when it's chilly outside and walk around with their arms in front of them as if they are cold? Why didn't they just wear a jacket??? Oh yeh, I forgot..... a jacket wouldn't show them off.

AMEN debraq! It is insane. As for those calling them "fashion victims," I really cannot agree with that. Yes, most stores with Junior sections are crammed with that clothing, and yes, teens will be under pressure to dress like their friends, but it's still their choice in the end. They are not victims because there is still plenty of respectable clothing out there. And these people I see at college aren't teens anyway. They're supposed to be adults. Also there are a couple "ladies" I know in their LATE-twenties who are dressing in these flashy-trashy fad clothes or letting their thongs show when they crouch down, and they disgust me too.

They used to say "If you got it, flaunt it". Some just have wayyyyyy too much.

My DD is twenty five and says to me, Mom how can you stand your jeans clear up there? I say, How can you stand yours clear down there? My ten yr DS likes his at his hip bones.

No way should a forty something or older attemp to wear low rise jeans and a belly shirt or baby tee.

Heard this on TV.........

"She looked like a can o' biscuits that done popped open".

I thought that described it perfectly. In the late 60s and 70s we also wore next to nothing UNLESS we had a little excess luggage. The styles were the same (cringe) but at least we knew enough to cover what was unsightly.

I watched a male teen waddle splay-legged down our main street in an effort to keep his over large pants from falling down! The crotch was down around his knees and finally he had to grab the waist band to hold them up! What is the purpose of that? And how could it possibly be regarded as attractive?

I will come out of lurkdom for this...
I went clothes shopping with my 7 yo daughter a few months ago. All we found were those jeans! The Gap, department stores, everywhere! Macy's had this gold lame camisole-like thing with a black fishnet covering...for a 7 year old! The only places we found clothes that didn't make her look like a wh0re was LL Bean and Osh Kosh...good gravy... Thanks for letting me vent!

LOL!!!!!! It always seems to be the big girls who really should wear 3 sizes bigger to fit the flab hanging out... and just some info for those girls... It is NOT sexy to see your fat!!!

I definitely agree that the muffin-top, popped can o' bicuit look of fat hanging out is so icky. LOL, please don't pick on us over-40 -yr olds, though! I think the young people are leading the trend on this one and most look way worse.
On the other hand, I have to say that it is at least encouraging that they have enough self-confidence (maybe not quite enough self-respect, lol!) to let their fat show. When I was 15 I probably weighed 102 lbs (at 5'6") and was positive I was too fat! I would have never shown my belly like that b//c of low self-esteem. While I hope this means that young girls are standing up against the insanely skinny portrayals of women in magazines... but I also hope they realize that being fat is so bad for their health.

AAack! I am a forty something who finally gave in to the low rise fad.Unfortunately I am unable to find clothing in the women's dept. in any size under a four.The fours are really the old sevens of yesteryear with a new label for all those fatty's that want to believe they have gained no weight in the the last ten years.I wear a size two,and finding a jean that is anything close to a fit is impossible unless I enter a juniors dept.The jeans I have learned to live with.This years new challenge is finding shorts my size that have enough fabric in them to cover the tops of my legs a little bit.The future looks bleak.I was in a framing shop and the owner had on short shorts and she is a good fifteen years older than I,and seems to be conservative in every other way,so I am guessing the fashion faux pas is another one of necessity since she was smaller than I.

I know what you are saying cupajoe, I used to wear a size 2 and now I need a size 0 and I know I have gained a couple of pounds over the years. Sometimes the stores don't have my size at all. It is nice for other women that can feel they wear a smaller size, but they seemed to forget there is still a market for smaller women too. I am not that ridiculously tiny either with a curvy figure.
A couple of women were shopping at TJMaxx today and complaining that the size 5 looked like a size 1. I looked at the area they were shopping in and the sign said Juniors. They were women in their 30's so I guess they still want the teen fashions. Sometimes you can find cute things in the juniors department but you usually have to go up a size to make sure it fits well.

Actually, I love the lower rise jeans (the ones that hit about 1" below the navel.) I am short waisted and it makes me look somewhat better! LOL!

I don't think navels are that attractive, even when they hang bling-blings on them. Clothing is sold that is not intended to cover the mid partof the body, so I will not buy it. I have a friend that dresses for business and says she has to buy her blazers at the thrift stores to get someting that covers her behind which she thinks is too large and unattractive. I was looking at people today in a restaurant and some behinds looked like elephant rears. Will admit, there would be few garments that would help. Some people were so heavy they could hardly stand without hanging onto the furniture. I wonder what the rest of the world thinks of us when they see us.

I am now 61, but know that if I was anywhere near a teen through mid-20s, I would also be wearing the low-rise jeans! I went through what we called the hip-huggers (now low-rise), hot-pants, midrift tops, mini-skirts with boots, bell-bottoms with platform shoes, etc., etc. I do believe we were more conservative though. Later on, I remember my son going through the fad where kids ripped their jeans (cut-outs) and had their boxer shorts hanging out -- way out. Regardless of the latest fad, there will always be some that should not try them, but do; and each fad will be more outrageous than the last one. The most we can do is not buy the stuff we object to, e.g., I don't contribute towards those super pointy high heels, tatoos or body piercing, ughhh! What do others think of us: some will complain as we do, and some will follow!