NEW YORK, April 21 ― Synonymous with the 1990s and 2000s, sagging is making a remarkable comeback on the catwalks, on social networks, and in the street. This clothing trend ― which involves wearing pants so low that they reveal part or all of your underwear ― is bringing many men's wardrobe items back to the fore, starting with briefs, boxers, and, of course, baggy pants.

Do you prefer boxers or briefs? This seemingly intimate question will soon be public knowledge with the resurgence of a trend that we thought long forgotten: sagging. Born in the '90s in American prisons, due to the absence of belts to hold up pants, sagging gradually moved to other circles, including hip-hop, before finding mainstream popularity everywhere ― or almost ― in the world in the 2000s. Subject to many controversies, not least because some cities tried to ban the style in the United States, the trend eventually faded, giving way to more fitted clothes, and the rise of slim or skinny cuts in the menswear wardrobe.

Sagging on the catwalk

But recent fashion shows seem to have brought back the taste for visible underwear, with pants worn below the hips to reveal part of these once-hidden undergarments. For the spring-summer 2023 season, many luxury houses have revamped baggy pants ― or cargo pants and XXL joggers ― revealing in the process the boxers, briefs and other underwear items worn by their male models. This is the case with Givenchy, Rhude and Dsquared2, which reveal just a simple strip of fabric, as well as Louis Vuitton, which suggests more than it shows.

Some fashion houses took a bolder approach, like Rick Owens, which managed, in a single silhouette, to combine loose pants, worn with an (extremely) low waist, and a crop top, all without wearing ― or at least showing ― any form of underwear. Note that in the same vein, Marine Serre, Thom Browne and Dolce & Gabbana didn't even bother with pants, sending men down the runway directly in briefs, boxers or swimsuits. Thom Browne went even further by showcasing the jockstrap, an underwear item that does not even cover the buttocks.

How low can you go?

As for celebrities, the likes of Justin Bieber, Kanye West and Drake have all been sporting pants that are too loose not to let the top of boxer shorts show. But sagging is not just returning to catwalks and red carpets. For several weeks now, it has been a craze on social networks, with many tutorials aimed at showing off one's underwear with style. On TikTok, interest in this fashion inspiration is such that the hashtags #sagging and #saggingpants count more than 100 million views between them. And the phenomenon is still in its early days, considering that the fashion house Mowalola has already presented jeans that hang all the way down at the mid-thighs for the fall-winter 2023 season.

And men aren't the only ones showing off their underwear. Their female counterparts have also ― and for several seasons ― revived the trend for the visible G-string, whether via low waist cuts or the micro skirt. This has been seen on catwalks (Miu Miu, Thom Browne, David Koma), and has since been worn by many celebrities and influencers (Bella Hadid, Kim Kardashian, Hailey Bieber). And it's now obviously all over social media too. ― ETX Studio