Why do some old men wear their pants so high?..........

[Cut-Throat]

A strange questions indeed.

But, my wife and I were on a cruise last week with some old folks (85,90) and wondered why so many old men wore their pants half way up their chests.

My wife asked me, and I have no idea. - It's hard to believe that this is a serious question, but we have solved the daily crossword and this is the only thing that perplexes us for the moment.

Is this something physical or a fashion statement from the 20's She thought it may have something to do with suspenders. She asked me if I planned to wear my pants up that high when I'm 90. But I'm inclined to go the hiphugger route. 8)

Anyone want to take a stab at this? - And yes you are probably saying that we have too much time on our hands, but that's the way we like it.

 

[73ss454]

CT

No Clue!

But you do have too much time on your hands.
Why don't you just go fishing?

 

[dex]

My guess is that men buy the same size clothes as the get older. Unfortunatly, we get shorter as we get older. So, if I wear a 32" waiste X 32" leg when I'm 30 I will probably think a 32" leg is my size. When I'm 85 my pants should be shorter than a 32".

I pull my pant up so I don't trip over my pants cuff!

We are too vain to admit we have srunk.

Have you ever seen those guys who have a huge belly with their pants below their hips? Same thing - in high school they had a 32" waist. As their bellies got bigger they just lowered their pants.

 

[JPatrick]

My guess is that it is all about being practical.  Seems to me that the way to insure your pants are staying on is to hike em up and cinch em down either with a belt or suspenders.
I think most would agree that the low-slung option puts a person at risk for crack exposure or worse.  Of course low-slung is stylish, but I'm guessing at age 85-90 stylish comes in second to practical.

Personally, I plan to keep on driving the ladies crazy with the low-slung look for many more years : :

 

[TromboneAl]

I have two theories:

1. As their asses get more flaccid (sorry, there's no good way to say that) and the stomach fills out, the waist is ill-defined, and so the pants won't stay up if the belt is in the traditional location.   My research for this comes from America's Funniest Home Videos, in which you often see older men losing their pants.  So they move the belt up to the next indentation in their body, the upper part of the belly.  IOW, the belt zone must be narrower than the body areas below it.

2. They don't want to have their bellies hang over their belts.  

Were you tempted to ask one of these guys on the cruise?

 

[BigMoneyJim]

IIRC, the book _Dress for Success_ the author found that women are attracted to men with high waistbands, particularly Flamenco dancer men. I believe this is the reason for the high waistbands. There's a reason for all that Viagra spam we get.

 

[TromboneAl]

Yes, maybe there was a group of retired Flamenco dancers on that cruise. Did you hear a lot of clicking and stamping at night?

 

[maddythebeagle]

http://mediafetcher.com/?p=79&page=2

Probably the same phenonomon as "mom jeans".

 

[sgeeeee]

Because they haven't discovered coveralls or overalls?

 

[Telly]

OK, C-T, I tried an experiment, and the result was a loud "OW!"
 
I loosened my belt, and attempted to pull my pants up further by pulling up on the left and right sides.  Ain't no way.  Not unless the crotch (mine, not the pants ) goes up further too!

So I will propose an alternate explanation... those old men you saw are suffering from some sort of advanced body rot that is causing them to go all squishy in some areas.  Sounds logical to me!

Maybe you should ask them about that... please, NO PICTURES!

 

[sgeeeee]

OK, C-T, I tried an experiment, and the result was a loud "OW!"
 
I loosened my belt, and attempted to pull my pants up further by pulling up on the left and right sides.  Ain't no way.  Not unless the crotch (mine, not the pants ) goes up further too!

So I will propose an alternate explanation... those old men you saw are suffering from some sort of advanced body rot that is causing them to go all squishy in some areas.  Sounds logical to me!

Maybe you should ask them about that... please, NO PICTURES!

This was another nasal milk moment . . . and I'm drinking wine.

 

[Danny]

Pants? Pants are too constricting. Are there any nude posters out there?

Why German Nudists Are Wearing Frowns As Others Disrobe; Baring It All in Public Is Nothing Special Anymore; Joining Camps Is Passé

By CECILIE ROHWEDDER
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
September 23, 2005; Page A1

BERLIN -- Wearing nothing but goose bumps, Georg Engelbrecht walked across the lawn to take a dip in a chilly lake near Berlin one recent summer day.

Deck chairs and ping-pong tables sat unused. Leaves gathered on the volleyball court. Only a few pensioners, an unemployed dentist and a handful of children populated this nudist club, where Mr. Engelbrecht, 99 years old, has spent his free time for decades.

Nudism's decline in Germany and growing popularity with some Americans underscores the diverging mores of Europeans and Americans. In America, public displays of nakedness remain rare enough that nude recreation is an edgy growing niche of the leisure market.

In Europe, nudity has become so widespread that those who want to shed their clothes don't particularly need the excuse of a nudist camp. In Europe, topless women are a common sight on beaches. In July, 1,700 Britons posed naked for an American photographer on a bridge in Newcastle. Vienna's Leopold Museum offered free entry to unclothed visitors at an exhibition of erotic art titled "The Naked Truth." Police in Cologne, Germany, opted not to arrest a woman who walked into a supermarket this past summer wearing nothing but an unbuttoned denim jacket.

"I don't need a club to enjoy the sun on my skin," says Kathrin Geffken, a 38-year-old Berliner who likes accompanying her husband and sons to one of Berlin's many lakes for weekends in the buff. At the sandy shore, people in swimsuits and birthday suits sit happily side by side.

"Everyone accepts each other the way they are," says Ms. Geffken's husband, Cutthroat. "If someone showed up in a fur hat and nothing else, nobody would bat an eye."

Above all, nudist leaders say, Germany's permissive culture is hurting the movement. The country's largest tabloid features a topless woman on its front page every day. Full nudity is common on TV. At Berlin's annual Love Parade along main boulevards, topless beauties dance on the floats. "There is a culture here of anything goes," says Kurt Fischer, president of Germany's nudist federation. "People can do what they want without joining clubs for it."

 

[wabmester]

But, my wife and I were on a cruise last week with some old folks (85,90) and wondered why so many old men wore their pants half way up their chests.

As you age, your spine compresses.   So, these old guys aren't wearing their pants any higher -- their chest/shoulders got lower.

 

[TromboneAl]

I've learned that special devices are necessary for wearing pants like that. Here's a picture of someone being fitted with such a device:

 

[Mr._johngalt]

I've learned that special devices are necessary for wearing pants like that.  Here's a picture of someone being fitted with such a device:

My theory is that they can do open heart surgery without removing your pants

JG

 

[JPatrick]

From Dan Tiens post>>>>>>>>>>>>
Everyone accepts each other the way they are," says Ms. Geffken's husband, Cutthroat. "If someone showed up in a fur hat and nothing else, nobody would bat an eye."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
cutthroat??

 

[greg]

Aren't any of you old? Old men where high-waisted pants to show off their white shoes and white belts to the ladies. Spiffy, ehhh!

I really do have to stay away from this board. I was telling people I had to go home to check stocks, then when I got home I would check this board, leave a message, turn the computer off, head back to the car, and realize I forgot to check stocks. I was spending too much time thinking about you folks. Not good. Retirement is supposed to be about . . . ummm . . . DW, ehhhh? (I'm still thinking about moving to Canada, ehhh.)

--Greg

 

[Mr._johngalt]

Aren't any of you old?  Old men where high-waisted pants to show off their white shoes and white belts to the ladies.  Spiffy, ehhh!

I really do have to stay away from this board.  I was telling people I had to go home to check stocks, then when I got home I would check this board, leave a message, turn the computer off, head back to the car, and realize I forgot to check stocks.  I was spending too much time thinking about you folks.  Not good.  Retirement is supposed to be about . . . ummm . . . DW, ehhhh?  (I'm still thinking about moving to Canada, ehhh.) 

--Greg

I feel your pain. I got up at 6 am to go fishing. Changed my mind and went back to bed. Now I am still sitting here (but hey I'm havin' fun)

JG

 

[Danny]

From Dan Tiens post>>>>>>>>>>>>
Everyone accepts each other the way they are," says Ms. Geffken's husband, Cutthroat. "If someone showed up in a fur hat and nothing else, nobody would bat an eye."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
cutthroat??

Aahh..someone read it. He pops up in the most interesting places

 

[MJ]

By CECILIE ROHWEDDER
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
September 23, 2005; Page A1

BERLIN --
"I don't need a club to enjoy the sun on my skin," says Kathrin Geffken, a 38-year-old Berliner who likes accompanying her husband and sons to one of Berlin's many lakes for weekends in the buff. At the sandy shore, people in swimsuits and birthday suits sit happily side by side.
"Everyone accepts each other the way they are," says Ms. Geffken's husband, Cutthroat. "If someone showed up in a fur hat and nothing else, nobody would bat an eye."

Hey CT,
Are you and Mrs CT leading a double life?

 

[maddythebeagle]

I doubt it is him. I dont think the Rhein has very good trout fishing?

 

[Cut-Throat]

Nope not me! - In fact I've never know anyone to be named Cutthroat. - Strange indeed

 

[Danny]

Nope not me! - In fact I've never know anyone to be named Cutthroat. - Strange indeed

Sorry I changed the name to Cutthroat Geffken sounded more german than guido. Was that a bad thing?
"Everyone accepts each other the way they are," says Ms. Geffken's husband, Guido. "If someone showed up in a fur hat and nothing else, nobody would bat an eye."

 

[SteveR]

How about this as a possible answer?

As people age they become shorter. The compression of the spine and other joints lessens the distance from the crotch to the rib cage so what fits a younger man will be too long in the crotch for an older one. The end result is to have the pants worn low resulting in a very baggy crotch and difficulty walking or hike up the pants to where the crotch is not in the way of walking.

 

[LovesLife]

Makes sense to me.