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February 07, 2005

Semper ubi, sub ubi

That phrase is pidgin Latin for "always wear underwear." (Another ancient joke.)

With slight modification, this could become the state motto of Virginia. The Virginia legislature is considering a bill that would impose a $50 fine for displaying one's underwear in a "lewd or indecent manner."

The bill was prompted by, you guessed it, the style popular among young men of wearing their pants well below the waistbands of their underwear. When my brother was in college, it was hip to wear boxers that showed below the bottoms of your shorts. Now what shows is the top of the underwear. When this happens in my household, I start yanking on the pants to pull them down. The offenders get the message pretty quickly. No $50 fines are involved.

What annoys me about this style is that it's nothing more than "big house chic." But I don't think the display of underwear tops can qualify as lewd or indecent, and the law is likely to be ineffective. Anyway, if you're really concerned about lewd or indecent displays of underwear, check out some Calvin Klein ads.