"Underwear" Bill

[johnnymk]

Louisiana Rep. Derrick Shepherd (D-Marrero) recently introduced the so-called "underwear" bill (House Bill 1703) into state legislature that calls for 24 hours of community service and a $175 fine for violators. That would be anyone who wears low-cut jeans or baggy pants, thereby intentionally exposing their underwear or any body part below the waist.

Lest you think this is simply a big joke, the bill has made it out of the committee and is waiting for final passage by the House of Representatives. There were, however, some modifications as the bill went through the legislature: Shepherd originally wanted to hit underwear offenders with a $500 fine and/or six months in jail.

[ray]

Anything to make children dress their age...and i'm talking the 12 year olds i see at the mall who dress like whores and the boys who think they're gangsters.

[DaFunkyUnit]

Anything to make children dress their age...and i'm talking the 12 year olds i see at the mall who dress like whores and the boys who think they're gangsters.

whats wrong with that?

[Grubbie]

Im sorry I don't like to wear my pants up by my belly button....

[sbp]

whats wrong with that?:nuts: The increased sexualization of youngsters is not worrisome?

[Memo]

This is a ridiculous law. Why don't they go ahead and pass a law that prohibits fat chicks from wearing anything that shows off their stomach as well. I'd be all for it EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT IT VIOLATES BASIC FREEDOMS.

[InfiniteNothing]

:nuts: The increased sexualization of youngsters is not worrisome?

Not really. Seems like kids these days are just less repressed. I know I feel pretty good about the sexual choices I made as a youngster. EDIT: Though, now that I think about it, I wish I had done more.

[nickel]

yeh-yeh-yeh and they thought Elvis was the devil for gyrating his hips on stage.
if they wanna show their underwear let 'em. i think it looks as dumb as someone with stomach rolls wearing a bellyshirt.

[yippiekiyeh]

Hmm I guess that plumbers are going to get hit with a lot of fines!!! That butt crack has to be intentional!

[Cantacuzene]

Why don't they pass a law forcing parents to cook certain foods every night so that they can be sure youngsters are eating right? =/

If a kid picks out clothes to wear, and the parents give it the OK it is absolutely nobody's business, unless ofcourse it violates a school dresscode or something similar.

[Memo]

Ha Canta! The beauty of this bill is that it's not even just directed at minors. It's creating a dress code for the entire population.

[speedracer120]

Too bad they just can't write up legislation that applies only to "Blue Bear" on American Roadster. I loathe idiots like that.

[johnnymk]

This is a ridiculous law. Why don't they go ahead and pass a law that prohibits fat chicks from wearing anything that shows off their stomach as well. I'd be all for it EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT IT VIOLATES BASIC FREEDOMS.

MMmmm....Fat chicks shopping in WakkyMart wearing spandex :naughty:

[Airencracken]

Not really. Seems like kids these days are just less repressed. I know I feel pretty good about the sexual choices I made as a youngster. EDIT: Though, now that I think about it, I wish I had done more.

:stupid:

Dumb law.

Yeah, more sex earlier would have been nice...:( Too bad I looked like I was 8yrs old.

[cheapie]

what a stupid, stupid waste of tax dollars. doesn't the state have educational problems to fix? homeless people to shelter? etc?


btw, this article might interest ya'll considering the topic. (http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/West/06/02/modest.clothing.ap/index.html)

REDMOND, Washington (AP) -- During a recent shopping trip to Nordstrom, 11-year-old Ella Gunderson became frustrated with all the low-cut hip-huggers and skintight tops.

So she wrote to the Seattle-based chain's executives.

"I see all of these girls who walk around with pants that show their belly button and underwear," she wrote. "Your clearks (sic) sugjest (sic) that there is only one look. If that is true, then girls are suppost (sic) to walk around half naked."

Nordstrom executives wrote back and promised Ella the company would try to provide a variety of fashions for youngsters.

The shy, bespectacled redhead has since become an instant media darling, appearing on national television over the past two weeks to promote modest fashions instead of the saucy looks popularized by the likes of Britney Spears.

Ella is on to something: A more modest look is in, some fashion experts say.

"We like to call this new girl Miss Modesty," said Gigi Solif Schanen, fashion editor at Seventeen magazine. "It's such a different feeling but still very pretty and feminine and sexy. It's just a little more covered up."

Shoppers are starting to see higher waistlines and lower hemlines, and tweeds, fitted blazers and layers are expected to be big this fall, Schanen said.

"It's kind of like a sexy take on a librarian," she said. "I think people are tired of seeing so much skin and want to leave a little more to the imagination."

The Web sites ModestApparelUSA.com and ModestByDesign.com -- where the slogan is "Clothing your father would be proud of" -- report that sales have skyrocketed over the past 18 months.

Many youngsters are frustrated by the profusion of racy teenage clothing, according to Buzz Marketing, a New Jersey-based firm that compiles feedback from teen advisers.

"There is just sensory overload. Kids are going to say enough already," said Buzz's 24-year-old chief executive, Tina Wells. "The next big trend I see is kids are going to look like monks."

In 2002, a group of Arizona teens submitted a petition to the Phoenix division of the Dillard's department store chain asking for more modest clothes. The chain began carrying more conservative styles.

Nordstrom spokeswoman Deniz Anders said the company has been hearing for about two years from customers who want more modest looks, and Nordstrom tries to carry a broad array of styles in its stores.

The arrival of the modest look is good news for Ella, who last week participated in a sold-out "Pure Fashion" show in Bellevue with 37 other girls belonging to a Roman Catholic youth organization.

Ella, who paraded down the catwalk in a long-sleeved pink top and a shiny pink skirt, hopes the fashion show -- and her letter -- will prompt some change.

"There can be more than one look," the Redmond youngster said in an interview while wearing a loose Pure Fashion T-shirt, jeans and hot pink flip-flops. "Everybody should have lots of choices."