It is rare for one to take a stroll through town, in recent times, without either spotting two out of five guys either in sagged denims or whatever shorts they are wearing and it seems this bug has bitten contemporary Ghanaian ladies in recent memory as they have adopted the sagging ‘flavour’.
Sagging is the practice of wearing a pair of trousers or shorts below the waist so as to reveal some or all the wearer’s underwear. Sagging is commonly reported in the media as having originated from the prohibition of belts for prisoners. Belts were banned because they could be used to commit suicide by hanging, to strangle others or as a weapon in a fight.
It is believed that this phenomenon caught up with the Ghanaian youth in the late eighties and early nineties. The term “Otto Pfister” as it is called in local parlance came about during the tenure of German Otto Pfister as coach of various national teams in Ghana. Known for his chain smoking, Otto Pfister was at the helm of affairs when the Black Starlets won the FIFA Youth Cup in Italy in 1991 and also led the Black Stars to second place finish at the African Cup of Nations in Senegal, 1992.
Despite his success with Ghana, this is a man who invariably has his trousers below his waist line. He rarely pulls his trousers up and it seems many of the youth at the time of his tenure adopted this style of dressing and has lived on as the ladies have also joined the fray. It is not only at nightclubs ladies are seen sagging.
Going by the women’s coinage of sagging as: “I am aware”, sagged trousers by women looks more serious than guys as many either refuse to wear ‘undies’ when they sag or wear a “G-string” types which lay bare their bums.
Sagging in Ghana can also be attributed to infiltration of cultures or vogue. The hip-hop culture in the Western world can be partly if not wholly blamed for sagging in Ghana. Most of the American rappers expose their boxers by sagging either in stage performances or award shows. With many of the youth having hip-hop artistes as role models, needless to say - they definitely copy their sagging style of dressing.
The hip-life music genre also plays a key role in the “Otto Pfister” trend amongst the youth and young artistes. A lot of youth seem to believe: one has to follow the status quo to thrive in this industry and only a few have succeeded without dressing in hip-hop or gangster fashion (whatever you will like to call it). Wearing baggy trousers, big medallions and dressing in flashy clothes has even become the norm in many self-acclaimed neighbourhoods for one to be accepted among one’s peers.
Sagging comes in two types - either to wear the trousers or shorts below the waistline with tightened belt or to let the belt loose to enable the trouser fall below the waistline. In this type, one has to pull the trousers up quite often.
Several reasons have been attributed to this Western style of dressing but What’s On decided to find answers to this question: what will prompt someone to sag? It is amazing some of the responses from people especially, the youth about why they will sag or why they need to sag. Senior high school graduate Evans said: “I don’t feel comfortable when my trousers are not below my waist line because I have worn it like that for a couple of years now”. Wannabe rapper, Don Winsky, was of another view of why one needs to sag: “sagging portrays you in a certain light and that shows you really know what’s going on. Also to become the rapper I want to be, I need to dress this way and that’s wassup”.
Popular radio and television presenter, Kofi Okyere Darko, was of the view that people have different reasons for sagging. “I think we have different types of jeans or trousers where some have loose waistlines therefore you don’t get any option than to wear it below the waist line. Also some copy it from rappers in the Western world”.
From a ladies viewpoint: Ellen thinks women are also into it more due to the fact that: “It is something that’s in vogue. It has come to the forefront these days because most of the shorts and trousers on the market for women are either loose or jsve been created in a certain way where it has to be below your waist line”.
Whatever the case maybe, sagging amongst the Ghanaian youth seems to be on the ascendency as one can now even spot sagged trousers at a ‘holy’ place like the church; banking halls and the senior high schools and universities are not faring any better.
Sagging is the practice of wearing a pair of trousers or shorts below the waist so as to reveal some or all the wearer’s underwear. Sagging is commonly reported in the media as having originated from the prohibition of belts for prisoners. Belts were banned because they could be used to commit suicide by hanging, to strangle others or as a weapon in a fight.
It is believed that this phenomenon caught up with the Ghanaian youth in the late eighties and early nineties. The term “Otto Pfister” as it is called in local parlance came about during the tenure of German Otto Pfister as coach of various national teams in Ghana. Known for his chain smoking, Otto Pfister was at the helm of affairs when the Black Starlets won the FIFA Youth Cup in Italy in 1991 and also led the Black Stars to second place finish at the African Cup of Nations in Senegal, 1992.
Despite his success with Ghana, this is a man who invariably has his trousers below his waist line. He rarely pulls his trousers up and it seems many of the youth at the time of his tenure adopted this style of dressing and has lived on as the ladies have also joined the fray. It is not only at nightclubs ladies are seen sagging.
Going by the women’s coinage of sagging as: “I am aware”, sagged trousers by women looks more serious than guys as many either refuse to wear ‘undies’ when they sag or wear a “G-string” types which lay bare their bums.
Sagging in Ghana can also be attributed to infiltration of cultures or vogue. The hip-hop culture in the Western world can be partly if not wholly blamed for sagging in Ghana. Most of the American rappers expose their boxers by sagging either in stage performances or award shows. With many of the youth having hip-hop artistes as role models, needless to say - they definitely copy their sagging style of dressing.
The hip-life music genre also plays a key role in the “Otto Pfister” trend amongst the youth and young artistes. A lot of youth seem to believe: one has to follow the status quo to thrive in this industry and only a few have succeeded without dressing in hip-hop or gangster fashion (whatever you will like to call it). Wearing baggy trousers, big medallions and dressing in flashy clothes has even become the norm in many self-acclaimed neighbourhoods for one to be accepted among one’s peers.
Sagging comes in two types - either to wear the trousers or shorts below the waistline with tightened belt or to let the belt loose to enable the trouser fall below the waistline. In this type, one has to pull the trousers up quite often.
Several reasons have been attributed to this Western style of dressing but What’s On decided to find answers to this question: what will prompt someone to sag? It is amazing some of the responses from people especially, the youth about why they will sag or why they need to sag. Senior high school graduate Evans said: “I don’t feel comfortable when my trousers are not below my waist line because I have worn it like that for a couple of years now”. Wannabe rapper, Don Winsky, was of another view of why one needs to sag: “sagging portrays you in a certain light and that shows you really know what’s going on. Also to become the rapper I want to be, I need to dress this way and that’s wassup”.
Popular radio and television presenter, Kofi Okyere Darko, was of the view that people have different reasons for sagging. “I think we have different types of jeans or trousers where some have loose waistlines therefore you don’t get any option than to wear it below the waist line. Also some copy it from rappers in the Western world”.
From a ladies viewpoint: Ellen thinks women are also into it more due to the fact that: “It is something that’s in vogue. It has come to the forefront these days because most of the shorts and trousers on the market for women are either loose or jsve been created in a certain way where it has to be below your waist line”.
Whatever the case maybe, sagging amongst the Ghanaian youth seems to be on the ascendency as one can now even spot sagged trousers at a ‘holy’ place like the church; banking halls and the senior high schools and universities are not faring any better.
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