Surveys show that the popular perception of old men wearing their pants higher than younger men is true. According to the BBC, men wear their waistband the highest at age 57 — about 7 inches (18 cm) below their armpits. Those around age 16 wear them the lowest at about 5 inches (about 13 cm) below the natural waist.
More facts about men's pants:
- There are many speculations about why older men tend to wear their pants higher, but it's thought that a combination of unawareness of where the natural waistline actually is and a desire to hide excess belly fat plays a part in most cases.
- The first true "pants" worn in the Western world were called pantaloons. They were cut very high and usually were light-colored to visually elongate a man's figure.
- Most people seem to prefer high pants to the opposite — sagging. Some cities have even instituted "anti-sagging" laws, under which saggers can be fined for indecency or even face jail time.