Huh?

I consider myself very open-minded when contemplating fashion trends. I often think certain trends are tacky, unflattering and painful to look at, but I in general, I just make a mental note to avoid said trend and move on.
However, since moving to Atlanta, I have become aware of a trend that it so preposterous to me, I feel the need to voice my concerns here in the hopes of being able to gain peace and move on.

***Note: I am not sure how behind I may be in noticing this trend. I could be months or years behind, but I have only noticed it since moving to downtown Atlanta. Forgive me if this is old news.

Here's the scenario:
It's a beautiful fall day and David and I are headed to Perimeter to price a new mattress (really, really excited!). We're driving down Boulevard when I start to notice several young men dressed in a similar fashion: t-shirt or tank, jeans, and tennis shoes or boots. Simple enough. As I watch them, I notice that something about the way that they're walking in connection with the positioning of their jeans is not quite right. A closer look reveals that their jeans are positioned below their rear ends, completely independent of their waist or hips.
An even closer look reveals that as these guys walk, one hand is free to do as it pleases, but the other hand is required to hold up the denim. And I don't just mean that every now and then the hand must linger in the hip region. As long as these jeans are on, the hand is there, staving off the possibility of the jeans falling to the ankles and these young men falling face first to the pavement. These jeans aren't even necessarily baggy. Some of these guys were wearing skinny jeans - sagging below their rear ends.
How do these guys exist like that? How do they go grocery shopping? How do they answer their cell phones while simultaneously carrying something?
I started posing all of these questions to David as we were driving. I think he was amused with my exasperation, because he only smiled and listened as I went on and on with my musings.
I think the answer is, that while these jeans are on, life is about making a statement, not functionality. I'm not quite sure what that statement is, but that's not the point.
It's ridiculous.

I started thinking about why this trend bothers me so much, and I think it's because I don't get why a person would voluntarily hinder their ability to function for the sake of "fashion".
Then, in a moment where I felt like I was the wheelchair girl on the "truth platform" in Mean Girls - "I don't hate you because you're fat. You're fat because I hate you." - I realized that I was getting my panties in a knot about something I have done before.
I remember when David and I went to NYC last fall, I was so excited to go shopping and get some fun clothes to wear on the trip. I wanted a fun pair of heels, so I picked out some ridiculously high, but oh so pretty Michael Kors black patent peep-toe heels. I love them, but in moments of honesty with myself, I have to admit that I still have trouble walking in them - they're 5 1/2 inch heels. On one of my favorite nights in NYC, David and I had plans to go to a great sushi dinner and then a Broadway show. I put on a cute outfit and then donned the heels. David gave me an "are you serious?" look, but said nothing and we left. This was not our first night in the city. I knew we would be taking the subway and walking and standing a lot. I was able to last about 15 minutes looking like a normal person. Then David had to lend me his arm for support. Then for the rest of the night, I walked all over the theater district looking like I had escaped from a hobbling.
Since then, my ability to walk in these heels has improved and I plan ahead if I know I will be walking or standing in them for more than 30 minutes or so (trusty flip-flops in the bag), but am I not doing the same thing as these saggy jean-wearing men? I'm sacrificing a bit of comfort to take part in a trend.
And I realized, I don't feel silly or odd when I put on my cute shoes, and I don't think people are oggling my footware with looks of puzzlement or dread. So, I'm sure these guys feel completely normal when they put on these below-the-butt jeans.
I guess the point is, the whole incident has helped me to reach the conclusion that I would like my life to be a balance of functionality and fun. Sometimes functionality will take precedents over fun and vice versa - I didn't function very well in those Michael Kors heels in NYC, but it sure is entertaining to look at our pictures from the trip and laugh about that night. It was fun to be a 5'7 version of myself walking the streets of Manhattan!
Now that I have mediated my internal dilemma, I just have to figure out how to find that balance every day.