Tall Tees vs. Tight Rolling

I'm not sure where you live (although if I had to guess it'd be Chicago, Milwaukee or Ithaca) but I wonder if the fashion of tall tees has caught on. Not being familiar with how or where fashion trends start, I'm willing to admit the possibility that this trend started in North Carolina. Noting the many backward ways of my Carolinian compatriates, however, I somehow doubt it. If you are not familiar with the tall tee fashion, it is basically a plain t-shirt that is usually 2 sizes too big and that hangs down to the wearers knees or ankles. I have typically seen tall tees worn in black or white with an occassional pink thrown in. This fashion is prevalent among young black males in my area.

I find this trend very silly. I watched a young man - probably about 14 years old - walk down the sidewalk across the street from my house. His hair was braided, black tall tee down to his ankles, and he was making punching motions in the air, like a boxer sparring. He approached my neighbors (a man, wife and young daughter lounging in their yard) kitty corner from my house, and was confronted about something. I made out the word "hooligan" but didn't hear anything else. I wondered if the tall tee wearer was related to these neighbors and noted that he obviously knew them in a familiar way. Whatever the case, he turned quickly and walked back from wear he had come, again shadow boxing.

I couldn't help but laugh to myself as this boy - looking like a nubian princess with a long black dress - hiked up his pants, karate'd the air and strutted down the street. I wish I could have it on video tape to show him five years down the road. Surely he would realize how utterly ridiculous he appears.

Just like me, when I was 14, with my tight rolled jeans. Where the hell did that fashion start? North Carolina?