Citing a vagueness in the proposed ordinance that might hamper enforcement - and questioning the role of city government in legislating fashion - the New Iberia City Council deferred action on outlawing sagging pants Tuesday night .

Council members also deferred indefinitely an ordinance amendment that would have established three one-way streets in the downtown area, a move that they have claimed would create more parking.

District 1 Councilwoman Therese Segura suggested that the council wait two weeks on the sagging pants issue. Segura said she wanted to research it further.

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The proposed provision comes on the heels of several state municipalities and parishes that have adopted laws prohibiting the partial exposure of undergarments as often seen in teens who wear their pants below the waistline revealing their underwear as a fashion statement. The way the proposed ordinance reads, Segura said, it could be interpreted to affect people wearing swimsuits at the public pool.

"Who determines what's offensive and what's not?" she said.

District 5 Councilman Dan Doerle questioned the authority of the council to pass such an ordinance.

"What role is it of the City Council to tell people how to wear their clothes?" he said.

Councilman Rocky Romero of District 4 agreed that the ordinance, as written, is vague and suggested that it be tweaked by city attorney Ted Haik Jr. to "focus more on undergarments." Too many "gray areas" are created by focusing on the sagging pants, he said.

Councilman Raymond "Shoe-Do" Lewis of District 5, who is a strong proponent of the anti-sagging law, agreed.

"We cannot address pants," he said. "The intent is to address underpants. No one should be disrespected to see someone's briefs, boxers or thongs in public. It's offensive to any human being."

District 3 Councilman David Broussard said just this past weekend he was at a local grocery store and saw a young man with sagging pants.

"That's just nasty when you're buying food and that goes by," Broussard said.

Haik, who said he had used language from ordinances adopted by the town of Delcambre and Lafourche Parish, said he would tweak the proposal, but not without more input from council members.

"I will send each of you copies of other ordinances and I want your written comments," he said. "Tell me what you want addressed, if it's undergarments, tell me that; if it's thongs, tell me that; if it's flip-flops, tell me that."

The council voted unanimously to defer action until Oct. 2. Mayor Pro Tem Freddie Decourt, a vocal proponent of making three streets in the downtown area one way to create more parking, suggested the council defer action and explained that a planned walk-through of the affected area was canceled last week when Hurricane Humberto threatened the Gulf Coast.

Decourt first wanted to put off the vote until the Oct. 16 meeting, after another walk-through could be scheduled and held. But other council members chimed in, saying they had received many complaints from constituents who don't want the streets - Julia, French and Iberia - converted to one-way roads.

The proposal, if adopted as written, would make Julia and French streets one way traveling in a north to south - or Main Street to St. Peter Street - direction while Iberia Street would become a one-way street south to north - or St. Peter Street to Main Street. The changes would only affect those three roadways between Main and St. Peter streets.

"We shouldn't rush into this," Doerle said, adding that the meeting after the proposed "makeup" walk-through might be too soon. "I want to slow this down some."

Ultimately, the council voted unanimously to defer indefinitely any decision on the changes.