fashion

things converge if you keep your eyes (and ears) open.

First: Celia Rivenbark--the columnist and author of Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like A Skank, interview in Macleans January 1st issue.

Quote:
Macleans: I understand Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like a Skank began as a newspaper column. What led you to write it in the first place?

Celia: Well, I went shopping with my daughter, and I saw all these tween skank clothes, and one thing led to another. I just went off on the notion that these clothes are inappropriate, these hoochie-mama Las Vegas showgirl clothes marketed to kids who are as young as seven. There were all these sequined, sparkling midriff tops, lots of fishnet, shirts saying things like Jailbait, Made Ya Look or Juicy on the bottoms of the pants. Pretty disgusting.
Macleans: The salesperson seemed to agree with you that these clothes were inappropriate for the age group, but said everyone was buying them anyway.

Celia: Well, yeah, I think that's what's in style. Obviously the stuff sells because the stores are full of it. Parents buy it. They feel a lot of pressure -- particularly parents who work all the time -- to appease the kids by giving them what they want, so I think that's why so many parents just finally give in. They feel like this is a battle they don't want to fight. (Read the rest here...)

Second:

ABC News Article Titled: Some Say It's OK for Girls to Go Wild an article that suggests that sexualized portrayal of teenage girls is a normal part of the individuation of the adolescent process: "Every generation thinks that teenagers are going to hell in a hand basket for a variety of reasons," she said. "There isn't any new problem here."
According to Hancock, by dressing provocatively, dancing seductively and posting salacious photos on social networking sites, young women are trying to accomplish a time-honored goal of adolescence: establishing their independence." (Read the rest here...)

ht: Tim S

Third:

I am sitting behind a group of university students at a Lethbridge Hurricanes game. I usually try to introduce myself and talk to the people around me but this time I decided to mind my own business. So along with overhearing the usual talk about how drunk they got at this or that function and their obsessing over the expectations of their parents over thier marks - or lack thereof, I hear this conversation:

Girl: You know my mom totally loves that song...

Guy: Really?

Girl: Yeah, I heard her humming it around the house the other day.

Guy: Wierd.

Girl: (to other girl) don't you hate that when they get into like modern stuff.

Other Girl: Yeah that just doesn't seem right.

Girl: Yeah it freaked me out and you know what else.

Guy: huh

Girl: the other day she's singing the "buttons' song by the pussycat dolls and I'm like mom don't you know what those lyrics are all about. And she's like, 'Well, I like the beat - it fun."

Other Girl: Omigosh! "Fun" seriously!

So this promiscuity is it worse than ever or just a normal part of teenage cultural rebellion? And what part if any do/can/should/will parents play in it all?

I just have boys - OH DANG!