Teen Fashion Woes
Posted by
Ask Astrid
Posted on: 05/12/08
Teen Fashion Woes
Dear Astrid,Should I let my 16 year-old son wear pajamas to school? He tells me it's all the style to wear pajama bottoms, all the kids do it, and it's 'no big deal'. I know it's important to be independent but at what point should I just tell him it looks stupid?
-Fashion Conscious Parent
Dear Fashion Conscious Parent,
Yes, wearing pajama bottoms to school does look kind of stupid. However, you could possibly define the entire teen trend culture as "things that look kind of stupid." From glitter eye make-up to plastic "jellies" on your feet, blue hair, and twelve foot tall Mohawks, teen culture is full of fashion concepts that would make Stacy and Clinton shudder.
But my thoughts linger on one phrase that you wrote in your letter: a phrase that many teenagers use and most parents dread. "All the kids do it."
"All the kids do it," is, in my mind, a much more frightening thought than wearing pajamas to school. I agree with Simon Doonan when he says that fashion is about figuring out who you are and dressing the part. So if you truly want to encourage your son to be independent, I suggest you encourage him to create his own fashion trends by wearing whatever clothes he feel best express his personality.
Of course, he will then proceed to argue that the clothes that best express his personality are pajama pants. Argung this point can be a bit like explaining to my 3 year old niece that she can't wear her Snow White costume to day care. It's better to pick your battles.
In short? As long as it doesn't infringe on the school's dress code (we don't want him getting arrested) let him wear pajama pants to school.
Love, Astrid
Ask Astrid
Here to help.
8
share
subscribe
contact
subscribe
RSS
Leave a Comment