<p>Ever really want to ask your teenager a question but felt silly or afraid of what the answer may be? For example:
Why in the world do you really need three hundred dollar jeans when you can get cute ones for lik $20-30? Or REALLY, what do you see in him/her as a boyfriend/girlfriend? Or seriously, why spend three dollars on a cup of coffee when you can make it at home?</p>
<p>These are the only ones that I can think of right now…but I am a seven-teen year old girl and have either seen it/been through it/or am going throught it. </p>
<p>Everything from picking the WORST boyfriends ever, to falling for the craziest fads, I can give you honest teen opinions, all without rudeness, eye rolling or sarcasm (hopefully non of your children are like this)</p>
<p>OK, Danielle, as the father of a 17 year old (aided and abetted by her mom) I’ll bite on question No. 1: What is it about those jeans, anyway? Teenage girls all look terrific in just about everything they wear - why spend the big bucks on a pair of pants?</p>
<p>Thank you.
Those jeans are not to impress the guys(who for the most part could care less what it says on the label), but (oddly enough) to demand repsect from other girls. You see, its the same with anything else in our nearing “Brave New World” consumerism society. </p>
<p>For example, A toyota corolla would get you from point A to point B in the same way a mercedes s class would (not considering mph). Both would do the job equally and you would arrive at your destination, but which is sought after? Who would you want to be friends with first? Who’s advice would you trust, knowing nothing else about the individual driving?</p>
<p>Designer jeans are like luxery cares, merely staus symbols. There are other places to buy cute clothes of good quality (for cars, we would think about perhaps the prius, love that car!). However, I admit to have allowed myself to become a victim of sociteies influence as well. I own a couple pairs of designer jeans : (</p>
<p>Okay - next question: Why do most teenage boys dress like they found their wardrobe in a trashcan in a disreputable part of town? What’s up with the saggy, baggy pants and the goofy baseball hats set at an angle?</p>
<p>Why do teenagers wear shorts and flip flops all the time even in the winter? I don’t understand the point of standing around shivering in what is obviously not enough clothing or footwear. Yet teenagers around here persist in doing this. What powerful force drives them to act against their own self interest in this irrational way?</p>
<p>LOL kluge, I would somehow assume from your post #4 that you were the parent of a daughter and not a son. I, as the parent of sons only, would note that most teenage girls dress like they found their wardrobe in the “too small yet still really tawdry” bin, with their bellies hanging out over their pants, poking out from beneath tank tops that are far too short.</p>
<p>So Danielle, why do young women think their pudgy bellies are attractive poking out between their tiny shirts and their too-tight pants? I’m all for body acceptance, but this seems to be kind of an “in your face” style.</p>
<p>Uck…it has always been a pet peeve of mine when girls wear jeans that give them muffin tops (for parents: muffin top = when you wear tight jeans and your belly spills over, hence, looking like a muffin) when they could wear clothes THEIR SIZE and look much nicer. I don’t even know why they do it.</p>
<p>Can I help answer? I’m recently 19. I think that’s close enough.</p>
<p>Flip flops: Comfortable, easy to wear, fast to put on – It takes time to put on socks and sneakers and tie your shoes, when you can just slip flip flops on. A lot of flip flops are made to mold to your feet, so they’re usually super comfortable. They’re also an obvious symbol of summer, so girls are reluctant to trade them in for shoes that scream Winter! (which = School!).</p>
<p>Girls’ Fashion: The super low cut pants are “out” and have been for a couple of years. During the time they were popular, it was not cool for girls to wear them who would have their bellies hanging out over the pants or who squeezed their hips into a size or two too small. For girls they flattered, it was yet another way to show off their bodies and a little bit of skin, which is a fad that’s pretty enduring among teenage girls. This was definitely a style aimed at pleasing teenage boys. For the people who obviously shouldn’t wear that style of pants but do, I think it’s often a counter-culture “strike back” move or an “I don’t care” move. For girls who are just wearing a size too small, it’s probably a reluctance to wear a size 8 instead of a more acceptable size 6. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Ay caramba, ok kluge, girls at this age tend to fall for anyone who tells them they are pretty. Boys are following rock and hip hop artists who fashioned “unkept” look. Gross. But in. Tonight I went out with my friend Chino and his niece Laurita, who wanted to introduce us to the guy she likes. He was wearing a sweatshirt that looked like a homeless family just moved out of it and when he got up I had the wonderful view of his dirty spiderman boxers… Also he said hello by telling her that she was lucky hes spending his break with her because he was going to go smoke. Sorry, I cant be more help, just some of these unwashed boys have some sort of allure to our beatiful girls. Next…</p>
<p>coureur, girls at teenageness will unfortunately many times do nearly anything to get boys attention. We have a word for this in california, it is prosti-tot (like toys for tots mixed with corner worker). In spanish we say mujerzuelita, mujer is woman, adding zuela is like…um, you get it. Basically, these young girls do not understand that getting attention is no where near getting respect (sadly, some never relize this)</p>
<p>As for those who just where too few/too tight clothes, they tend to very body conscuis and if they do not get boys breaking their necks to stare and holler when they go out, they do not feel attractive.</p>
<p>As for flip flops, Idk thanks for grabbing that for my corranged because in california (where I am at least) there are very few days when it gets too cold for flip flops and when it is too cold, many of us forget and where them anyway because its rather infrequent.</p>
<p>Disclaimer: In my experience, most girls go through a prostitot phase (typically between middle school and freshman year). On average, it is grown out of fairly quickly, however one of my best friends parents never let her out without extremely modest attire and as a consequence she ended up going through her s way later than everyone else (not good)</p>
<p>Disclaimer: In my experience, most girls go through a prostitot phase (typically between middle school and freshman year). On average, it is grown out of fairly quickly, however one of my best friends parents never let her out without extremely modest attire and as a consequence she ended up going through her s way later than everyone else meaning we had all gone past this and were each beginning to cultivate our individual style while she was basically leaving the house in as little as she could(not good)</p>
<p>Coureur, I had to laugh about the shorts in cold weather. I knew what you meant but just today, I saw a different “get up.” My girls are home for less than 48 hours at the moment, a rare happening here. We have snow on the ground. Over the course of this holiday weekend, we have been in sunshine and '70s and now at home in the 20s and snow. D2, who has become a New Yorker and so is hip to “fashion” compared to her rural upbringing which is not high fashion…went out for a bit with her local pals whom she never gets to see. She comes down the stairs and I was like, what kind of outfit is this? It is winter here! Are you kidding? She was like…this is a fashion. She had on tight little shorts from Urban Outfitters that she had gotten to wear in the summer OVER a pair of dark leggings and then she had on a short sleeve shirt and then Ugg style winter boots. Summer clothing and winter, well…um…“mixed.” Sure was different! Oh yeah, and a down coat and wool scarf over this outfit. :D</p>
<p>PS…other D went out the door in many layers, long underwear, fleece, ski jacket, down gloves to ski. Go figure. Opposite attire all for a winter’s day in Vermont.</p>
<p>When we moved to Washington in January I asked some blue, shivering teenagers standing outside a movie theater in the middle of the night why they weren’t wearing coats. One girl said, her eyeballs nearly making audible rolling noises, “I don’t have a coat that goes with this outfit.”</p>
<p>Does the movie Mean Girls have any resemblance to high school life? It seemed kinder and gentler when I was in high school in the Pleistocene.</p>
<p>Haha, means girls is so popular because it is hilariously accurate (in some schools). Most teen girls really relate to some part of the movie, whether it is betrayal or needing to look their best at every second. As for the part of remember a kinder gentler high school, think about how much the United States’ culture is changing. Everything did not used to be some much of a competition, i.e. to get into college, to get that promtion and yes to best absolutly the best and most loved in highschool (complete with the right boyfriend, car, and lol jeans). Unfortunately, the struggle does start very eary, and yes it tends to start with mean girls.</p>
<p>Do girls wear high heels just to get the attention of boys? It’s funny because I’ve observed this from a third party perspective, and boys do turn their heads when they hear the sound of high heels.</p>
<p>Many of the possible answers to these questions could be found in this book called “Bonds of Love: Psychoanalysis, Feminism, and the Problem of Domination.” I’m reading it right now, and it’s really fascinating.</p>