by Kathryn E.
Member since:
January 15, 2006

What Teens Wear - for Mandi G.

March 04, 2006 01:09 AM EST
views: 9 | comments: 34

Teen boy wears low-slung pants, no belt, low enough so boxers show, no socks, but shoes down on the heel.

Teen boy wears a tee with his father's dress shirt, unbuttoned. He sometimes wears a coat, no gloves, no boots.

Teen boy shampoos his hair daily, but uses no comb or brush. This, my friend, is the true meaning of wash and wear.

Teen boy brushes his teeth, cuts his nails and wears deodorant and cologne.

Teen boy spends more time in the bathroom, than mother, father, and teen sister, combined.

Teen boy blares music from his shower CD player, sometimes singing along.

Teen boy wears a blanket like a toga and boxers for pajamas, forgoing the expensive robe and pajamas bought for him at Christmas.

Teen boy sleeps with fan on and window open, in the winter.

 

*          *            *            *

Teen girl gets up at 5:30 a.m. to straighten her hair, even though it's already straight.

Teen girl wears low-slung jeans, low enough so her top doesn't reach.

Teen girl wears matching earrings, bracelet and necklace, usually with a heart motif.

Teen girl has at least 10 pairs of shoes and boots, even though she only wears old, expensive sneakers.

Teen girl fingers the clearance racks, but only expensive items catch her eye. This, my friend, is the true meaning of shopping.

Teen girl brushes her teeth, cuts her nails and wears deodorant, but no cologne.

Teen girl wears a short-sleeved tee in February, yet complains she is cold.

Teen girl shops every week, yet complains she has nothing to wear, even though her closet has burst its seams.

And when you tuck them in, kiss and say nite-nite, they smile and say, 'G'night, mommy, I love you.' 

A snapshot of how they are this day, full of themselves and slightly annoying, and yet you yearn for days when they they were small because you know this, too, shall one day pass.  

 

 

 

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Comments: 34

Kathryn E. Mar 4, 2006, 2:54am EST
Thanks, Wilhelmine. My teens are so good-natured I wonder if and when the problems will start. But I understand your point. Thanks, as usual for stopping by, reading and commenting. I do appreciate it very much.
Molly K. Mar 4, 2006, 6:43am EST
I now have a new appreciation for the ability to dress my two young kids (5 and 7) in what I choose every day. Your piece is like a far-off drumbeat of distant teen fumblings for identity and (with any luck, gentle) rebellions in my future; it's also rather amusing.
Carolyn Madden Mar 4, 2006, 7:39am EST
LOL like Molly I see this as a tribal warning. So far my big boy at age eleven has only the slightest understanding that there is a contemporary music industry, let alone a youth fashion industry. He knows the best clothes are those we get on sale, the best songs are by bands where half the members have died of natural causes and that the way he smells is going to become very important some day soon, and I'll be the one who lets him know when!

You have scared the crap outta me Kathryn!
Aileen F. Mar 4, 2006, 8:09am EST
Kathryn, I missed out on the boy part of this! My girls made up for it by being polar opposites. I have discovered that just finding what to wear takes longer and longer when they exit theirt eens!
Nathan Schauer Mar 4, 2006, 9:29am EST
Like the snapshot approach - photo journalism without the photos. Are your kids coming to my school? They would fit right in.
Colleen Nielsen Mar 4, 2006, 9:58am EST
Just had the short tee topic and being cold come up at dinner last night! Actually asked me to turn the heat up.... my suggestion was to put on a sweater.... kids....
Nice reflection...
Clare Stella Mar 4, 2006, 10:04am EST
We had our styles and habits too though it was a long time ago. It's all natural and all good.
0000-doublel-0000 Mar 4, 2006, 10:33am EST
You captured it perfectly, Kathryn. My sons are the same, except I get the singing in the shower without the radio from my 13 year old.
Aniko   Mar 4, 2006, 12:18pm EST
Well, I only have one of the two prototypes, and the older edition (10) is still looking at the teens at the middle school he'll go to next school year with trepidation rather than admiration. But we'll see how it goes.

So far I set his clothes out, and I'd be happy if he could tell them apart from the six-year old's - would you believe they can get dressed and not realize or even wonder how come one's t-shirt is suddenly too small and the other's is huge?

Great article!
Stephen Schneider Mar 4, 2006, 12:22pm EST
Now I only enjoy other people's teenagers.
Carl Neeld Mar 4, 2006, 4:52pm EST
Guess it depends on your generation:

Teen boy wears jeans, white shirt with cigarette pack rolled up in a sleeve, white wool socks and penny loafers without the penny. Top wear anything else is to be dead.

Teen girl wears flannel ankle length skirt, bobby socks, two tone saddle shoes and pink cashmere sweater; or white, or baby blue, or pastel green, or .....
Kathryn E. Mar 4, 2006, 6:24pm EST
Molly, good luck with the future. It may not be as bad as you think. In spite of the way my kids dress, they are good kids. And, it could be worse. They're really quite cute. A photo of them is up on my namespace.
Kathryn E. Mar 4, 2006, 6:25pm EST
Carolyn, wait until they hit the music phase. When my son was 10, he discovered rap on the radio. I couldn't stand it. Thankfully, now he mixes the 60s and the 80s with the current best.
Kathryn E. Mar 4, 2006, 6:28pm EST
Aileen, even longer to find what to wear when they're older? How do they get anything done? Girls are more difficult than boys, in my opinion.
Kathryn E. Mar 4, 2006, 6:29pm EST
Nathan, that was funny. That kids would probaby fit in anywhere. That's scary.
Kathryn E. Mar 4, 2006, 6:31pm EST
Colleen, yes, I know how THAT is. I bought my daughter a cashmere sweater on sale so she wouldn't be cold. Ha!
Kathryn E. Mar 4, 2006, 6:33pm EST
Clare, yes it is all good. My kids don't dress all that differently from how i dressed, at one point.
Kathryn E. Mar 4, 2006, 6:35pm EST
Laurie, I wonder if the radio helps them sing, or drowns out their natural voice. Maybe in some cases, the natural voice is better when drowned out.
Kathryn E. Mar 4, 2006, 6:36pm EST
Aniko, wow, boys will be boys. It must be quite funny when they dress in the wrong size. Yes, I can imagine boys doing this. My son has worn my daughter's tee shirt by accident a few times. At least, he's tried to get it on himself.
Kathryn E. Mar 4, 2006, 6:37pm EST
Stephen, that's the best way to enjoy teenagers.
Kathryn E. Mar 4, 2006, 6:40pm EST
Carl, I was very small when poodle skirts, bobby sox and saddle shoes were the fashion. I even owned a pair of beige and brown saddle shoes. Thanks for reminding me of those sweet days.
Jack Harklerode Mar 4, 2006, 11:21pm EST
the pants problem doesn't stop after boys grow up. Here in Texas, (and elsewhere, I'm sure) we get plenty of old men with pants hanging below the underwear. It is NOT atractive. I think that would be a great deterrent, to show your teenage boy an old man who is losing his pants.
Now girls-I know you are probabl not at this age yet, but again, in my town, girls over 18 have tattoos. And the not quite tummy covering tops reveal the engravings. This is a bad bad thing! Protect your daughters from this and piercing anything below the earlobe.
Kathryn E. Mar 4, 2006, 11:56pm EST
Jack, I agree low slung pants are not attractive. Also, we have a policy here about piercings - one per earlobe and that's it. I think body piercing is ugly and potentially prone to infection.

Thanks for reading and commenting.
0000-dashiell5-0000 Mar 5, 2006, 6:32am EST
Having one of each, I can say this is pretty much spot on, allowing for personal variations. I esp. like the final paragraph.

I keep waiting for the low baggy jeans (boys) and the low-rider jeans (girls) to go out of style, but the style is perniciously persistent. Who wants to look at a kid's boxers (answer: no one) and how is it considered "cool"? And many teen girls with a little extra in the hip department STILL wear those jeans, flaunting the excess rolls riding their hips. Where I came from, the ladies show it when they have it, and hide it when they don't. Such common-sense modesty is no more. Fat or no, low-riders are cool with the young ladies.

But then, what do I know. I am, by a teen's estimation, Cro-Magnum age-wise. And in this country, old age doesn't bring "wisdom," it brings "cluelessness" (or so I'm told, early and often).

Signed,
Clueless and Old
Laura G. Mar 5, 2006, 7:27am EST
This was great... But i have to agree with KR- too many fat rolls habging out... and if it isn't hanging out- it's being squeezewd into these teeny t-shirts...

In one way, I guess it's good... the self-esteem of these people must be higher than mine... I am still hiding my post baby weight... and have to shop at the Salvation Army for clothes that fit!! lol!!
Kathryn E. Mar 5, 2006, 8:10am EST
Dear Clueless and Old, I agree with you on all counts. Those low rise jeans (and skirts, too) shouldn't be worn by most. Fortunately, my daughter does a lot of dance and is very fit.

Women over 30 like to wear jeans that sit at the waist. Under 30, a lot of them do wear the low-rise. The super low rise is really bad, I find.

I work at Filene's and I find a LOT of fashion no no's. The non-thin should hide, not flaunt.

I remember all the comments 40 years ago about mini-skirts, when so many with fat legs were wearing mini skirts when perhaps they should have covered up.
Kathryn E. Mar 5, 2006, 8:13am EST
Laura, yes, so many wear what they shouldn't. I've seen women in their 30s who should be a lot more modest. When I pick my daughter up at the high school, I'm amazed by how many should hide their flab.

Fortunately, my daughter is fit, so at least her clothes sit well on her.

There's a photo of my kids up at my namespace. I will publish a photo in a few days of when they were small.
Enoch Allen Mar 6, 2006, 5:31am EST
I was never in to the baggy jeans fad, although I tried them out a couple times. I felt like I was going to a costume party, 'cause that apparel made me feel like a poser.

Nice to see group mentality alive and kicking.
Kathryn E. Mar 6, 2006, 6:05am EST
Enoch, I wouldn't want you to feel like a poser. I'd heard it was Michael Jordon who started the baggy pants fashion statement.
Serina Matteson Mar 6, 2006, 1:09pm EST
Well, this was a great post as always Kathryn. I really enjoyed reading it. I guess I'm the odd ball here in the comment section. I've allowed my daughter at 17 to get a tatoo on her back, which I took her to get so I could approve of the one she picked, and she has a belly button ring. Of course she shows them with the shirts that are too short. But what do you expect from a mom like me. My goal for loosing weight is to loose enough so I can get a belly button ring myself. Haha. What's the world without a little diversity?
Kathryn E. Mar 6, 2006, 8:53pm EST
Serina, without a little diversity the world would be a boring place, indeed. Thanks for your great comment. Thanks for being such as loyal reader, too!
nichole b. Mar 11, 2006, 1:48pm EST
That's almost completely true. Nice. =)
Kathryn E. May 13, 2006, 10:19am EDT
Thanks,Nichole B. Sorry it's taken TWO MONTHS to find this comment !!!

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