Do you think teens are more appearance-aware today than years ago?

[Janie Grace]

I was pretty oblivious to style and fashion as a teen (late 80s/early 90s). I didn't wear make-up until after college and then only the tiniest bit. I dressed acceptably (Gap, Express, etc) but it wasn't a big focus.

 

I was definitely on the non-girly side of the spectrum, but I don't remember even the most prissy/fashionable/"popular" girls being as appearance-aware as most teens seem now. Social media seems to indicate that their appearance is a HUGE priority and focus now (fake tans, hair dyed, brows waxed, makeup heavy and perfect, hair straightened, bodies postured to look sexy, etc). I look at photos of my high school classmates and it's so different -- girls just being goofy, hair in ponytails, baggy shorts, etc. I'm wondering if the difference is the advent of the internet -- Facebook, selfies, Instagram, etc... this constant pressure to display your face/body the way models do. I wonder if, before girls were constantly capturing and showing the world their image, there was more freedom to just not worry about it that much. 

 

What do you think? Has the pressure to look pretty/hot increased? Is it linked to the internet? Or have most teen girls been pretty looks-obsessed for millennia?  

[Carrie12345]

Nope.

[SadieMarie]

Judging by my dd and her friends, and remembering myself and my friends at that age, I think things are better.  But I guess I have pretty small sample size to make that judgement.  

[T'smom]

I don't think it is worse now.

[elegantlion]

No. I grew up in the 80s, designer everything was key and everyone knew the fake from the real. Izod, Polo, Gloria Vanderbilt, Nikes, yup brand names were high on the list. If you didn't have at least one polo or Izod shirt, you were out. I was out. 

 

My son wears clothes from walmart, Target, and Kohls, doesn't care about brand or fashion in the least. 

 

Even girls, I see wanting certain styles, but not necessarily expensive name brands. It's easier to replicate styles on a budget now. 

[Janie Grace]

Interesting! I wonder if any of this is influenced by homeschool vs. public/private school. The girls I am observing (dd's friends) are mostly in private school. The homeschoolers I know care much less.

[fraidycat]

No.

 

Teens was the only time I was "appearance aware", or more accurately - cared - about hair, make-up, clothes, etc.

 

Now I am much more comfortable in my own skin.

[Heather in Neverland]

I went to high school in the 80s and fashion was EVERYTHING. When I think of all the time it took to put on my makeup and do my big hair each morning before school... Wow, that took commitment. :)

 

Then I went to college. By the time I finished my degree and got a job as a high school teacher it was 1994 and "grunge" was all the rage. I remember being quite shocked by the way teens dressed in the 90s. They all looked homeless.

 

It seems that right now it is midway between the two. I don't see the Madonna-esque extravagance of my teen years, but they definitely look nicer than the Pearl Jam years.

[Wheres Toto]

No. I grew up in the 80s, designer everything was key and everyone knew the fake from the real. Izod, Polo, Gloria Vanderbilt, Nikes, yup brand names were high on the list. If you didn't have at least one polo or Izod shirt, you were out. I was out. 

 

My son wears clothes from walmart, Target, and Kohls, doesn't care about brand or fashion in the least. 

 

Even girls, I see wanting certain styles, but not necessarily expensive name brands. It's easier to replicate styles on a budget now. 

 

:iagree:  There was WAY more emphasis on the right clothes, the right hair style, the right everything when I was in high school.  I graduated in 1987.   I knew girls in the dorms at college who wouldn't leave their rooms, in an all girls dorm, without making sure they were in full makeup and dressed.

 

My oldest went to public school and there is/was definitely less emphasis on specific brand labels.   They hang-out in their co-ed dorm with no makeup, in sweats and pj pants, enjoy and discuss shopping thrift stores and consignment shops.  And she went to high school in a town where money was not a problem for 99% of the people in town.

[Catwoman]

No. Not at all.

[Mimm]

Nope. My mother used to iron her hair. :) I saw my grandfather's yearbook in high school and every girl there had the same hair style and it was a time consuming one.

[Farrar]

I'm just eternally grateful that I came of age in the midst of grunge, when wearing a flannel over a torn up band T-shirt and long flowery skirt with combat boots and unbrushed hair was totally fashion forward.

 

(Yes, this is an actual outfit that I wore in high school.)

[Joker]

I actually think it's better considering the amount of time it took me to take care of my perm and bangs. I can't even imagine the total amount I alone probably spent on hairspray back then. Labels on clothes also seemed a much bigger deal for me than either of my dds or their friends.

 

I also don't see all the girls wearing makeup every time they are out here.

[MistyMountain]

Not at all. Teens were for sure obsessed with fashion when I was a teen which is part of the reason I didn't relate. ;) It actually seems like it is better now but that is probably location related.

[edelweiss]

No, I don't think that is the case AT ALL.  I graduated in the late 80s and fashion and makeup was HUGE.  We were all very concerned about our appearance and clothing.  I remember that quite a few of us were so envious because one girl in our class went to New York City every summer (we lived in Florida) to go back to school shopping.  She didn't want to have any clothing that the rest of us had.  

[Crimson Wife]

Where did you grow up? I was in jr. high in the late 80's in an affluent suburb of Boston and it was AWFUL in terms of designer clothes & shoes, perms and "frosted" hair, makeup (remember that hideous blue glittery eye shadow and neon pink lipstick?????) , etc. We all had subscriptions to "Seventeen" and "YM" and the girls with "cool" moms had hand-me-down copies of "Vogue" and "Elle".

 

High school was grunge era so it wasn't quite as bad. But then during college it was the cropped tops and microminis with stilettos.

 

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

I spent very little time on hair and makeup as a teen, my friend spent 2 hours...

 

I don't think they are any more or less, it varies by individual.

 

 

I only bothered with it if I was going out in the evening with friends or on a date.

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

Where did you grow up? I was in jr. high in the late 80's in an affluent suburb of Boston and it was AWFUL in terms of designer clothes & shoes, perms and "frosted" hair, makeup (remember that hideous blue glittery eye shadow and neon pink lipstick?????) , etc. We all had subscriptions to "Seventeen" and "YM" and the girls with "cool" moms had hand-me-down copies of "Vogue" and "Elle".

 

High school was grunge era so it wasn't quite as bad. But then during college it was the cropped tops and microminis with stilettos.

 

I remember the matching blue eye shadow and mascara too.

[Crimson Wife]

Yes, I wore navy mascara and eyeliner for YEARS because I had blue eyes and that's what blue-eyed girls were "supposed" to do. Ugh!

[zoobie]

No. There's a hole in the ozone thanks to the Aqua Net used in my county for bangs alone.

[Joker]

I also wanted to say I think things are so very different as far as clothes are concerned. When I was in school, there were a few name brands that were considered 'cool'. Now, it seems teens shop at many different stores and it's about the style instead of the name. It makes it easy to find something that is affordable but looks the same as what is considered 'cool'.

[Slartibartfast]

No, I don't think so.

[gardenmom5]

No

[HRAAB]

No.  I was in high school in the 70s, and I remember the bathroom being full of girls fixing their make-up, spraying their hair (Farrah Fawcet style), admiring themselves.  Very concerned about their appearance.

[ThisIsTheDay]

Judging by my dd and her friends, and remembering myself and my friends at that age, I think things are better.  But I guess I have pretty small sample size to make that judgement.  

 

I agree.  I think it's actually better now.

[Janie Grace]

Interesting. This surprises me! Location may have an impact on my perspective, though. I grew up in a pretty blue collar suburb of a northern city. Now I live in an affluent small town. Maybe that's the difference. I just cannot imagine being a teen today with all the selfies and begging for "likes" and checking one's stats in terms of likes, followers, etc. It seems like the stress of being a celebrity without the true perks. ;)

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

I also wanted to say I think things are so very different as far as clothes are concerned. When I was in school, there were a few name brands that were considered 'cool'. Now, it seems teens shop at many different stores and it's about the style instead of the name. It makes it easy to find something that is affordable but looks the same as what is considered 'cool'.

I agree with this. We had to have certain brands, now it's about a look not a brand.

 

I remember wanting Guess and Esprit brand items among other brands to fit in.

[HRAAB]

If the internet, Facebook, cell phones, etc. had been available when I was in high school, it wouldn't have been any different.  I'm so glad I didn't have that to deal with, but my girls seem to be handling it well.

[Joanne]

I went to high school in the 80s and fashion was EVERYTHING. When I think of all the time it took to put on my makeup and do my big hair each morning before school... Wow, that took commitment. :)

 

Then I went to college. By the time I finished my degree and got a job as a high school teacher it was 1994 and "grunge" was all the rage. I remember being quite shocked by the way teens dressed in the 90s. They all looked homeless.

 

It seems that right now it is midway between the two. I don't see the Madonna-esque extravagance of my teen years, but they definitely look nicer than the Pearl Jam years.

Lmao. This is my favorite post of yours ever.

[Joanne]

No. I was in high school in the 70s, and I remember the bathroom being full of girls fixing their make-up, spraying their hair (Farrah Fawcet style), admiring themselves. Very concerned about their appearance.

My hair envy went like this:

 

Marcia Brady

Farrah Fawcett

Dorothy Hammel

Valerie Bertanelli

 

Have you seen my hair? It does NONE of those things. In the Curly Girl book there is a story of a woman seeking therapy and the Therapist suggests the problem is with the family of origin but the woman KNOWS it is her curly hair.

 

I get that. I want the hours back I spent with a hair dryer and round brush.

[redsquirrel]

Teens actually spend less $$ on clothes etc these days that previous generations. Now, it is all about the smartphone.

 

Several large teen centered clothing stores are having real financial problems and it is because there is less emphasis on having the 'right' jeans or whatever.

 

I am not saying that there is NO importance, just enough that merchandizes are feeling it and having to figure it out.

 

And having grown up in the late 80s and early 90s I can say that not only is there not more emphasis on appearance with today's teens, but I think they look a lot nicer than we did. My Madonna phase was truly unfortunate. I even knew it at the time but it didn't stop me, lol.

[Joker]

My hair envy went like this:

 

Marcia Brady

Farrah Fawcett

Dorothy Hammel

Valerie Bertanelli

 

Have you seen my hair? It does NONE of those things. In the Curly Girl book there is a story of a woman seeking therapy and the Therapist suggests the problem is with the family of origin but the woman KNOWS it is her curly hair.

 

I get that. I want the hours back I spent with a hair dryer and round brush.

 

I can tell you from experience that the Dorothy Hamill haircut was nothing to envy. :blush:  I was constantly asked if I was a boy or a girl. It's a period of my life I don't think about too often. :tongue_smilie:

[Crimson Wife]

My hair envy went like this:

 

Marcia Brady

Farrah Fawcett

Dorothy Hammel

Valerie Bertanelli

 

Have you seen my hair? It does NONE of those things. In the Curly Girl book there is a story of a woman seeking therapy and the Therapist suggests the problem is with the family of origin but the woman KNOWS it is her curly hair.

 

I get that. I want the hours back I spent with a hair dryer and round brush.

 

You were just born too soon. I want all the hours back I spent in the salon getting perms, and at home with curling & crimping irons and hot rollers.

[Serenade]

Shoot, I think more middle aged moms are appearance aware than they used to be. I'm 50, and I'm pretty typical for my same-age friends -- none of us are hugely fashionable. We wear our own style, but are not into make-up, accessories, nail polish (good grief, what's with the polish?!), etc. And this is how it was when I was growing up and moving through my 20s, 30s, 40s, and now I'm in my 50s. However, a lot of the younger moms I know (30s and 40s -- I don't know many in their 20s) are very appearance aware -- everything from shoes, to hairstyles to clothing. I do think it's the internet, and the constant comparison game of Facebook. Also, perhaps, the steady stream of advertising we are fed. Unfortunately, many of the women who are most aware of their appearance seem to have a poor body image, even though they don't need to. But I think advertising leads them to believe they need to be hot and sexy well into middle age. Nothing wrong with being hot and sexy in your middle age, LOL, but I don't think it's the be-all, end-all, either, and certainly nothing to feel badly about if you happen to age gracefully. I think women are often their own worst critics.

[Tap]

Nope, I think it is the same, generation to generation.  My sisters wore the trendy clothes in the 70s, I did it in the 80's. My daughter is a teen here in the 2010s.   It is always the same.  Some have it, some don't. Some care, some don't.

 

 

 

Now, if you want to talk about tech....that is a totally different story.

[Plateau Mama]

I graduated in '91. I think it was way worse back then. We never would have worn PJ bottoms out of the house, not to mention baggy, raggy sweat pants. We always had designer clothes, always doing out hair.

 

I still live in the same area I grew up in so demographics etc are the same.

[Sugarfoot]

No. I grew up in the 80s, designer everything was key and everyone knew the fake from the real. Izod, Polo, Gloria Vanderbilt, Nikes, yup brand names were high on the list. If you didn't have at least one polo or Izod shirt, you were out. I was out. 

 

My son wears clothes from walmart, Target, and Kohls, doesn't care about brand or fashion in the least. 

 

Even girls, I see wanting certain styles, but not necessarily expensive name brands. It's easier to replicate styles on a budget now. 

 

Ha! Paula, your list takes me right back to high school! But you forgot the Jordache and Calvin Klein.  :coolgleamA: Oh, my gosh, I can still see the pocket design of all the different jeans brands. And Izod shirts were worn with the collar up, lol.

 

My teens couldn't care less about their clothes. My dd doesn't wear make-up. They are not representative of the teens in our extended family, though. Yes, appearance definitely matters to them! But not any more than when we were teens. 

 

Okay, Paula, let's hit Metro North for some jean shopping. We'll be sure to ask the salesperson how to keep them nice and dark. How about some new Nikes at Foot Locker? Then we can swing through Spencer's just for fun. We'll top it off by getting giant cinnamon rolls and watching Sixteen Candles on Netfilx.  B)

[Amy in NH]

The ones I know are less focused on appearance than when I was a teen in the 80s.

[Pawz4me]

No.

[LisaKinVA]

No... I think some of the problems (body image/eating disorders) are about the same.  However, when it comes to fashion/appearance overall -- the girls I run into definitely aren't as concerned about things like their hair, re-applying (or even applying) make-up.  They dress much more for comfort than for style (for example, it wasn't unusual for girls to wear heels and dresses to high school -- and flip-flops were only for the beach). 

[Soror]

Not from what I've seen either, although as pp's have said I think there is a bit wider range of acceptable, which is nice. 

[FO4UR]

Nope.

 

I graduated high school in 1997. I have OFTEN said how happy I am that there was no such thing as Youtube or Facebook when I was a teenager. I would have plastered my beautiful face all over it. :smilielol5:   (No evidence...it didn't happen...HA!)  I would have rather done anything else in the world rather than go to school without doing hair & make-up. I might have partaken in some grunge style looks, but they were carefully planned flannels & jeans; I had to accentuate the positive.

 

 

I agree that there is a wider range of acceptability these days, even if the emphasis on physical beauty remains.  The emphasis, itself, is probably the same.

[Lady Florida.]

No. In fact the teens I know don't care about brand names as much as they did years* ago.

 

*I was a teen in the 70's. Brand names were important to many (I was in the poor crowd who couldn't wear brand names). I taught high school in the 80's and 90's. Brand names were important to those kids.

[Dmmetler]

I think the teens I know have more individual style than we did. I graduated in 1990, and we pretty much were a bunch of clones. Designer jeans, Izod with the collar up, too much makeup, curly poofy hair (and. I have stick-straight hair that doesn't hold a curl well).

[Night Elf]

Nope. I was in high school in the 80s and spent more time getting ready for school than either of my girls ever have. They haven't had the pressure of brand name clothes either. They've always been happy in Target and Kohls clothes. My oldest has worn makeup since 9th grade. My youngest is 16 and does not care about it. Both dress well but aren't hyperfocused on it. When I see the kids at dd's school, most of them are dressed the same, just neat looking. I once asked dd about makeup and she nearly all of the girls she knows wear makeup. The standard dress is jeans and tshirts/blouses.

[PeacefulChaos]

No. I grew up in the 80s, designer everything was key and everyone knew the fake from the real. Izod, Polo, Gloria Vanderbilt, Nikes, yup brand names were high on the list. If you didn't have at least one polo or Izod shirt, you were out. I was out. 

 

My son wears clothes from walmart, Target, and Kohls, doesn't care about brand or fashion in the least. 

 

Even girls, I see wanting certain styles, but not necessarily expensive name brands. It's easier to replicate styles on a budget now. 

:iagree:

 

I really felt like, when I was in high school, it was pretty much 'anything goes'.  There was no 'standard' for how people dressed or whether it put them in certain social circles.  I think maybe that era was the beginning of that?  Not sure, I wasn't around before lol.  :D  

I think it's the same now.  

[Wildcat]

.

 

[catz]

No, not at all IMO.  Kids I know are more willing to wear cheaper clothes and express their own style.  I was in high school in the 80's and we all had to have BIG hair and wear the same 4 items from Express that season.  It was obnoxious.

[LibraryLover]

Looking at my mothers fashionista photos from the 50's, I would have to say no way. There were no secondhand shops for the cashmere twin sets that would make or break your acceptance in high school . ;).

[ErinE]

Nope. I can remember a huge emphasis on name brand jeans, shoes, and shirts.