Local News Article Skyrockets to CNN’s Most Viewed

Currently, CNN’s most viewed article is “Mom shocked by teen’s modest clothing.” What is titled and reads like a local news article details how positively thrilled reasonable adults are at the de-sexualization of tween fashions for women. The article, devoid of fluid segues, also points out that department stores are facing stiff competition from speciality retailers for the increasingly difficult to secure dollars of America’s youngsters. This, unlike this “shocking” new trend in tween fashion, is not news.

Apparently fashion mavens believe that this trend may have staying power as girls begin to dress for themselves and not for boys.

“‘Girls are dressing for themselves, as opposed to dressing for guys,’ she said. ‘The guys might not like it but the girls are not wearing really tight shirts. They’re covered up.”

Covered up can mean put-together (think “Gossip Girl”) or disheveled (a bit of Mary-Kate-and-Ashley grunge meets Amy Winehouse). And even that look can have sexual connotations.

“It’s the one-night-stand look,” Meyerson said. As in the disheveled morning after, clothes with a slept-in feel.“

Overall the article, which you can read here, is full of blithe optimism from a singular parent who seems to be seeing more strength and depth to a trend than likely exists. Is this new in fashion, not really. This gets a big journalism FAIL for attaching CNN’s moniker and brand to this piece of “journalism.”

As always the bitter haters of the world, aka the people who routinely comment on CNN and WaPo articles, chide the author for being a poor parent while criticizing every young woman in America.

If anything, tween fashion is about the two e’s: emmulation and experimentation. So while emmulation may be pushing trends away from the hypersexualized styles we’ve seen of late, the pendulum in this case will only swing so far. As the pre-college set adopts trickle-down versions of what’s on Gossip Girl or worn by Hipster Queens, Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen, they’ll become more ‘covered-up’ but not nearly as much as many parents will want.

Experimentation is key here too. Young girls and boys phase into having greater control over their purchases, including clothes, and will inevitably want to explore the market themselves and see what’s out there, find out what fits them, and what makes them comfortable. Which translates into a sustained market for more strapless, more tween version of adult silhouettes, and playful, flirty, and body conscious separates.

~ by Kyle on August 18, 2008.