Teens Fashion

The young, fun times I remember when I was a kid was playing at the park. I remember riding my bike there on a hot summer day, and jumping into a nice, cold swimming pool. I also remember not caring about my clothes. I would eat ice cream and it would drip all over, and spilling orange soda, leaving stains. I would still wear those clothes because I didn’t care, as long as I was having fun. My mom would yell at me because she wanted to throw them out, but I loved my clothes because I picked them out. I had polka dotted shorts, with an orange shirt, striped socks and dirty sneakers. The innocent times when we were kids who looked mismatched, but didn’t care about it, seems like an eternity ago. The fact that pre-teens now worry about how others perceive their image, is shocking. Is my hair perfect? Does my outfit make me look fat? These are some questions we think of when deciding what to wear for the day. The effects of image and fashion consciousness on pre- teens can make or break their self-esteem. Most pre-teenagers are insecure, and insecurities can make them feel worse about themselves. Some pre-teens may feel that dressing a certain way can get them more attention, giving them a negative perception about their behavior, based on how they dress. A strong, confident teen may also disregard all the negative comments, making them more focused and positive about their self-worth.

A negative aspect of image and fashion consciousness on teens may be detrimental on their self-esteem. In high school, everyone wants to be popular, and have a lot of friends. If you do not wear what everyone else is wearing, you stand out and may get teased. Feeling left out in high school may give certain teens insecurities because they may feel as though something is wrong with them. If they do not have a positive attitude about themselves, it can lead to anxiety, and they may turn to other alternatives to cope with it.

Girls in high school seem to be more aware of their...