Teen Fashion Expression Article

Teenage Fashion Expression
By Ria Sanghera, Youth Writer
Today’s fashion trends challenge the very meaning of “fashion.” From Wet Pants Denim, a
jeans company selling jeans that make wearers appear to have urinated themselves, to
TikTok influencer @myramagdalen who harnesses mover dollies, velcros remote controls,
and ties necklaces of old hair to her outfits. At school, fashion expression continues to
challenge prior norms of what is and is not considered “fashion.”
As the COVID-19 pandemic forced many to stay at home, teenagers especially began to
adopt new styles as they felt more comfortable expressing themselves under the comfort of
quarantine. There was a shared knowledge that Zoom meetings would only show students’
faces and up, which pushed many to challenge and experiment with wearing whatever they
pleased. However, as we have returned to school it has been vital to retain self-confidence
and channel this into fashion.
“School is a tough place for a lot of people and I think fashion is a great way to express
yourself while showcasing your insecurities. Not caring about what others think and
wearing what brings you joy,” Felipe Pena, senior at Liberty High School explained.
Pena’s friend group is uniquely composed of individuals who all follow fashion for differing
reasons, and with such have differing opinions too.
“I try to separate fashion from identity. I believe allowing them to mix is an easy way to be
corrupted to constantly shed clothing to form new identities,” Gavin Cook furthered.
Perhaps fashion is not about identity or conveying who one is, and instead, an expression of
emotions, feelings, culture, and parts of oneself but never just one set complete image.
Perhaps to encapsulate yourself with clothes to just one complete image would be a crude
measure of how diverse we all are.
“What piqued my interest in fashion was Asian streetwear and fashion. I enjoy connecting
to my culture and community through what is trending and significant there and find many
inspirations from K-Pop and Asian popstars,” En-ning Wang described.
All of us have unique cultures we are a part of and many of us live far away from where
these originate from. Fashion can then be a method for one to connect back to their
cultural heritage and feel pride in representing themself with their culture behind them.
Though, our clothes can also help us to represent hardships too.
Teenage Fashion Expression
By Ria Sanghera, Youth Writer
“Growing up in a low income household, the brand of clothes and shoes I wore didn’t
matter or where they came from. My childhood helped me to destigmatize second-hand
shopping and avoid overconsumption of fast fashion,” Pena continued.
Often, fashion can be defined as this journey of self discovery. Many can attest to the fact
that the clothes they wore in middle school to their present self now differ greatly. As
trends are constantly recycling, the evolution of ourselves is represented as a culmination
of past and present.
“The majority of my clothes come from my mom’s closet because a lot of her old clothes fit
me and were from the early 2000’s which is trendy now,” Wang exemplified.
Even from collecting articles of clothing from our family, teenagers continue to carry
legacies and stories with what they wear. The unique styles reflect a mixture of heritage
and the current generation. These realizations that fashion offers make it so central to
teenagers as they are growing up.
“I started high school wearing whatever was popular (yeezy, true religion, etc.) and now I
would like to believe my style has completely detached from brands and differs from piece
to piece,” Cook recounted.
Viewing our wardrobes as unique and composed of individual pieces is exactly how we can
view ourselves in our respective communities too. In school, we are distinct by our clothing
choices and it is these differences that allow us to feel like ourselves. And, when put
together, we ultimately are all unique, individual pieces that work together to create an
entire outfit.

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Teenage Fashion Expression

By Ria Sanghera, Youth Writer

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