Letters to the Editor
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Is this tweeny slutwear trend actally new?
In my junior high way back in the 1980s, lots of girls were dressing "provacatively," aka deliciously slutty.
I was 12 and god was I grateful.
There were tiny mini skirts, halter top things, tight cut off short shorts. My punk crushes were ripping their t-shirts and skirts and tights--we were all quivering sexual teenlets ready to explode.
But there were no thongs. The honor of touching a thong came not until high school.
So frankly all that is new for these kids are the thongs.
Folks, it's a sexual culture and it's a little late to put the brakes on it.
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As much as I hate this stuff...
... I hate the backlash even more. Yeah, I see sleazy prostitweens around, but I also see lots of kids who look great, different, and cool. I particularly like the "rocker" look. Those "sleazy" girls are stereotyping themselves; the cool chicks tend to make a point of not wearing this crap.
Speaking of which, I've always disliked school uniforms. People say that it's too hard to get dressed in the morning... why is it so hard to grab the top thing in the drawer? Also, it seems to me that finding people with similar clothing makes it easier to find friends. "You like Bad Religion? Awesome! I saw them at Warped Tour!" etc.
I suppose it may just be my frame of reference. Dallas has a famous private-school culture, and those kids look like dweebs. I remember when there was some massive field trip to the Meyerson Symphony Center, and a bunch of us were all laughing at the dressed up pretty-boys and princesses from the private schools. In contrast, those kids in the film Rocket Science look classy, as do the stereotypical British uniformed schoolkids.
I guess it may be a necessary evil in some places. It just seems so Orwellian to me, or like something out of Pink Floyd's The Wall. I'm also reminded of that disingenuous angel/whore dichotomy. You see it in those "pure clothing" companies, and religious types defending their bedsheets-as-clothing arrangements. They really think all other women are sluts.
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Just a thought
As I'm from Australia where schools that don't have a uniform are the exception rather than the rule. It doesn't matter whether there's a uniform or not, girls who want to look slutty will generally manage it anyway.
However, that said I don't like the idea of companies and parents making it that much easier for them.
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Well when it comes to uniforms
I will just say this BadReligion, one of the worst performing inner city schools in my area became a much less violent and had higher performing teens once a uniform policy was put into effect.
Now it wasn't prep school uniform, it was blue jeans with no rips or tears or words and white t-shirts and white-hooded sweatshirts. I don't know why this was the uniform, possibly to make them feel comfortable while also showing them that jeans and sweatshirts don't have to be dirty, torn or worn below the butt to be okay looking.
I don't know for sure, but I'm pretty sure that most prep schools have uniforms for a reason. I wonder if there is a psychological benifit to wearing a group uniform, if it creates more solidarity than divisions and it's why sports teams wear them and fans wear those colors to the games.
There are plenty of jobs and careers that require uniforms, I don't really see why it'd be so bad if schools required one too, if it results in higher achieving students. Laywers, doctors in hospitals, nurses, garbage men, office employees are usually all subject to uniforms or dress codes. All of the adults I know have "work" clothes and free time clothes. Maybe it is better to give children the structure from the beginning of these are your "school clothes" and these are your weekend clothes.
When I was in school the thought of uniforms horrified me, but now as an adult I do wonder if we had had uniforms like the prep school and catholic school kids if it would have made a difference.
I figure binders/backpacks can still be a form of individualism where you put your favorite band stickers or pins.
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Interesting experiment in my house...
We don't have cable, and the kids aren't allowed to watch TV with commercials (i.e. PBS or DVDs only). They see plenty of Sponge Bob and whatnot on DVD from the library, but I hate the commercials. Mostly I just tell them to turn off the TV and they find something else to do.
After one week on vacation in a beach condo with cable, where we slept late every day and let the kids watch Nickelodeon and other TV trash (hey, it's vacation), guess what. They're asking for all sorts of weird candy they'd never heard of before, for sugar cereals we've never had, my daughter (age 7) pointed out a dress in a shop as being "sexy", my son is asking for cheap plastic toys he never knew existed before.
My kids don't live in a box... they go to public school, they have lots of friends, they play at other kids houses, they're in sports and other activities.
Thankfully, we're back home, the TV is off again, and this will fade. I can't imagine letting that influence into my home every day, for hours at a time. There's this magical off switch. Works every time.
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I Would Have Loved Uniforms in H.S.
They're a fantastic idea! Totally removes the social pressure and puts everyone on an even playing field. Then kids can focus on school.
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Good dress code or uniforms
As a mom of three teens, both a boy and girls, it really helps when the school steps in and sets a minimum standard. One that works quite well is "no visible underwear", from boxers to bra straps. Shirt straps have to be one inch wide. No bare midriffs. And a few minimum lengths so all private parts stay private even when you move. My kids Quaker high school has these rules and enforced it.
They went to Catholic school before this Quaker high school and the uniform worked well too (though the Catholic high school girls know quite well how to make the skirt quite a mini when not in school). Getting too literal on the tucked in shirt became quite a game. I saw one girl spend 5 minutes adjusting her shirt tails under her sweater to make untucked look like just came untucked. My son was tortured by the belt and tucked shirt rule since it seemed against his personal law of physics. Shirts didn't stay tucked more than 5 mins.
Bottom line is parents have to set the standard (for us this means no pajama pants or sweat pants to school either), hope the school is supportive with a dress code. Turning off the TV during the school week and fast forwarding during commercials on the weekends (TiVo) is one of the biggest secrets of success for kids in general, and helps as well with materialism.