Why Are Teenagers So Unfashionable?

It’s a tough life being a teenager. Seriously, it is. If you don’t believe us, just go and ask them yourself. What are the things that combine to make life at this young age such a hardship?

· Expectation from adults and teachers surrounding choices that will impact the future
· Peer pressure from friends related to image and behavior
· Self-inflicted pressure from both of the above

Teenagers want to express themselves, to have a release from the factors that we described above, and one of the main ways they achieve that is through the clothes they wear. The problem, for teenagers the world over, is that it so often goes very wrong.

That begs the question: why are teenagers so unfashionable?

Money Matters

We’re not saying that this is a good thing, but it is impossible to argue against money being an influence when it comes to looking good.

Yes, ‘style on a budget’ is definitely achievable, but that tends to come from spending hours looking around charity shops and thrift stores, for example, which are not pursuits teenagers traditionally embrace.

Whether it is because they have little money themselves, they may be too young to work or at University age, needing to watch their finances carefully, or it may be the case, as so often happens, that parents are simply unwilling to spend highly on something that may be mistreated.

Either way, it all points to the same outcome. A lack of money is a key factor when it comes to an unfashionable teen.

I’m a Rebel

Teenagers and rebellion, two words that cohabit beautifully and probably always will.

We all know the funniest thing about a rebellious teenager is that they fail to see the problem. It isn’t them; it is the parents or teacher. Either way, it is ‘them against the world.’

How does this feed into fashion?

When the issue of money has been resolved you obviously then end up with a wide range of choice in terms of what to wear. This is where it gets tricky, for we already know the most fashionable garments are in stores labelled as ‘must have’ or ‘current season.’

So teenagers go the other way, and buy the things that aren’t in those categories. We must say that sometimes this can go well, especially if the person is looking to buy clothes in a specific niche that wouldn’t necessarily be categorized as mainstream.

Others end up buying clothes just for the sake of being different. Like anything in life, doing something ‘for the sake of it’ rarely ends well.

Fitting In

The irony of this rebellion is that ultimately, the teenager wants to fit in with their peer group, so even one person wearing a style or garment is enough to start a snowball trend. How one looks then can sometimes come down to their parents. Whether they buy garments to fit the trend or refuse to bankroll such items will often be the big question.

Of course, we’re back to money again, aren’t we?

Let us not forget that some teenagers are fashionable and are able to put all of these factors to one side. For now, however, they reside in the minority.

Aisha Malik is a passionate fashion writer with an interest in all aspects of the industry, specializing in niche markets and garments such as Islamic clothing, abayas, kaftan dresses, and many more pieces.