TEENAGERS & FASHION
Teenagers get a hard time about their fashion
choices. The Disney actress Bella Thorne was
criticised by the media a few months ago for
wearing a wacky minidress, but a little later she
won fashion plaudits for attending an awards
ceremony in a floor-length gown. Let’s get real:
which outfit do you think she wanted to head out
in? I doubt it was the billowing silk tent, but I guess
she decided to conform to the adult world's idea of
age-appropriate clothing. What to wear – or what
not to wear – as a teenager is a hot topic for adults
and a no-win situation for teenagers.
It's hardly surprising we want to stay in bed all day,
because the moment we get dressed in anything
other than a sack we get scrutinized and judged.
Adults don't want their children to grow up. I'm 14
and want to wear decent clothes when I go out. I
like wearing long necklaces, detailed collars, lots of
rings, check shirts, high-waisted shorts, blazers,
skinny jeans, knee-high socks, dresses with
elasticized waistlines, wacky tights, Converse and
vintage shoes.
I think my look is normal with splashes of crazy, but
I can't believe the reaction of grownups sometimes
when I dress up. My mum rarely says I look nice. I
see a flicker of a sort of "gosh", but she looks mainly
alarmed and in a cross voice (she denies this) says I
need to dress appropriately for my age and that I
look too grown up. My friends all have the same
problem. It seems a miniskirt sets off some parental
warning bell.
It's hard being a teenager: you feel a bit unsure of
yourself, even without your mother implying every
time you make an effort to look nice that your life is
about to turn into an episode of Girls. Parents need
to realize that teenagers don't suddenly become
different or too old for their years because they put
on a bit of eyeliner.
Teenagers today are working like crazy to adhere to
the pressure that we've got to be all-singing, all-
dancing academic whizzes – so it would be nice
when we go out occasionally to be free, and
encouraged to wear what we want. I feel I am
meant to be ashamed that I am growing up and
starting to experiment with grown up clothes. I
might make mistakes. I might look silly sometimes.
But let teenagers be teenagers.
1. Say if these statements are True or False.
Quote the evidence from the text.
a. People didn’t like Bella Thorne’s evening
dress.
…………………………………………………………………
b. Teenagers are usually self-confident.
…………………………………………………………………
c. The author’s mother likes her appearance.
……………………………………………………………………
2. Answer the questions about the text in your
own words.
1. Why does the author say teenagers like
staying in bed?
2. Give reasons to support the idea that being a
teenager is really hard.
3. Find words in the text that mean the same as
these
a. conform……………… b. examined ……………
c. decorous ……………… d. suggesting ……………
4. Rewrite the sentences without changing the
meaning.
1. “You shouldn’t wear this sweater, Mandy; it’s
too old-fashioned.”
Tony advised ……………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………
2. Mike spends a lot on clothes.
I wish ………………………………………………………
3. The dressmaker has taken up the hem of my
trousers.
I ………………………………………………………………
5. Write a composition (100-120 words) on the
topic:
“Are you a fashion-victim?”