| Smashin' Fashion |
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| "Has the whole world gone mad?" |
| Discourse in Fashion |
| by Rae |
| The ignorance of modern society is grinding on my nerves SO MUCH that I'm almost quivering in my 'normal' state of mind. Clothing designers are mocking "goth" and "punk" stereotypical stylistic anomalies that make such subculturism unique! They are unearthing a subculture's style without any information pertaining as to what these people are indulging themselves in. Where is the aspect of MUSIC to fuel the distaste of mainstream fashion? What are we, as subculturists, to do when mainstream fanaticism steals our fashion and turns it into a fly-by-night, get-it-all-from-the-mall bit that everyone wants to have? So us few are left in the rain. But we like it. At least I do. |
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| Carrie expounds further upon the topic. |
| gothy/jocky/raver/trendy they are. Try finding a chatwall where there are friendly subculture-type people who share your opinions (or will at least put up a good argument on why they don't), and instead you find a spookier-than-thou freakfest with people clamoring to show you how very tortured their existence is, and probably even trying to convince you they are a 200-year-old vampire as well. Jeff Smith (incidentally, the same guy who recruited me as a reporter for a short time,) recently ran an article in the Flint Journal on fashion. Headline? 'Area Students are Shelling out Dough for Cargo, Retro, Punk Rock and Celebrity Chic.' "With back-to-school fashions," it begins, "students have many electives to choose from to establish their own style." Okay, cute. But then it continues, "Punk rocker chic Avril Lavigne and Kelly Osbourne have teenage girls copying their looks." Hold up here. Avril Lavigne is a punk rocker? And how is it these teenyboppers are establishing their own style if they're copying hers? "For teen boys, surf and skateboard chic is in, along with the more dressed-up style exemplified by MTV personality Carson Daly." Again, I'm confused. Since when does Carson Daly have a personality? And someone, please tell me what "chic" means. Don't get me wrong. Nothing against Jeff. He's simply reporting the facts. He's a good guy. A little on the misinformed side, perhaps, but a good guy. It's the kids who've no idea what they're doing. "Some teen boys- many taking their fashion cues from rapper Nelly- are dipping the bottoms of their shoes in bleach, then using them to decorate their baggy jeans. The effort 'looks like somebody was walking on your pants.'" I see. It is cool to look as if you've been walked on? Well, at least these kids are taking a little DIY clue, rather than spending hundreds of dollars to look as if they've been walked on. (Venture into a store like Hot Topic, and you'll see that some so-called 'alternative' people are every bit as materialistic as the people they mock, and will shell out too much cash for a spiked collar.) And Susie, I'm sorry dear, but that tie from Wal-Mart will not make you a punk. No, not even if you actually learn how to tie it. Keep dreaming. Isn't the very idea of punk going against the mainstream? It's a culture, dammit, and don't pretend you are one until you've learned about this culture. (That's what Rae did. An' I love her. *hugs Rae*) And then there are the shirts, with words like 'Cutie' and 'Spoiled' on them. I won't get started on those. Nor will I begin to express my contempt for gals who wear dog tags and shirts saying "Army Chick", especially since that's usually a sign that they wouldn't last a day in the Army. Do you have to know what you're doing in order to stop doing it? I don't know, but what I do know is that there'll always be ridiculous trends, and it doesn't matter. Those of us who dress according to our own convictions do so to recognize each other, to find people of like mind. And we will continue to do so. We'll also continue to make fun of Avril Lavigne. |
| "Always remember: You are unique. Just like everyone else." Never one to quite fit under a label, I am a fashion hybrid, putting together whatever I find to create my own style. And I've never gotten much crap for it. Having a forgiving mother, whose motto is, "I dun' care, as long as it isn't wrinkled," the only people who ever scorned me over my clothes were those I didn't care to associate with anyway. Probably for the very reason that they scorn people over their clothes. This is a very good thing. My mother also always encouraged me to be smart, learn things, always be hungry. Keep an open mind. Forge my own path. Think outside the box. And gosh darn it, if things aren't right, speak out about it and make some waves. So the thing that makes me want to put my Goodwill boot in someone's ass is the way people today seem perfectly willing to pigeonhole themselves into a category. Why limit yourself like that? Not only this, but these people will put tremendous energy into proving how punky/preppy/ |
| "And their kids were hippy chicks, all hypocrites. Because fashion is smashin' the true meaning of it." -Smash Mouth |
| What's Up with That? |
| by Scarlet |
| What is it with parents and how they have it locked in their heads that they can control EVERYTHING about their kids? I walked out of my bedroom the other morning before school wearing black jeans and a black T-shirt. Nothing extreme. And my mom looked at me as if I were on my way to execute my pastor! She is constantly threatening to take away my mascara because I "used too much and it looks gothic." Once, I wore two different colored eyeshadows and she sneered at me. Sneered! She said, "Why do you do that? It looks stupid." It seems that the only way I make her happy is if I dress like a prep! Am I not allowed to express myself in a non-harmful way? What's so wrong with wanting to be different? Maybe I want to stand out. A lot of parents nowadays seem to try controlling who their teen is. What they don't know is that it's impossible. Individuality cannot be contained on demand of a parent! Force on a teen can cause us to rebel even more. Why can't they understand that? Set us free! Parents controlling teen fashion? I ask, what's up with that? |
| Feelin' lucky, punk? Mouth off to us. Email ratmouthoff@yahoo.com. |