Teen Trends

Off the shoulder tops seem to be back in, after a couple of years of relative obscurity.

Some are long sleeved, some are short sleeved, some tight, some loose.. the options are almost endless, but there’s a style of the top to suit everyone, and off the shoulder tops are lining the shelves of clothing stores.

“Wide” seems to be a popular accessory descriptor these days.

Many teenagers have now discovered the joys of wide waist belts; thick belts worn at or above the waist to accentuate the slimmer part of one’s figure. The style is back in on the catwalks, back on the celebrities, and now, back in shops and on young people.

Old trends re-emerge again.

Earlier this year the headwear to get was a thin headband, now it seems thicker ones are more popular.

Bright colours and vivid patterns are the way to go, matching a lot of the tops currently available and selling well, with stripes and spots some of the most popular on display.

Co-ordinating the hair accessories and the clothes is obviously very important these days.

We all know that it’s Christmas, and naturally everyone is getting into things.

Even teenagers (who generally like to stay aloof and appear unexcited) usually get into the spirit of things, but the craze of santa hats in public has been stronger recently than in the past.

It must be the time for everyone to be jolly… perhaps for once, teenagers have decided that they aren’t exempt from “everyone”.

Three years ago, if you mentioned the name “Akon“, nobody would know who or what you were talking about.

Now, he’s a big time hip-hip / RnB singer, originally from Senegal, then New Jersey. He was jailed for armed robbery and other theft charges, but he spent his time in jail working on his music - which evenutally paid off in 2004, when his debut album “Trouble” was released. He has several popular singles from that album, including “Locked Up“, “Lonely“, and “Belly Dancer“.

Recently, his single “Smack That” (ft. Eminem) from his album “Konvicted” has shot up music charts worldwide, making the largest jump ever on the US Billboard Top 100.

Have a listen of his music on his Myspace. No matter how feminine his voice is, he looks scary enough that I still wouldn’t want to run into him in a dark alley…

After a few years where they were considered simply a novelty item, aviators are back, and are being worn by many teenagers every day.

They come in different colours, but still the same classic styles; a real throwback to the old days (not that most of us were around back then). This seems to be another incident where old trends repeat themselves, as today’s young people walk around like something out of an old western.

Possibly the celebrity endorsement of the style raises its popularity.

The Office look is back!

Now, instead of the classic “A” frame skirt, it’s an inverted “A” - or as it’s more commonly known - a “V”. The business-like skirts are selling quickly to girls of all ages (who knows why, perhaps a lot of teenagers have holiday jobs at the office?), and in many different colours.

Unfortunately, most girls don’t have tiny thighs, and they don’t all look great in this style.

Short shorts have been huge this summer, but so far, in mostly dark fabric.

Now, denim shorts are becoming popular amongst teenagers, and are seen everywhere, in many different sizes, shapes, colours, and styles. They’re a popular alternative to a miniskirt, as they’re easier to run in, and you don’t have to worry about bending over…

Versatility is a big seller these days. Even if you never wear your denim shorts with that gorgeous silk top (like the models and sales reps recommend), you could, and I’m sure that’s all that really matters.

While in the past, teenage girls have enjoyed wearing men’s t-shirts, now they seem to like wearing their pants.

The once popular university names and logos on pants have been replaced by the Barkers name. This is often followed by the slogan “Men’s Clothing”, which seems to give some girls a feeling of masculinity. The pants are usually sweatpants, and they are usually dark grey - great for relaxing in.

Now that we have more and more girls wearing guy’s clothing, one has to wonder if eventually all gender-stereotyping clothing will be done away with and everyone will wear the same thing.

The traditional male polo top is back! But this time, it’s in for summer … and for the girls as well as the guys.

Fitted polo shirts - usually either plain coloured or horizontally striped -  have become very well-recieved in the market of young teenage girls who do not discriminate clothes based on gender (i.e. the girls who buy “Barkers - men’s clothing” sweatpants). The rugby-style stripes are also popular, but they tend to be popular with sportier females.

Only one problem lies with this fashion trend. The strange resemblance to a school uniform in a plain coloured polo…