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In the Race
Now, here, you see, it takes all the blogging I can do to keep in the same place. If I want to get somewhere else, I must blog twice as fast as that! You see, I'm in the Red Queen's Race...
Parents...Did You Ever Ask Your Teen To Give You A Break? This Back-To-School Season, It Just May Happen!
By Janet Evans
Sunday, Jul 27 2008, 05:56 PM
It’s that dreaded time of year. Back-to-school clothes shopping time. You can almost hear the “Jaws” movie theme music playing in the background as it creeps up on you. It can be stressful for parents, not only because of the enormous cost of clothes now, but also because your teens tell you they just can’t have "anything" to wear to school. They have to be in fashion. And, not only that…it’s unfortunate, but some of these kids are being watched and judged by each other and by what they are wearing. So, while it’s stressful for parents, it’s also stressful for teens.
Guess what? There's a new trend this year. It’s one that might make parents happy. It’s called “Cheap.” Because of economic times being harder on everyone, teens are going the thrifty way.
A Deloitte survey set for release this week found that 71% of parents nationwide expected to spend less on back-to-school shopping this year than they did in 2007.
Luckily, the economic woes have ushered in the hottest trend of the season: Thrifty Chic.
"It's kind of like the red badge of courage for teenagers to have something they got cheap," said Richard Giss, a partner in Deloitte's consumer business practice in Los Angeles. "I think it's a direct result of the economy."
Wal-Mart is suddenly cool, and teens are proudly shopping off-price chains such as Marshalls and Ross Dress for Less. Hipsters scour L.A. thrift shops, searching for vintage clothes. Goodwill and Salvation Army stores are "very in," said Kathryn Finney, chief shopping officer at the Budget Fashionista.
At Crossroads Trading Co. people can sell up-to-date styles and collect 35% of the appraised retail value in cash or 50% in trade.
"We buy all day, every day," said Emma Covington, manager of the Costa Mesa store.
Some kids are doing the unthinkable -- sewing.
"The DIY movement is becoming a big trend," Finney said. "There are videos on YouTube telling how to cut up your shirt and make a skirt out of an old pair of jeans."
Sandra Elyassian of Beverly Hills is working with a $200 budget this year. The UC San Diego sophomore has already spent part of it at Old Navy and plans to dole out more at Forever 21. She also likes the thrift shops.
"I make my way to Melrose on the weekend," Elyassian said. "If I need some cheap shopping I know exactly where to look."
Elyassian is something of a pro at this; she is among a group of teens who make a little extra shopping money by providing intel on teen trends to market research firm TRU.
Maddie Mayerson has a similar gig with Team Look-Look, a group of 14-to-35-year-olds who are paid to take surveys and act as field reporters, bloggers and photojournalists for Look-Look Inc.
"Shopping is my life," said Maddie, who lives in Tarzana and turns 16 on Tuesday. "I love fashion magazines, I love trend-watching, I just really love style."
This year, the Brentwood School junior wants leggings to add to her collection, the perfect fall handbag (something slightly smaller than an overnight bag), more vintage T-shirts and flat boots. Her favorite ensemble: a T-shirt, leggings and moccasins.
The T-shirt, which serves as a short dress, typically costs $5 to $20, Mayerson said.”
Does this sound like something that may catch on in Wisconsin? Thrift shop shopping? We’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime…expect to see a lot of coupons arriving in the mail this year from local retailers.
Read the complete article from the Los Angeles Times HERE.
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