Teens: Fashionistas, Not Recessionistas
Posted by casey on 03-02-2009
As New York Fashion Week goes, so goes the nation. Last week, the who's who of American fashion designers showed a brief but brilliant reprieve from the recession with an abundance of sequins, skirts and strong shoulders. And while behind-the-scenes, the shows were smaller affairs than in years past – invites were slashed, celebrity appearances were down, on the runway designers still appeared to be taking their cues from the excess of the eighties and gave us hope for an emergence from the recession and following boom similar to what happened decades ago.
Similarly, mall stores and local boutiques may be scaling back, but teens seem to be practically recession-proof. Because kids still have the luxury of disposable income, they continue to go out and splurge on shoes and must-have jeans, almost single-handedly keeping stores like American Eagle Outfitters and Hollister in business. Teens have gone from being the outlaws of the mall (parental supervision after 7 o'clock!) to the treasured customers that inspire salespeople to turn the charm up.
The owner of Kitson, a Los Angeles designer boutique du jour, was quoted in a recent article in Women's Wear Daily saying: "They want to keep up with their idols and their peer groups, which is why they're the biggest consumer to go after right now. I tell my associates, 'When you get a bunch of teen girls in the store, treat them like the Queen of England, because they have money to burn.'"
Shopping is a social experience for teenagers, not a means to an end and certainly not a chore. Teens won't stop shopping because they won't stop socializing; as long as they have money burning a hole in their pocket, they'll buy things. Mediapost cited a study conducted late last year showing that almost 80% of teens who say they go to the mall to see friends end up making a purchase. The study also revealed that teens are visiting the mall an average of five times a month, spending about two hours each trip, visiting an average of five stores, and spending about $150 per month.
So what does this mean for spring? Teens will splurge on prom dresses as planned, but will cut corners with jewelry and shoes. They will choose a spring break spree to Forever 21 over a few key pieces from Nordstrom. They will get their "Gossip Girl" kicks from special accessories – bow headbands, oversized earrings – instead of investing in an entire designer wardrobe. But regardless of the recession, they won't stop shopping.
About Casey Lewis
Casey is a college student by day, freelance writer by night. Despite growing up in a Midwestern town so small you literally can't find Vogue for sale, she got her start covering teen fashion for About.com at age 13, then went on to create her own style website at 17.She is currently pursuing a journalism degree at the University of Missouri and spends every spare minute reading and writing about youth trends. When her head seems to be buried in college textbooks, you can probably find an issue of Teen Vogue slipped into the binding.
Categorized under: Fashion, Teens