i found this article on www.thebudgetfashionista.com and i thought it was RIGHT ON! i recently found myself pondering the deep questions in life, such as, "why do i yearn, (desire, enjoy, you fill in the blank) to shop?" is it the actual act of going to a store and looking around? is it trying things on in the dressing room? could it possibly be the new items excite me for a new season? am i so shallow that clothing fulfills a friendship need in me? perhaps these are all true, but it ultimately comes to finding a deal. i love a deal. i love getting something GREAT. not just a reject from the bargain bin for $1, but an item that is quality and wearable and and fits and is attractive. it is like a high for me. call it my drug fix. i am sure many of you are the same way. my SIL, sarah, is an INCREDIBLE garage saler. she has found some nearly perfect and hard to find items for cheap cheap cheap! too bad many of this upcoming generation are missing the fix of a deal and it is being replaced by real drugs and the fix of immediate gratification to their every whim. and it's not just the kid's fault, it's the overindulgent parent who is also part of the problem. now that i have had my old woman's rant, i am going to cinch up my elastic waist pants and listen to some music. probably some lite hits from the 70s, 80s and 90s, you know they don't make anything as good as the old stuff! these crazy kids today! enjoy the article.
Does Your Thirteen Year Old Need a Louis Vuitton Purse?
February 24, 2007
The Wall Street Journal recently posted an interesting article on the targeting of teens for luxury items like designer bags, cars, etc. WSJ states:
Driving the shift is a generation of young people often called the teenage "millennials" -- the adolescents and young adults born in the late 1980s to mid-90s. Of course there have always been teens who were focused on the "right" designer names, and marketers striving to sway them. (Remember Brooke Shields in her Calvins?) But apparel makers and retailers say the affluent millennials are particularly notable for their brand consciousness. Surrounded by brand references from Web sites, rap music, movies, magazines and MTV -- and showered with the best of everything by their baby boomer parents -- these young consumers have grown up knowing the difference between Prada and Ralph Lauren from an early age.
I agree that teens wanting designer labels isn't anything new- I remember begging for a pair of Girbaud jeans and working my butt off for a Ralph Lauren Polo button down shirt. But... I'm concerned about the apparent entitlement that many teens feel to have these items and the apparent lack of a back bone by parents to say no. It's the job of teenagers to push and it's the job of parents to set boundaries. However, when it comes to designer goods, it seems like parents just can't say no anymore. For example, one guy in the article even stated ""If they keep their grades up, it is hard to say no,". I was a straight A student, got a full academic scholarship to a great school, and my parents had absolutely no problem saying no. In fact, I think they secretly plotted new and creaive ways to say "no" to my irrational, teenage requests.
I mean, why does your 13 year old (or a 20, or 30, or 40) HAVE to have a $300 handbag or a BMW before they even learn what a responsbility it is to drive? Plus, always rewarding good behavior with an extravagant gift probably doesn't teach a very good lesson to your teen- there's times of life that you do good things and you receive no instant reward other than the fact you did good- which apparently just doesn't compare to a new Dooney Burke Bag. Or going out for a big dinner with your entire family when you got a good grade?
Anyone who's ever watched MTV's sweet sixteen knows exaclty what I'm talking about- $50,000 party and new jaguar for a spoiled 16 year old? Pleeaseeee... What do they have to look forward to when they graduate from college? A small town and a Rolls Royce? I mean everything else in their lives will be down hill in comparision.
Designer items ARE NOT A HUMAN RIGHT.. They are nice and I love a good bag as much as the next person... but I also have a job.
2 comments:
the whole reason why I can find good cute nice stuff is because of the wall street journal article. any clothes I buy are some teenager's who wore it twice and wanted something new. it works out for both of us--they get exactly what they want all the time, and I can get some new clothes every once in a while.
Living in Orange County I see alot of this horse crap - I remember one of my first impressions was driving on PCH (Pacific Coast Hwy) and next to me were teenage girls wearing cute little tennis outfits and Chanel sunglasses driving a brand new convertable Bentley. It's mind baffling how parents can indulge their children with such things...
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