Did Britney start the short-skirt trend? No, it's been going on WAY longer than she has.
New York Daily News editor Rosemary Black interviewed me on Friday for a story she wrote (in today’s paper) called “The Battle of the Hemlines: Teens Stick up For Short Skirts.” We talked for a while about why fashion matters to teens and I kept thinking about it all weekend. Here are my thoughts in a nutshell:
It’s not just about looking good, it’s declaring yourself to the world. Fashion is such a visible way to make a statement and one of the few ways, as a teen, you have control over so you can say something. I remember coming down the stairs before school (many, many times) and having my mom raise her eyebrows and my dad say, “You are NOT going to school in that.” And I know this happens to a lot of my teen friends. Hemlines might be slightly shorter now, but things don’t change that much. We’ve all been there, haven’t we?
Be sure to check out the article and read about the teenagers in the UK who went on strike when their school declared NO MORE SHORT SKIRTS. Here’s a snippet:
Warned that their skirts were too short to wear to school, more than 100 British high school students decided they’d rather drop out for a day than drop their hemlines.
Last week, the students at Upton-by-Chester School in Chesire, England, organized a walkout on Facebook, reports the London Daily Mail, and proceeded to hold a “peaceful protest.”
At issue were the teensy skirts that head teacher Jane Holland said made male teachers walking behind the girls confused over “where to look.” Holland added that “despite repeated warnings, skirt lengths have got even more ridiculous.”
The students, rather than skirt the issue, aired their grievances in the school dining room as teachers listened, according to The Daily Mail, and then proceeded to hold their protest.
So what should win out — fashion, or old-fashioned values?
