What Does that T-Shirt Really Say?
When you buy clothing with images and slogans on it, you are telling the world one of two things, according to Virginia Postrel, author of The Substance of Style.
You might be saying "I like that" – a simple statement of preference. Or you might be saying "I'm like that" – displaying your support for a particular issue, person, or way of thought.
People who see you will not know which you are saying until the have the opportunity to know you better. So shirts with slogans are really saying "If you like what my shirt says, get to know me."
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Bad vs. Bad: Which Should Not Be for Sale?
We've grown used to seeing new clothing with a used, lived-in look. Ever since punk made "bad" desirable, clothing with "accidental" rips and holes have been in fashion from time to time.
But sometimes clothes are just plain damaged. Look at this top Haley found. And how about this hat Erik found?
[Q] Which one is the way the designer intended? Which one is simply damaged? Place your cursor on each photo.
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Secrets of the Shoppers
How do you get the most of your shopping dollar? Follow the advice of shoppers Haley and Candace.
Look for ways new purchases can give life to older items in your closet. "We like clothes that will match more than one thing," Haley and Candace agree.
Candace adds, "My favorite clothes at home right now are the ones where I like the way I look." If it doesn't make you feel like a million bucks, why spend your hard-earned dollars on it?
Candace set out on this shopping trip looking for light clothes, since a lot of the items in her wardrobe right now are darker colors. (She came home with two white tops and one pair of white pants.) Haley thought of a versatile dress she owns. She found another dress she'll wear different ways--alone, or as a skirt under a blouse.
These girls plan ahead, take time to think before buying, and make good choices under pressure.
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How Will Erik Clean this Jacket?
The jacket Erik bought is constructed of a leather look-alike for the outer shell, with an inner lining of quilted polyester fabric. It contains a fabric care label with rather ominous instructions: "Do not wash. Do not dry clean." You wonder whether the jacket can be cleaned at all! But read on. "Wipe with damp sponge" it says.
What is pleather? A fabric from the 1970's that is actually a polyurethane film. It costs about a third of what leather costs. Since it's a synthetic fabric, people who are "animal-friendly" can wear it. Wipe it clean with mild detergent. This fabric is a good, rugged, easy-care choice. Erik should get several years of wear with relatively little care.
Check clothing care tags before you buy. Some fabrics, like silk, cashmere or leather require very specific (and sometimes expensive) cleaning. When you invest in proper care, your clothes will look great and you will too
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A Tale of Two T-shirts
Justin's taste leans to T-shirts with slogans and images that reflect his rapidly expanding view of the world and his place in it.
Justin chose a black T-shirt with a white skull-and-crossbones imprint, and a white T-shirt with a black imprint depicting the face of Jesus accompanied by the slogan, "Jesus is my Homeboy."
The skull and crossbones suggest the lawless world of the pirate. "Jesus is my Homeboy" makes something sacred very personal. Justin didn't see any conflict here--just clothes for different moods.
But there is one area where the seemingly unrelated messages actually reflect the same thing: recent movies.
Skull and crossbones imagery has been popular since "Pirates of the Caribbean" hit movie theaters in Summer 2003. And "Jesus is my Homeboy" has become a pop craze thanks to "The Passion of the Christ", released in February 2004.
Did the movie popularity of these images influence Justin to buy these shirts? Almost certainly not. But that popularity did put them in the stores where Justin could buy them--if, and only if, they fit his personal sense of style.
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Match the Shopper
How well do you know Candace, Haley, Erik and Justin? Here are responses from the Challenge applications of the teenage shopper who wrote them.
| Where do you get your ideas about what to wear? | What's the most unusual item of clothing you have wanted to own? | |
|---|---|---|
| TV, Magazines, and Peers: I watch "Teen Summit" and I read teenage magazines. And my friends give me ideas. |  |
Blue jean jumpsuit outfit with hat and purse. "I didn't get the outfit because of money." |
| Television: shows like "What Not To Wear," "Extreme Makeover," and "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy". Also other media, like magazines (Vogue, Wallpaper,) and the Internet (Online catalogs, etc.) |  |
A pair of "Goth" suspender pants. Very wide and checkered red, white, and black. "They were sort of ugly but they seemed like they would be fun to wear. I haven't gotten them. Maybe I'll make some." |
| School: Sometimes I get ideas from what others are wearing. Or sometimes I look at my clothes and see them in a different style. | Black ankle socks, with a Nike or Jordan sign on them. "No, I didn't get them because I saw them at the last minute and it was time to go." | |
| Magazines: Seventeen, Ellegirl, Teen Vogue. They show upcoming trends. Some have DIY (Do it yourself) pages to show you how to turn an old garment into something fresh and new. Plus I have a flair for creating new looks. | Black, turquoise, aqua and pink cowboy boots with rhinestone detailing. "I found them in a boutique in Telluride, Colorado. Even though I loved these boots, I did not buy them because of their price tag--$650! |
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Fashion Forward, Even in the Midwest
Our teenage shoppers chose some items that are hot hot hot, fashion-wise!
Haley's pretty new shoes were spotted in the New York Times 7/4 Style section, "… High heels are an early fashion victim of summer heat, discarded for the comfort of…$5 Chinese embroidered-net slippers, sold by sidewalk vendors." Haley paid $10 for the same item imported to the Midwest and presented among the stylish offerings at Urban Outfitters.
Surf trunks similar to the gray flowered shorts Erik found and a belt similar to Haley's new white belt appeared in a fashion layout in that same issue. On the eve of a new documentary film about surfing, "Riding Giants," surf-wear styles are lining up to catch the wave. Erik will be ready to look the part, even if he lives 1,500 miles from the nearest ocean.
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Final Score - Haley and Candace | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Inside the student union 
Outside the student union Return to where you left off in Teenage Shopping Challenge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Final Score - Justin and Erik | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In the mall
In the bus stop Return to where you left off in Teenage Shopping Challenge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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