12:03PM
Vivian decided to read for one last time, her researched write-up on the topic discussed the previous day with Abiodun.
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TO: [email protected]
SUBJECT: The Impact of Celebrities on Adolescents’ Clothing Choices
Abstract
The literature indicates that most adolescents look to celebrities and favourite actors for fashion ideas of what to wear and how to look sexy; the purpose of this write-up is to evaluate the clothing choices of adolescents.
Introduction
Celebrities and their visual fashion statements affect the fashion industry and also the dressing of adolescents and youth around the world; “researchers say many teenagers are emulating celebrity idols like Lil’ Wayne, Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, P. Diddy e.t.c and even down to the Nigerian scene, acts like Chidinma, DavidO, Wizkid, Tiwa Savage – some scarcely out of their teens themselves, to cultivate an impression of maturity.” This is evident in specific fashion replication manufactured by name brands like T.M Lewin, Hawes & Curtis, Polo by Ralph, Salvatore Ferragamo; I took to research whether adolescents turn to celebrities for their fashion role models and whether they have an impact on the clothing choices using the following definition – “adolescence, the period from roughly age 12 through the late teens, is a time of dramatic and far-reaching change.” Celebrities are people who enjoy public recognition by a large share of certain groups of people.
Favourite Actors Promote Clothing & Body Image
In the last 20 years, teens have placed those in the movie and music industry on pedestals, vying to be like them in fashion and lifestyle. “Many teenagers are emulating celebrity idols,” and these famous people have the power to determine what looks normal. “It is partially through fashion that they begin to judge themselves and each other, to continue to determine whether they are or are not the ideal image.” Celebrities are not only promoting clothing but physical standards; “the appearance of highly attractive models are both iidealizedand unrealistic, highly attractive models not only have beautiful faces but are also thin.” A teen’s worth is seen in her outward, not inward beauty. “When societies focus on ‘body image’, the body is no longer seen as subjectively experienced, but rather as an object.“
Time Is Taken to Evaluate Fashion Before Shopping
Today’s adolescents are heavily influenced by media and know what is “in”; they spend a lot of time with their peers shopping in malls and contemplating fashion. Shopping has become a hobby and pastime, undoubtedly many teenagers are style-struck. “This year, they are using clothing and gadgets rather than accessories and hairdo to say, ‘we have style’.” With the computer and TV age, youth are bombarded with style images; teens are taking what they wear seriously. Research has shown that, “fashion was part of the language of the body”; what people wear speaks of who they are trying to portray. Whether adolescents evaluate what their needs are or not, they certainly evaluate fashion and style.
People Take Time Daily to Make Their Image Look “Just Right”
In the past, the only people who worried about their image were the rich as well as successful businessmen; today’s youth, including boys, are obsessed with looking cool. Boys are becoming, “more concerned about their appearance than ever before – they want to look nonchalant but in fact are quite studied; it might look like ‘oh, I just picked this off my bedroom floor,’ but the look is actually very calculated.” Likewise, girls are making their image look, “just right.” In one research study of 4 girls, it was found that they were “learning to desire and create a normalized image of a perfect woman.” Whether people want to admit it or not, they care about their appearance.
Department Stores Are Improving Their Image to Draw Teens
With the changing emphasis on teen style, department stores are updating their look and style to serve the younger population. “For many years, department stores got little respect from teens but that’s changing as the retail boutiques can be found almost every and within a stone throw filled with all sorts of trending designs for the youth.“
Clothing Is Making a Sexy Statement
The fashion trend for youth is sexier and more provocative; I feel like girls are overwhelmed with sexy images, and it makes them too obsessed with the way they look. Research in a teen magazine showed that, “73% of teens say, seeing celebrities and models who dress sexy makes them feel like they need to dress sexier too, and 77% said seeing those images makes them feel like they’re not sexy enough.” Experts say “that seeing your body as a sexual object not only affects how you dress, but how you act.” Modesty is seen as something old-fashioned and out-of-style. “The styles and fashions point to a near total abandonment of modesty as power and instead, girls are taught that their sexuality is their power.”
Clothes for teenage girls today are all about sexuality, but for those adolescent girls who choose to not dress sexy, there is modest and fashionable clothing out there.
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EMAIL SENT!
“That’s pretty cool enough, he’d be awed by my research skills. Now! Time for Plan B“
She picked up her phone and hurriedly composed a text message.
[Hey dear, did you get my mail? I hope it’s comprehensive enough? Change of plan – won’t be stopping over at Shoprite today. Meet me up by 10PM at Vogue, it’s a Friday. You not allowed to say NO. Come Prepared. Talk to you later]
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“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” — Leonardo da Vinci
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