Taking a trip down the roads of any city, one can see innumerable shops of readymade garments. Be it clothes, jewellery, shoes or bags, our society is dominated by fashion; the trendsetters being the film stars, pop stars, etc.
Fashion and teenagers are synonymous. Teenagers are influenced by the changing trends in society. Among teenagers, the college students are very much influenced. Teenagers want to be like their favorite film star or pop star and in doing so; they imitate their walk, talk and even dress. One can see many teens aping Michael Jackson and Shah Rukh Khan.
Among the girls, ‘looking beautiful’ in the first priority; hence there is an increase in demand for cosmetics, artificial jewellery, etc. It is the age, where teenagers want to be different from the others, to gain their own identity. Many young girls today want to be like Madhuri Dixit or Aishwarya Rai.
By nature, man is fashion loving. But among them teenagers want change, variety, novelty and attraction. They want to be smart, attractive, charming, modern and up to date. They therefore adopt different fashions at different times, different occasions and places. To a large extent fashion for teenagers has been an instrument in the progress of culture and civilization. Teenagers want new styles, mannerisms, tastes etc. Fashions among teenagers also mark the social progress, cultural wealth and economic prosperity.
Fashion changes faster than weather. Change and variety is the name of fashion. The very fast and cheap means of communications have further helped the spread and quick change in fashion. There is no walk of life, which is still immune to fashion.
The thirst for fashion among teenagers is insatiable. The teenagers tend to imitate others by way of customs, dress, hairstyles, manners, food, literature, lifestyle, jewellery etc. and this in turn generates a rise and fall among the recent trends of fashion.
Films, magazines, fashion shows, gatherings, parties, hotels, restaurants etc are things and places of frequent changes. Teenagers can be seen sporting these fashions, even villages imitating their favourite stars in fashion, manners, etiquettes, etc.
Fashion consciousness among teenagers has given rise to a big fashion industry, where millions of rupees are being invested, which caters to the even changing tastes of any one with regard to dress, hairstyles, etc.
Though fashion has its good effects, it also has some bad effects. Too much fashion may result in waste of money, time and energy. A fashion need not always necessarily be acceptable. Today’s teenagers tend to forget their age-old traditions and blindly accept what is placed in front of them without taking any notice of the consequences that they may bring about.
- Francis Rodrigues (Blessed Joseph Vaz High School, Goa)