The world of fashion is a bewildering place and even more so when you are the parent of a teen.
The clothing that they wear is sometimes a bit bewildering and hard for a parent to understand.
Often as parents all we can do is shake our heads and wonder what happened to the styles of our
own teens. It is possible to navigate this bold new world of fashion though and maybe
understand it a little bit.
Fashion for teen boys has become all about the deconstructed look.. Instead of clothes looking
shiny and new when bought now they want to buy them looking lived in and worn. One of the
funniest parts of this fashion to a parent is the fact that deconstructed clothing that looks old and
worn often costs more than clothing that doesn't follow this style. Hard to understand for a
parent but quite normal to a teen.
One of the biggest areas that you'll see this look in teen boys in is their pants. The current look
in jeans is old looking. Painted spots, torn holes, and frayed cuffs all adorn the current crop of
fashionable jeans. The high or normal sitting waist has been replaced with the low waist with the
legs worn slightly longer than necessary for a slouched lived in kind of look. There's a bit of
variety with the shape of the leg though as both straight leg and boot leg styles are currently
popular.
There are options that are popular that have a slightly cleaner look to them. The classic cargo
pant and cargo short is always a good investment and rarely seems to go out of style. Indeed it
can be easily combined with the current crop of popular top styles. Plaid shorts for guys also
seems to be making a strong comeback for a bit more of a preppier look.
There's even more variety when it comes to tops. Going along with the look in jeans the
deconstructed look is popular in tops too. Frayed and faded tops layered over each other is an
immensely popular style and lends itself to a multitude of different styles especially when
graphic tees are added in. Tees can be worn under or over a another shirt sometimes one with
long sleeves or short ones also. They can also be worn layered over each other for a colorful
comfortable look. A really cute and popular look is to take a graphic tee and wear it over top of a
thin long sleeved shirt with a pair slouched jeans and flip flops. This pulls together to create a
comfortable casual look that is all the rage right now.
Of course there are some things that are classic and never really go out of style. Polo shirts are
one of those items. While the fit of the polo may change a bit and popular colors vary from year
to year the polo shirt is a closet classic that ages well from year to year. It can be worn with the
faded jeans for a casual look, cargo pant for a cleaner look, or with plaid shorts for a hip preppy
look. All of these combinations make it a must have for any wardrobe.
The biggest tip that can be given to any parent when it comes to buying clothing for their teen
boy is to take their clue from him. What does he like? What kinds of activities does he
participate in? Are there particular colors that he really likes? Fashion is an expression of
ourselves and our personalities. It allows us to show the world what we like and sometimes what
we don't. We need to take an active role in guiding our children but it's important to let them
have their own say so that what they have to wear is something that reflects them. Remember
that they will be the ones wearing it not us.