i'm just tryna be different

in the frontline episode "merchants of cool", the idea of what teenagers think is cool is brought up. they mention how teenagers think something is cool until it becomes mainstream, which have become more true this past year. i agree that the reason why teen consumption is crucial to america's economy is because of our exposure to entertainment and media. we see how her teenagers look and their lifestyle and often consciously and unconsciously aspire to be like them. then we go for materialistic, superficial items to become them. of course, this attracts the attention of companies, who then produce things to please us. i never really realized the power of our preferences and trends. 

for the past few years, the way to go was being basic: victoria's secret pink clothing, starbucks, messy buns, uggs all day everyday baby. this was what was popular for awhile and started to die down last year. now what is cool is being different and quirky. 2000's style is back... wearing neon colors, strips of rainbow hair, short sleeves over long sleeves, butterfly clips, cheetah print, etc. it went from fitting in to making sure to stand out from the crowd. 

companies definitely do a good job following these trends...fast too. the second a trend starts urban outfitters and forever 21 are the first to hop on the train to make their own version to sell. it clearly works for teens who want to follow the sudden 2000's trend but for the people who started to wear 2000's clothing doesn't want it to become mainstream, so they stop and move on to something else. and then eventually 2000's style would become outta trend and another trend would come in. this is a constant cycle companies are following. 

the thing i find the most interesting about this social phenomenon is how much people are willing to pay for "trendy" things. and much companies charge. i remember wearing barrettes, butterfly clips, and scrunchies when i was in elementary school.  i would get packs of these sparkly accessories from the dollar store. now urban outfitters is charging $12 for a 5 pack of scrunchies or $8 for 6 barrettes. are you buying the brand or buying the product? it's just very odd to see things from your childhood that your parents forced you to wear being overpriced at "trendy" "contemporary" stores.

2015-2017                                                            2019 (or 2000's)