How do teenagers dressing reflect their lifestyle?

Question

how do they view life today?

Answer 1

It would be hard to answer how "they" view life and lump all teenagers together. When you think of the extremes that a teenager can choose to dress: one in a conservative button-down shirt, khaki pants and hair parted on the side vs. another in black leather pants, piercings, tattoos, and blue spiked hair, anyone would guess their lifestyles were also as extreme. I think it's the teenagers' reaction to how others view them and how they choose to outwardly rebel. But not all teenagers are rebelling. they're viewing life by the atmosphere, the climate of their immediate environment - family and peers, and are, most likely, forming their views and reacting to them by what they observe.

This question doesn't just refer to teens, it can also be used on adults. Close your eyes and think of a farmer and how he's dressed. Now do the same, this time thinking of a Wall Street Banker. Are the 2 dressed alike? How about a Rock Star? Buddhist Monk? US President? Cuban President? Librarian? etc., etc.

Along these lines; although strict dress codes in schools are not a clear cut answer to solving behavior problems in schools, it's been shown to improve the overall 'climate' of a school. Some have linked how teenagers dress (and others for that matter) to violent crimes. For instance, the killers in the Columbine High School shootings wore trench coats. Dress codes are in place in most schools for a reason. It's been shown in court cases ( http://religionclause.blogspot.com/2008/... ) and in field studies, ( http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd/send-pdf.cgi... ) that teenage rebelliousness is reduced and test scores are higher when dress is taken into consideration. Also, it's a known fact that how you dress can affect your getting a job: (http://www.quintcareers.com/dress_for_su... ). This fact can also be paralleled, in a general sense, with how one lives their lives.