Parents: Why do most parents...?

Question

Why do most parents want their children to dress in a preppy style? What exactly is wrong with the other styles out there?

This question is mainly directed toward the parents of teenagers.

Answer 1

If my children dresses respectful, they will not hear a word from me. When i see my son walking out the door with his pants below his knees, yes i will jerk him back inside and attempt to make him understand what he looks like. The same goes for my daughter. When she shows too much skin, I'm going to correct it quickly. A respectful appearance is all i ask for from my children.

Answer 2

I am not a parent however, I would like to say this:

I would think that one would like a child to where as you described as "preppy" because...it more the "norm" and because of that more or less it shows a well rounded person who perhaps is more or less ready for college and a future that is more "successful" then the other styles portray...as the other styles are not as accepted as an appropriate style once they have become an adult, and a career is in their near future.

Answer 3

I guess that they like that look on their teens.  

Answer 4

i have no idea. i'm a teenager and i find it annoying. my mom just bought me four american eagle t shirts. and i hate them. thats like the only thing she likes me to wear

Answer 5

okay i am a teenager but i asked my mom the same question once and she said its not that she wants me to dress preppy, she just doesn't want me to appear strange looking or rebellious because it would be a bad reflection on her as a parent, and might make people think lowly of me.

not that i agree with what she said.

Answer 6

im not a parent but my guess is that they dont like goth or "punk" cause they didnt have those styles much way back when

Answer 7

Because some parents are embarrassed by their children if they don't fit the standards of generally accepted society. It's quite sad.  

Answer 8

Most parents try to make their kids be a reflection of themselves.

Answer 9

The parents want their kids to dress like the little 6 year olds on Barney so they dont look bad -.-

Answer 10

Easy,parents don't want their children to be judged or misunderstood.Think when you see a person expressing themselves how they really want.They look kind of crazy.Parents don't want their children to be seemed as a bad person.Which is kind of cruel.Because most teens like expressing them selves by getting piercings or tattoos.And society and parents don't understand that.Usually society and people think a person with tons of tattoos and piercings is the typical drug addict and stuff.So they want their children to be dressed all good and preepy to seem their good kids from good parents.With a good appearance.

Answer 11

They do?  Since when?  I want my kids to dress appropriately..and that does not necessarily mean preppy.

Answer 12

i actually want my child to dress how they want. my daughter is about as preppy as you can get and my step son ( the same age) is all heavy metal and skateboarding gear. my 8 year old is pretty much both.

i think the preppy generalization is because they are seen as popular, well liked and succsessfull kids. it isn't the way that it is, but most parents who worry so much about WHAT thier kids are wearing, are not paying attention to WHAT they are doing. a child that dresses in goth style or like a farmer, can get great grades and become well liked and succsessfull. i want my kids to test their individuality themselves. i like to pick my fights. they can dye their hair purple and wear sparkly leather pants, as long as they are still getting a's and staying off drugs.

Answer 13

OMG i totally know what you mean. They just want their kids to be like kids on tv and they think al because you dress preppy you will act all proper

Answer 14

I asked my mom this question a few years ago.  Her answer was,

Many adults understand that the way you look dictates how people treat you.  To help their children and not want their children to be ridiculed or looked down upon, they like them to dress neat and clean.  

I think the preppy thing is a reflection of how the parent would like to dress if they were a teenager.  My mom never inflicted the preppy style on me, mostly it was about wearing clothes that fit and more important to her "not S****y looking"  And in college I learned that dressing like a s**t (short skirt, low cut shirt) gave me a lot of unwanted attention.

Answer 15

they dont want them to look like hobos i guess

Answer 16

I would like to see what parents have to say about this one.

Answer 17

Okay, I have a one year old boy who I think looks super sweet in preppy style.  The alternative is ugly green or tan camo c**p.  He's too big for all the cute puppy/animal gear, lol.  The baby clothes go from cute puppys and teddy bears to ugly green camo, or construction worker oranges and hideous dinos...

However if my son were a teen, I would only make him wear preppy stuff if we were going somewhere where appropriate dress would be preferred (family reunion? funeral? church? job interview?) and not make him dress a certain way for the mall or school or anything like that.  (school photos are the exception as those get handed out to the relatives at the family reunions/funerals, LOL)

My theory is that I'll let him choose what he wants to wear - I won't care.  He'll have a back to school (BTS) budget, and whatever doesn't fit into the budget, he'll have to buy himself.  My only beef would be if the boy wanted to wear makeup, goth or otherwise (except on Halloween, LOL)

Again, I have 12 years before he's a teen, though.  I'm sure my opinion will not stay exactly the same - for all I know in 12 years we'll all be wearing the silver futuristic clothes all the movies seem to imply we'll be wearing, LMAO

Answer 18

Just guessing since I'm not a parent, but it's probably because some people give the other styles a bad name, so they're associated with things that the parents do not want their kids to be doing.

Answer 19

because they're sick and tired of the trashy, loose, baggy clothes.  They're sick of the S****y, look at my belly button, tramp clothes.  They just want their child to look like a respectful PERSON and not a thug, s**t, bum, devil worshipper, gangsta, ex-convict, burnt out druggie.  Does that sum it up for you?  We have to go out into public with you kids too.  You're so worried about us embarrassing you, what about US!?!?! Nothing does my heart more proud than to see a 15 year old girl come in with half of a shirt, her *** hanging out of her mini skirt, nose rings, and some god-awful thing sticking out of her lip.  Now that's class.  They DID have those styles back then when I was a teenager.  Your generation didn't invent bad clothing choices, you just adopted them and modified them.

Answer 20

I didn't know most parents felt this way. I have 4 boys. My oldest are turning 14 soon and they dress how they want to. I buy shirts I know they will like. They like shirts with skulls and dragons on them. They mostly wear jeans or gym type pants. I don't really care what other people think. My kids are well behaved and honor roll/high honor students so what difference does it make what they wear? One of my boys has a shirt that say "I only go to school for the girls" LOL

Answer 21

Personally? I believe there are other ways to expressive creativity than personal appearance. We always want our children to put their best foot forward in our community.

However, we tend to let our children dress in whatever is common in our community, as long as it's reasonable.

My teenager has both Dockers and jeans he wears as well as Polos and t-shirts. I don't dictate how he dresses but I do like for him to be clean and neat.

While I don't condone people who want to express their individuality by the use of clothing, I've always looked at self-expression from a broader perspective. After all, when all is said and done, either way--they're just clothes.

Answer 22

I don't know if parents necessarily want their kids to dress "preppy" but I do agree that there are clothing styles most parents oppose.  How you choose to dress -- like how you shake hands, what kind of language you choose to use, whether or not you show up places on time, and lots of other factors -- is one of the ways that you announce something about yourself to the world at large.  

If by your clothing you are trying to announce "I'm a rebel" (or "artist" or "outcast" or "freethinker" or "skinhead" or "nerd" or whatever), you can hardly blame people for taking that message at face value and treating you accordingly.  "Rebel" isn't a persona that a lot of employers are really interested in.  Certainly people need to choose who they want to be and how they want to present themselves to society.  There's not a right or wrong answer, but there are most certainly consequences for the choices you make.  Most parents want their kids to dress in a way that will be perceived positively by college admissions officers, potential employers, etc., because most parents have realized that how you choose to present yourself can make a substantial difference in how people treat you and what kind of life you end up with.

Answer 23

my younger sister and brother don't dress preppy and they don't dress goth either they dress more urban but they don't look like  gang members either I think people thing that if you dress urban you look like you are in a gang when I was a teen I didn't dress preppy I still don't I wear brands like baby phat and old navy I don't wear abcrombie and hollister but that's just my personal taste if my daughter decides she wants to dress preppy then that's fine

Answer 24

My teens dress in their own style. I would not ever force them to wear something that they don't like. In our house, the only rule(s) we have about clothes is that they fit...in other words, no walking around with your pants around your knees, displaying your underpants and no revealing clothes.  Fortunately, my children do not wish to dress in that manner anyway; they think it is silly and inappropriate.