In an environment filled with education and studying, the importance of fashion is still very pervasive among the teenage population. Hairstyles, handbags, hats, and scarves are some examples of accessories used to complete a trendy and stylish look. Even school supplies such as designer handbags, decorated binders, lockers, and pencil cases are involved in making a fashion statement.
Freshman Jennifer Barrón is one of many who proudly display their fashion styles. “With my locker, I like putting pictures and decorating it and I don’t have a backpack, I carry a [Bebe] purse,” she says.
Although school isn’t a fashion runway, girls almost seem to treat it like one. Barrón explains, “People like following what other people are doing. Fashion is all about following what’s at the top and what’s recent. You can be simple and still be who you are but some people like going over the top to fit in or to compete with other people.”
Though Barrón believes that some people use fashion to fit in, others disagree. Sophomore Mariella Oppenhiem says, “[Accessorizing] is a way of expressing yourself. It’s a way of showing your personality on the outside.” Freshman Lisa Leung says, “I think it’s a way to express someone’s creativity. It also makes people’s school life not as boring.”
History teacher Michael Gibbons expresses his opinions. “[Accessorizing] is an attempt to stand out from the crowd, to show off your individual taste and your flare, which, especially for teenagers, is very important. So I think emotionally, it’s a very healthy thing to do,” he says. Avid and CP English teacher Marissa Perino adds, “I think girls just want to show what represents them on their binders, on their lockers, and things like that.”
When one thinks of fashion and accessories, it’s not unusual for a girl to pop up in mind. But to some, like Oppenheim, it would be considered to be stereotypical to girls. She says, “[The fact that only girls accessorize] is not reality. I know plenty of guys who have more decorated laptops and binders than me.” Gibbons also adds, “I think males and females both [accessorize]. But not all girls do it, and not only girls do it.”
Freshman Rebecca Ruttenberg agrees, “I don’t think it’s a stereotype [that all girls accessorize] but it’s something some girls do depending on who you are.” Freshman Jeffrey Santos takes the opposing view. “I don’t think stereotypical would be the right word but in a way, it is a stereotype, because not every girl accessorizes her school supplies. There’s no law saying that they need to be extravagant,” he says.
Accessorizing may also harbor some negative effects. Freshman Lisa Leung says, “It may be hard to concentrate on your schoolwork so instead people will just spend time drawing on their notebooks and binders.” Ruttenberg agrees and says, “Yeah, it could be a distraction because during class if I’m looking through someone’s pencil bag I’ll be like, ‘Oh, nice bag’, or something.”
Distractions may seem the main problem when it comes to accessorizing, but Gibbons remarks, “I can’t imagine accessorizing taking that much time.” Another possible consequence of accessorizing is the need to be “competitive” in expressing fashion styles. A teenager changes a lot when leaving middle school and entering high school and accessorizing is evidence of that. Barrón includes, “In high school I think it’s more competitive because there’s more people and you have better stuff than what you had in middle school.”
Leung elaborates, “Middle school students use more key chains while in high school they have actual pictures and are more creative with their belongings.”
Creativity is the key to accessorizing but some would rather choose to be simple. Oppenheim explains, “I have only one binder that’s accessorized. There’s a hello kitty tape strip on the rim of it and a pencil sketch that my friend drew.”
Being simple, or “full out”, crazy, too much, too little, it doesn’t matter. Creativity comes from within and accessorizing shows one’s inner style.
