Trends in Popular American Culture

Trends in popular American culture, what we value and idolize will influence where we go in life. Where we look in life will often determine where we go, and how we end up. From my viewpoint now and what I see in friends in the media and in the values of the groups I belong to I can see where my future is heading. These trends are setting the course. This can be changed and have a profound influence on others that I am around and even those that are seemingly unconnected to me once I begin to take a different viewpoint or approach. One can never have too many viewpoints in life but, also when you really think about it the change in viewpoints were probably constructed in a market focus group by people who engineer trends in popular American culture. A shocking trend is gaining ground in teen dressing. For example, last summer, my 13-year-old daughter needed a dress to attend a friend's birthday dinner. What we found was a black “something” (is what I will call it) with a neckline so low that my condition for buying it was a fill-in-the-gap black undergarment. She was not happy about it but complied. This June, for her eighth-grade graduation, my daughter debated between a slinky blue dress with a plunging neckline which to me had more of a lounge singer look than a middle school look and a flowery cotton print that was strapless but not low-cut. After much consultation with her friends, she opted for the strapless and decided to top it with a sedate, white cardigan sweater. What had happened to teen dressing in those intervening in such a short amount of time? Layering; an economic downturn in the United States. Traction from an entrenched parents' backlash against highly sexualized looks for their daughters. Also the fashion do-or-die’s need to throw something new at the enormous but fickle teen and tween market quickly. I like the result too revealing camisoles and tank tops paired with a covering hooded shirt or graphic