Follow the Leader

Names are often very important to a society so that they can identity differences and define significances. Not only are the names of humans important for these purposes, but also the names of appliances, objects, and places. Without the naming of various objects our world would be dysfunctional and out of order because of the confusion of meanings. The prominent uprising of clothing styles has led to the various methods of naming certain brands of clothing, such as naming them after the artist. One thing that I have found to stand out in high school is the meaning of wearing name brand clothing. Not only is it the shirts and jeans, but also the sunglasses, purses, and shoes that are worn to show wealth and prosperity. Sometimes this can cause controversy in the high school scene.

The real problem with these name brands in high schools is that they often encourage others to conform, a concept that is typically shamed among individualists. I cannot help but notice the various trends that have been spread around Kennedy High School so far this school year. First it is the plaid short shorts, then the tights, Uggs, Coach Purses, and then high rise jeans. These styles didn’t necessarily stay popular for a long period of time, but they definitely impacted how many people dressed. When a style is developed, it usually comes apparent very quickly as you see half of the school wearing the Uggs Boots. All of a sudden these new and ever so popular styles are beginning to fall behind the lights because of their overuse.

One of the newer fashion icons this year was the use of Coach Brand items, such as Coach Sunglasses, Purses, and Shoes. The most popular in high school and among adult women are the Coach purses which come in many different sizes, designs, and colors. Early in the school year one or two girls at Kennedy had their own personal Coach Purses that they confidently carried around from class to class. But now, close to the end of the year, every 1 in 7 girls have to have had a Coach Purse in their possession. This is a typical example of conformity among teenagers and their desires to fit in with the rest of their classmates. It bothers me to see these purses blown out of proportion, and my instinctive response to the sight of one in school is a grumpy scowl.

One other large problem with these Coach Purses is the fact that almost 50% of the purses at Kennedy are only fake replicas of the real, name brand items. It bothers me to know that these people are only pretending and that they are simply wasting money to look “cool” or “rich”. These fake lies are a disgrace to our generation and the lack of individualism will definitely impact our lives in the future. Although the sunglasses are a little bit less popular, girls will do whatever they can to show of their new shades to classmates. Some even wear shaded glasses during class, when the rooms are perfectly lit and comfortable. This is simply an example of how people try too hard to fit in with others. Many people have learned to ignore the usage of name brand items, such as these Coach products. Hopefully in the future, Americans will be able to once again life in a society with more individualism than conformity.