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The figures of the fashion economy are staggering, such as 73 pairs of jeans sold every second worldwide. Today, the function of clothing is no longer so much to protect and keep warm, as to make people feel beautiful and identify with the group to which they belong.
These new “needs,” which are in reality never-ending desires, are manufactured by an economic system based on an insatiable thirst for consumption. Advertising is the cornerstone of this system, weakening the will of anyone who tries to resist the alliance of neuroscience and targeted marketing. The younger you are, the more sensitive you are to the seductiveness of these messages, which is why children and teenagers have long been one of advertisers’ primary targets.
Give them perspective
How can we help teenagers stay in control? We can start by reminding them of the primary function of clothing: to dress. And teach them that clothes have both a practical and a social side. The practical side consists in wearing clothes that are adapted to one’s activity: flip-flops, swimsuits, and tank tops are ideal for the beach — not for hiking in the mountains. Similarly, there are appropriate outfits for going to work. Why not ask them, “Can you imagine your father going to work in pajamas?”
In this same vein, Johanna, the mother of three teenage daughters, told me she has fun commenting on the outfits of female detectives in crime series. She asks her children, “I wonder if real policewomen, in real life, arrest crooks while wearing such low necklines?” Teenagers are aware, of course, that adults don’t dress that way for work. But they still emulate the stars and influencers they admire and therefore imitate the way they dress.
Clothes also have a social side. “The cowl doesn’t make the monk,” but monks have clothes, as do magistrates, lawyers, doctors, and healthcare professionals. Clothes communicate something about you, your chosen profession, your personality, etc. It’s good to teach a child that there are dress codes for different circumstances.
Certainly, of course, we must not judge by appearances, and everyone is always more than what we can see on the outside. But by accepting certain standards, we can save time and avoid prejudice, and therefore avoid certain difficulties in our relationships with others.
Waxing, makeup, highlights…
Beyond clothing, other injunctions are imposed, especially on young girls: hair removal, makeup, highlights, tattoos… As if the human body were not beautiful enough in its natural state to be lovable, to be loved, and desired. Let’s face it, the standards are not being promoted without economic interest.
And besides, why wear make-up? Since ancient times, men and women have tried to enhance their bodies with artifice. For men, it was a way of showing their virility, strength, and courage, and provoking fear and admiration. And for women? Perhaps makeup simulates the signs of desire. Enlarged eyes and redder pigmentation of the mouth or nails are all signs of desire … sent to men’s subconscious.
Of course, little girls and teenagers usually don’t have this effect specifically in mind, but it’s the one they provoke. And it’s reasonable to ask whether they have the physical and psychological maturity to deal with the demands that this desire will inspire. It’s often the mother who acts as censor in a family, but fathers are also well placed to speak out as men, expressing protection and admiration.
And today we celebrate...