October 25, 2007
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Fashion Bullies
I was reading an article about how kids in middle school are being bullied if they do not wear the right clothes.
![[On Style]](http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/images/PJ-AL193_pjFASH_20071024190723.jpg)
With clothes designers making more brand name clothes geared toward children, kids are coming under pressure to wear the “right” clothes. The kids sometimes have to wear certain clothes to fit in a certain group. Here is the link: Link
Have you ever felt rejected by a group or person because of the clothes that you wear?
Comments (94)
yes
and this has been going on forever…
That’s why my kids’ school have school uniforms to prevent that.. But we all know that don’t always prevent it. Kids will always find something to bully to feel “peer pressure”.. It must have to do with the feeling of “importance” in the crowd..
Yes, and I might have been doing some of the rejecting as well. kids can be cruel and I suppose I was cruel at times myself
That exact same thing happened to me in middle school. I was mercilessly picked on because I didn’t wear the “right” kinds of clothes. Talk about retarded.
And Merlinfairy, that school had a uniform. It was in Scotland.
i have great clothes (haha) so no.
I dress well. So no, I’ve never felt rejected. (:
I’ve actually never really been bullied at all, much less about my clothes.
in 7th grade we had to wear uniforms.
this was supposed to get rid of the clothes-cliques.
problem is, when your color palette shrinks brand becomes proportionately more important…
I was poor. I got picked on for having the cheap ugly uniforms instead of the designer ugly uniforms.
Of course! People assume so many things, and I understand that, because I do the same. It’s human nature. However, in middle school kids are VICIOUS (Worse than high school, even). You would have to PAY me millions to do those two years over, they were hell. It’s such an awkward time in anyones life because your going through puberty, learning how to apply deodorant, trying to attract the fellas with a silver set of braces, and you’re mom’s still buying you Wallmart when you want to wear Hollister.
No, but I made it a general rule to avoid shallow idiots.
yes
well i mean, there are always cliques based on clothes in school. mainly stuff like abercrombie and hollistera and all of that. but i never let it bother me and i actually never felt the need to go to those stores. i have amazing friends who couldn’t care less what i wear.
LOL. Of course.
*hollister
Yes. When I went to school in Arkansas I didn’t own any overalls.
yeahh, when i first moved here.
dude, middle school is pure hell. you either come out mature and with your head on right.. or just messed up.
whatevz. im a senior now, ive been dressing comfortably and stylishly since 03 and im damn happy.
and i realized that i put myself ahead of others, so i really dont have to be worry abt others’ opinions.
only by my students. As if that matters.
who hasn’t?
No, people knew not to bully me and I wasn’t the school bully either. I was voted the class clown.
Yes. I couldn’t dress myself in elementary or middle school. I kind-of got it in high school, but I still didn’t wear the designer stuff.
…This is old news! One girl in my class described it so well. “I hate when you first meet someone and you watch them look you up and down to check your labels. ‘Oh, Juicy? Alright then…’ “
I don’t have any “brand” name stuff, nor do I buy it for that reason. What fits school rule, functionality, and my own tastes is all that goes home with me.
Yeah, I always felt like an outcast in junior high and high school because I had cheap clothes from walmart or hand-me-downs.
RYC: Yeah, it’s an awesome class.
Sure.
Is it just me, or do designer clothes look hideous?
No, but I’m always in suits.
i was never targeted when i was younger (not sure why, i dressed in godawful hand-me downs). it is hard to raise my two teenage girls and keep them dressed as everyone else. unfortunately, we live in a resort town where wealth is EVERYwhere (but in my house!). i bought my 13 year old 3 pairs of jeans at abercrombie last weekend…the cost of one pair? $79.50. i think i cried when i got home. i don’t even own $40 jeans! i sacrifice a lot to keep my girls ”up to par” with the others because kids ARE damned cruel and it’s hard enough being a teenager without having the pressures of not wearing the “right” jeans and t-shirts. i am all for school uniforms but other parents feel that uniforms don’t allow children to be expressive with their individuality. pfft. that’s what the weekends are for.
The worst place was at church. Go figure.
I know I felt that in 2nd grade, and that was what? 10-12 years ago.. So I don’t doubt it’s going on now, and in even harsher ways.
i agree with jada_marnew! people at church were the WORST. the gossipy old hags didn’t even TRY to hide the fact that they were talking shit. what creased me was after service when they would stop by and talk to my mom and act as if they weren’t tearing our family to shreds just moments ago.
why the hell is that?
Hey Dan! Ever heard of “yuwie”?
I’m with soultender on this one. Anyone who gives a fuck what I wear isn’t worth my time.
No, but I always worried I would be, so I was very careful to wear the “in” clothes…back when I still cared about people like that.
Isn’t that school? I mean don’t one group of kids shun another group… well shun is a strong word, but I thought this type of thing ha been going on for decades…
yep!
I’ve always felt this is the most retarded thing ever. I shop in Salvation Army, eBay, and Wal*Mart for my clothes and I will readily admit that. The only time I buy an expensive article of clothing is if it’s unique and I can’t find a knockoff. I think it’s the stupidest thing you can do to walk around in a pointless t-shirt that reads “Abercrombie and Fitch”. Wtf? If I’m going to advertise your store, I expect to be paid. Furthermore, my name is neither Abercrombie nor Fitch, so why should I plaster that name on my chest?
No, but if I don’t feel comfortable in my clothes then I’m less likely to socialize.
No..basically I don’t really care what brand I wear as long as it was affordable. And besides, the group of kids I hung around with didn’t care if you wore name brand clothes or not. I think its stupid to be bullied b/c kids can’t afford the expensive clothes. If it matters so much then why don’t the snotty kids’ parents go buy the poor kids the name brand? Geez, I can’t believe this is the kind of crap that is making headlines…
Gah, yes. It was called middle school. And surprsingly, it occurs in this land called high school as well. But less often, and it’s often more subtle.
eck. ugly outfit.
Yeah, it has been going on forever, it happened to me too. Only middle school. I was teased because my “fake-Nikes” were “payless shoes”. It was a war clothing shopping with my mother from then on.
Hm… I felt jealous but never really felt “rejected”… certainly never bullied.
oh yeah but there was always that one kid everyone picked on… >.<
that girl would be an outcast if she wore that outfit.
and no, i have never been rejected because of my clothes. i’m always chic. btw, it’s not about the brand; it’s about putting yourself together.
Yes but I always rejected those people as stuck up pretentious assholes who weren’t worth my time to begin with.
Bullying destroyed me as an individual. I would have loved to have ignored those girls who weren’t worth my time, but there was simply no escape. One reason for it was the clothing, another part was that I still had a bit of a Southern accent after moving to Michigan from the South. There is not nearly enough attention or punishment for bullying. No price could make me repeat those five years in hell. That time still effects me today – I cannot talk to certain people without fearing for my safety, just because one characteristic about them reminds me of one of those disgusting, manipulating girls. It might be her hairstyle, or the way she holds herself, but the only thing going through my mind is “Oh god, here it comes. It’s happening all over again, get me out of here!” I’m certain I’ve lost many potential friends because of this.
A life of irrational fear and self doubt because of cheap shirts and frizzy hair? There is NO excuse.
no i’m a member of what you’d call the “outcasts” and i love being an outcast. i’m just being me.if you don’t like it, than that’s your problem.
Sure. I went to a private Christian school with a moderately strict dress code designed to reduce this sort of rejection between children. Instead I was rejected by the idiotic faculty that claimed to care about me — all because my pants had one too many pockets, or my pants were made of denim, or I forgot to wear a tie on Friday…
I dressed awfully in middle school. I was just about the most awkward looking 11/13-year-old ever. It embarrasses me how clueless I was. Yet I was not bullied because nobody gave a damn what anybody else wore. Well, there was that time when I wore really short shorts and some guy made an off-color comment, but I don’t consider that rejection per se. Seriously though, it seems like I somehow escaped this trend or it started right after I got out. Middle school was hell for other reasons than clothing bullies, but that’s just to be expected.
I haven’t been rejected by what I’ve worn, but I have worried excessively about what I’m wearing. What is the world coming to?
I read that today as well.
I felt the worst when I was working at the damn Banana Republic. Every day my coworkers would look me over like I was some sort of bug, which is nuts, because I dressed exactly like they did.
Hatehatehate all of that fashion elitism crap.
Yes..
And I’m so glad I was!
I learned what kind of people they were..BEFORE I was “friends” with them..
yep.
Yes.
But then I became an emo kid and fell into an easier-to-maintain stereotype.
You can get black jeans from JC Penney that are a fifth of the price of a pair of designer jeans, and black hoodies from Wal-mart that just don’t have the expensive logo on front.
And then you have extra money to buy lots of black makeup with- *gets shot, finally*
Actually, no. And I was never a brand-name person. I’m sure I’ve felt self conscious about my clothes, but never rejected because of them.
yep yep
Not in elementary school. And unless the group I’m talking to is wearing really drastically different clothes, no.
That is SO stupid! The kids (the bullies) are being brain-washed by capitalist money-makers to buy these new clothes. So not necessary!
When I was younger my mom would always slip a shirt on my blue shirt that I wore to sleep. I would wear that blue shirt underneath everyday until some girl started making fun of me. I haven’t wore that shirt underneath for the rest of my life.
yes. i don’t care what people think of how i dress anymore. i mostly wear jeans and t-shirts…it’s what i like. and if it’s not exactly “stylish”….what difference does it really make?
Fuck that! I’ll wear what I please.
yep, it was called middle school & most of high school.
I have never in my life been subjected to this. I know it’s out there alright but I think it’s less prevalent among us dudes. My middle school was on the verge of instituting school uniforms. Thankfully, it wasn’t. If you have uniforms, you’ll still have bullies who choose to pick on people for different reasons.
-David
Yes.
I remember trying really hard going into 6th grade to get “cool” clothes. I thought I finally had a clue when it came to clothing, but I learned quickly how wrong I was….
yep and i’ve rejected based on it. humans clasify based on appearances. class is denoted by dress and has been for centuries and i find it highly unlikely that the system of classification based on dress or attributes is going to change anytime soon. now parents that have clearly taught their children this habit are the real problem!
just to add i didn’t ever bully but i did reject possible friends. and i agree with the comment that says that its more about the image than the brand. my problems came before i really developed a sense of fashion, once that happened the problem was pretty much done.
and bullying is never acceptable.
Have I felt rejected? Yes. Did I make a big deal about it? No. I really don’t care what others think of me or what I wear. If you don’t like me for who I am then tough.
Oh of course. I go to an all-girls’ school, is HAS to happen. Even with a uniform.
I got bullied for plenty of things, clothes were just one aspect. It’s hard work to look, sound and act just like everyone else, especially when the rules change everyday.
ryc: I took a look at one of those “what your dreams mean” books back in high school but it seemed a little flaky to me… at one point it said that if you dream about water, it really means that you’re dreaming about sex. I always thought that dreaming about sex meant you were dreaming about sex. Anyway, I’m sure they have better books out there but I haven’t gone looking, if I find anything good I’ll let you know.
Oh God did I ever!
It built character, not cavaricci wearing fucks with their IOU sweatshirts.
I’m old.
haha…yeah, but not at school, and it was *because* I was wearing “cool” clothes…apparently I’m supposed to wear skirts just to go to a friend’s house. of course, I don’t though. lol.
well, yeah. i honestly can’t believe this is even news. it goes on now, but i’m sure it’s been going on forever. people are always going to judge each other based on looks.
In junior high.
Yes. It can be very painful, when people think you aren’t “good enough” because you don’t spend as much on clothes as they do. It even happens when you are a middle-aged adult. You’d think people would “grow up.” Yes, Soultender has it right – “shallow people.” I dress very nicely, and dress up for dress-up and professional occasions, but I don’t spend a fortune and I could care less about brands, although there are some things I find fit better,
My daughter – almost 11 – has a nice combination of hand-me-downs, nice used things I found on ebay specific to her hard-to-find size, and a few new things. She is very thin, and the only pants/skirts that fit her are slims from the Gap and Limited Too – expensive stores. I only buy there from the clearance rack, a couple times a year. There is a rich, doctor’s daughter in town who is also very thin and a couple years older; the parents go to our church and are sweet enough to give my daughter her hand-me-downs – all from Gap, Hollister, Aeropostale, all the stores the kids like. My daughter is very fortunate she gets these, and quite delighted. She doesn’t care whether they are ”gently worn.” She feels like she fits in, at least, for now, and doesn’t seem all that worried about having perfectly matching everything, like some of the girls.
This started early with the kids in school – my friend’s daughter came home one day in second grade, insisting that she had to have a shirt that said G-A-P – she had no idea what it meant or what store it was, but knew the other girls had things from there and valued that highly. Sad, isn’t it?
There have always been people who looked down their noses at others. We had one girl at school who did only own two dresses…but they were always cleaned and pressed. She was made fun of a lot…and that had to hurt. I was a trendsetter myself…wearing what I liked and making what I couldn’t find.
Sure – but it’s worth it to maintain my sense of style. And anyone judging someone entirely on their clothes deserves little more than an eye-roll and a tired sigh.
At my highschool they instituted a uniform code, which meant that you got bullied for the length of your socks. It was hell.
When I was in junior high, it was Abercrombie and American Eagle. If you didn’t wear it, people assumed you were poor.
yeah, in middle school. one more reason to hate that age group
thank god for uniforms…
if i hear this one chick i know tell me one more time, “i wish i had your disposable income…i could buy prada too” i’m going to push her down the stairs.
yeah, i work TWO JOBS to be a slave to neimans, instead of spending all my money on plastic surgery like her.
uh. what was the question?
This has been going on for years….and years…and years…
Sure have
not now though.. college is very different from high school or elementary school, then again I guess I blend in quite nicely
I have felt that way, but also even been told by my friend that “shoes make the woman”. This was after I picked out my summer sandals and they weren’t the dressy-frilly kind. I can’t please everyone and I am the one that has to wear the shoes.
My daughter has a uniform to wear for school. At first, I didn’t like it. I didn’t feel it allowed her to express herself, but after being there, and seeing the difference it makes, I think it is a wise thing to do. Everyone is on the same level – clothes-wise. There is enough bully and bad comments made that they don’t need another reason to pick on someone.
Yes. I used to dress really strangely and I knew people didn’t like it, but I didn’t really care. I wanted to be different. It still hurt me that that was all some people saw in me, though.
Fashion is one more means in which people become enslaved, and also compelled to spend piles of money for clothes that they don’t really need when a less costly alternative would be suitable. Fashion culture is just sick.
20 yrs ago, junior high was awful!
When I went to school, yes. In adult life… I no longer give a fuck. I have this great t-shirt that I love wearing… http://www.spencersonline.com/guys_t-shirts_attitude-ts/two-fingers-t-shirt/ that’s what I think of anyone who doesn’t like me or what I’m wearing. My fashion sense is very eclectic and I don’t give a shit what people think.
Not really, but it is reflective of the kinds of friends you have, most of the time. I hang out with a bunch of people who wear all black, but I am the exact opposite of that and never wear all black. I wear whatever I want to, and it’s always unique compared to what other people are wearing. I guess that makes me less open to discrimination, then. Or more open to it. :)
Please post something relevant.
No effin’ duh, this isn’t exactly new.
The clothes don’t matter so much as the attitude at my school
for a year i was…but then i figured, what the hell…im not that, im me.
This is why I never dress the same. Cause I’m a teen, right? So the clothes you wear usually define who you are, blahblahblah, you stereotype, basically. You can never tell who I really, really am by my clothes. Cause I’ll wear like, a skirt, then stick on a band tee from some … hardcore band. It’s really funny. :] I love screwing with people’s minds. Besides, I usually don’t spend much money on clothes, most of my clothes are from cheap places, because my mom forces me to actually go “shopping” and look through millions and millions of racks of clothes, it’s a nightmare! I hate shopping.
I prefer the trashy looking but acceptable DIY(Do It Yourself) clothing. Saves money, less worries taking your kids shopping and at the same time their imagination has stimulated making their own subcultural clothing.
yes and its always happened its not just now.