"Tween" fashion: I think I missed something...

So, yesterday C got her middle school schedule and locker assignment. She's thrilled with her schedule (she got a great homeroom/math/science teacher I met last year while I was judging the science fair) and happy to have a locker right next to her friend, P.

K went along with her, so I didn't actually participate in the process. It was fun to get C's report of the experience. She was upbeat about everything but rather dismayed by the fashion choices of several of her female classmates. Here is a typical C outfit (but replace this particular message t with one from Threadless):

Glasses, skinny jeans, message t, and Chuck Taylors. It doesn't get much simpler than that. Now, here is what she described to me as the go-to look for her soon-to-be classmates:

Still, not terrible, but I don't really get the whole "tie under the (non-existent) boobs" thing. As C put it, "I think a Justice store blew up on my middle school." I shouldn't giggle too much because who knows... she might be begging for a floppy hat and some neon paint-splattered jeans for Christmas... or maybe not.

I guess I'm just old-fashioned (or I haven't seen any of the High School Musical movies) or I don't have the appreciation for accessories that I should. Either way, I'm just glad not to have had any reports of hooker heels and tube tops (yet). Still, did you ever dress like this? That's a lot of accessories to keep track of.

I'd better shut up now or I will have certainly doomed myself to some serious karma in the form of little A requesting a school wardrobe consisting solely of items from the House of Dereon.

This is one of those times I'm sure you moms with boys only have the upper hand. R's back to school list consisted of:

1. Running shoes
2. Socks (with no holes)
3. Underwear that don't squeeze my junk
4. Legos

Check, check, check, and nice try.

In retrospect, this post sounds awfully snarky. I meant to focus on how I seem to have completely missed some aspect of tween pop culture but instead it came across as a Mr. Blackwell moment for the under-12 set. I am in no position to talk. I did legwarmers, winged-out eyeliner, boxers-as-shorts, and even one pair of MC Hammer-style harem pants - proof positive that I don't have a leg to stand on. I'd delete the whole post but, let's face it, this blog is about me, and I claim all of it.