A random teenager walks down the street, wearing a mini skirt and a short shirt bearing her mid-drift. Often the public’s initial reaction is shock. Teens who dress like this give the impression that many adolescents are a problem. This prejudice creates a bad image that extends even to people with no ill intent.

“Whenever you go to a teen hangout like River Park, you see girls with shirts that are three times too small and guys with pants three times too large,” Brennan Gust, ’05, said. “It makes them seem immature, and it just seems to me that they give a bad reputation to teens who genuinely respect themselves.”

Others agree with Gust’s opinion on current fashion.

“I dislike the fact that I am judged for the choices of other teens.” Peter Ocheltree, ’07, said. “Because some kid wears something disgusting, like pants that won’t stay on their waist, it projects a negative image. Others begin to assume that all teens are the same.”

The clothes students choose to wear should not label them. Instead, people should take into consideration the condition of people’s hearts.

“I use to wear clothes that were inappropriate and a lot of people treated me like I was simple-minded,” Breanne Gandolfo, ’07, said. “But once I changed my wardrobe I seemed to get more respect and people befriended me a lot faster.”

Clothes often take the focus off of the individual who wears them and puts the focus instead on an image, which may be false, misleading and/or untrue.

“Jesus doesn’t care whether or not you wear brand names or certain types of clothes,” Ben Daniels, ’04, said. “It is what is on the inside that counts. Some teens don’t understand that, but I think that that’s what being a teen is all about; learning and growing up.”

The mistakes of some youth have created a prejudice towards all teens.