Kids These Days

I am married to an incorrigible optimist, and over the years of marriage it can't help but have rubbed off on me a little bit. That's why when I saw this article in the AZ Republic, I smiled and said to myself, "There are some great kids out there!":

Some Gilbert teens say just because they want to dress trendily doesn't mean they want to look like scantily clad pop stars.

The teens say they are fed up with the clothing options offered by retailers such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister Co., Charlotte Russe and Wet Seal, and have started a group called Youth for Modesty.

The group said it plans to present petitions Wednesday at Chandler Fashion Center to several teen-geared clothing companies asking for trendy yet modest clothing options.

Cassi Castleton, 17, a senior at Highland High School, said she and several church youth group friends started Youth for Modesty after several years of frustrating back-to-school clothes shopping.

"The tops are all spaghetti straps or they're supertight, and the shorts are all way too short," she said.

Peers have been supportive, she said, with almost 1,000 teens signing the petitions since last year.

Parents and students in Valley school districts have complained in recent years that it's been increasingly difficult to find school-appropriate clothing when retailers offer mostly low-rise jeans, sheer mini-tees and shrunken tennis skirts in their back-to-school collections.

Most East Valley school districts, including Gilbert Public Schools, don't allow the skimpy tops and suggestive slogan T-shirts that dominate the shelves at retailers such as Abercrombie & Fitch, where the fall collection offers skimpy tanks and T-shirts with suggestive slogans such as "How about them apples?"

Castleton and her peers in Youth for Modesty say they'd like to be able to shop at teen favorites such as Abercrombie, but with the option of age-appropriate trendy clothing that doesn't show too much skin.

You go, girls! I remember struggling through this exact issue with my daughters, especially my youngest, since she attended a private school. The school wouldn't allow the short shorts - nor did my daughter wish to wear them - but the suggested Lands End product looked too old-lady-like, in her opinion. And what to do for proms? Strapless, low cut, low back, skin tight dresses were standard fare; we had to look very hard to find darling dresses that were appropriate for 16 and 17 year old girls. A group of high school girls at that time (about 5 years ago) did the same thing as this group, begging Robinson's May for some attractive, modest dresses, and to their credit, the store responded.

Maybe it's because my own kids are great (no doubt due to the great genes on their father's side) and they hang out with other great kids, but I'm very encouraged about the next generation.

I am happy to see these girls get some good press, since it just confirms what the eternal optimists among us believe - most kids these days are pretty darn awesome.