Does a Student's Wardrobe Determine their Social Status?
By: Tiana Maclean
Kids are in the cafeteria eating lunch and enjoying their free time. A girl on the lunch line is approached by a group of boys. Immediately, they harass her and embarrass her because she has on "fake" Uggs and a Southpole T-shirt. They call her out on it simply because she doesn't have the brand tag on the back of her boot. From that day on, she is the outcast.
In this day and age, we live in a very materialistic school society; people judge themselves and others on the cost of their possessions. Whoever wears the latest name brands or trends is automatically "in", and if not, one is automatically deemed as "different."
Oba Baker, a student at Pelham Preparatory Academy, a New York City public high school, had plenty to say. "Being that we live in New York City, I feel that celebrities and rich people brought name brands into our school system," Baker said. Kids and teenagers are so easily influenced by the media, and see these people wearing these clothes. "They think that if they wear it, they'll be as good as them. I know that I do not feel pressured to wear these name brands, but other kids around me do. In my school, what you wear most definitely affects your social status," Baker said. "I see many kids get teased about how they choose to dress. The saddest thing in my school is that I actually see theft of these expensive items. The littlest thing, you can bet that someone would steal it. It's dumb and pathetic."
Rhea Joseph, a 16-year-old resident of Connecticut, had very positive things to say about Connecticut schools. "We mainly wear Hollister or Forever 21 type of clothing. For shoes, we wear Sperry's, Uggs, or some nice sandals," Joseph said. "Even if a student doesn't wear these items, they are not bullied, nor criticized about it. We actually embrace each other's differences. We like the variety in personality."
"I see a lot of Hollister and Forever 21 where I live," said Deliah Dunbar, a 16-year-old resident of New Jersey. "If somebody were to see a person wearing something different, they wouldn't bully them, they would just make a passing comment, and that's the end of it. Being that I lived in New York as well, the kids aren't nearly as judgmental here in New Jersey." Right here in the tri-state area, every response is different. Out of all three, New York City's resident's response isn't as welcoming.
The New York City section of the state has the highest poverty rate. Out of all the boroughs in the city, The Bronx has the highest unemployment rate of 13.9 percent. In fact, it is the highest in the state of New York. The Bronx also has the highest poverty rate in the city. With all these statistics, how are these kids able to afford clothing that cost hundreds of dollars?
Michael Santiago, a 23 year old college student, who attends Temple University in Pennsylvania says, "I used to live here in the Bronx. When I was in high school, I did want what the other kids had. I didn't come from a financially stable family. It was just my mom, little sister, and I. We couldn't afford to get the hot stuff. I never stole anything from someone, but I'm not going to lie and say I've never thought about doing it, or have never seen it happen."
He's not the only one. These young people's desires for these material objects push them as far as stealing from another person. Since they can't afford them, they feel it's alright to steal. The only thing that matters is that they feel cool by taking those items.
"I just wear these items because they look nice," said Kharisma Jackson, a senior at Richmond Hill High School in Queens. "I'm a big Betsey Johnson and True Religion shopper because their stuff is better quality. If you want better quality, you just have to pay more." When asked if she would wear clothes from a store like Pretty Girl, a low priced neighborhood clothing store, she was a little hesitant. "In all honesty, I would not wear Pretty Girl clothing. If I were to walk in my school with jeans from there, I would never hear the end of it. I rather just avoid the comments and stick to my True Religion Jeans."
The topic of "what's hot and what's not" has always been an interest of teenagers. They will always try to keep up with the latest trends. Fifteen-year-old Ashley Barnes lost a friend due to the type of clothes she wore. She never kept up with the latest attire. No one can ever give a straight answer as to why a student's wardrobe determines their social status in school. It is still a question, which still awaits an answer.
