Teen Scene

Here's what all the other kids are wearing…

by Trish Boppert

If youth drives fashion, Philly’s high school hipsters are behind the wheel. Lyndsey Fox, an 18-year old Masterman senior, has arguably the coolest job in highschooldom: a part-time gig (with employee discount) at Center City’s Urban Outfitters, purveyor of all threads trendy for pretty young city things of either sex. Here’s what Fox was wearing on a recent school day: nose stud, hoop earring in her lip, Diesel jeans, see-through sweater over an men’s undershirt, studded belt, military blazer and classic black Chuck Taylors. It’s a look, she says, that’s not exactly uncommon.

"The alternative has become mainstream, so everybody wants to be different, and in doing so, everyone turns out to be the same," says this savvy fashionista.

Classmate Joe Skale, 18, senses a retro vibe in the air, citing the trend toward "neat, casual" shirts and polos, and old-school footwear like Adidas and Nikes, in classic white or black. Think high school boys don't wear pink? The girly-girl-no-more hue, says Skale, is among the most popular colors for the casual but crisp polos that the Young Sinatra look demands. The must-have item for high school Rat Packers come summer?

"Board shorts are going to be huge," Skale predicts. For those over 25 or otherwise fashion impaired, board shorts resemble fitted swim trunks without the netting.

Though Skale says that guys his age are "all about looking like you don't care what your hair looks like," today's boys seem to know as much about styling products as their female counterparts. On a bad hair day, trucker hats (Von Dutch being the premier brand), fetching $40 and up, provide stylish cover.

Girls High freshman Kendra Tucker reports that students at her female-only campus embrace a wide array of looks and styles. "Everyone dresses in their own way, and that's OK," she says.

For school, Tucker opts for a neatly casual look fueled more by comfort than brand-name mania. As at Masterman, Timberlands are a popular footwear choice. (Though at Girls High, with its dress code, black-and-white Timbs trump pastels and khaki.) For dress-up occasions, Tucker prefers an elegant, feminine look and likes the high, flirty heels shown this spring.

Styles may change, but high school kids are still experts at subtly (or not so subtly) bending prevailing fashion to reflect how they'd like their peers, and the larger world beyond, to perceive them.