Teens not giving up "designer" clothes yet

darkman2 · 30-10-2009 1:35am #1

Recession fails to lure teens away from designer labels, Foróige survey shows

OLIVIA KELLY

THE MAJORITY of teenagers would be unprepared to buy “high street” instead of designer clothes.

Neither would they be inclined to spend less on phone credit to ease the burden of the recession on their families, a survey commissioned by Foróige has found.

The survey of 252 teenagers from a variety of backgrounds found that while more than a quarter of their parents had lost jobs or sustained pay cuts, few teenagers reported any effect on their personal happiness.

More than two-thirds of those surveyed by Behaviour Attitudes for Foróige, the National Youth Development Organisation, said they had a holiday this year and 60 per cent said the money they spent on entertainment had not been cut. However, 53 per cent said their families as a whole had cut back on luxuries.

Almost three-quarters said the recession had either no great effect, or no effect at all on their happiness, with 22 per cent saying it had a slight effect and just 5 per cent reporting a significant effect.

When asked what they would do if their family was struggling due to money problems, 58 per cent said they would not ask for money as often, one-third said they would look for a part-time job and 12 per cent said they would eat less.

In terms of their spending, 45 per cent said they would spend less by buying high street clothes rather than designer labels or spend less on phone credit and 38 per cent said they would help by keeping a positive attitude. Some 7 per cent said they would make no changes at all.

The teenagers were finally asked whether they considered themselves a good or bad “global recession citizen”. They were told that “good” meant helping others and “bad” meant being selfish.

Three-quarters said they were quite good or very good, 12 per cent said they were “a little bad” and 2 per cent admitted to being “very bad”.

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times

Of course this has to be looked at in a deeper way. Firstly most teens are not working in the recession and secondly it is easy to spend your parents money.

When are the parents - who are stretched as it is - going to turn to their children and say actually no you cannot have that and you will have to make do? Because they are heading for financial trouble if this behaviour persists. Alot of people are in serious trouble in this country yet teens think it is fine to demand designer gear still.

One wonders when the parents lose the house and they are homeless how much they will care then. Just wait till interest rates rise and see the volume of repocessions!

Ruu_Old · 30-10-2009 1:37am

In my day, you would get Primark be glad of it!

orourkeda · 30-10-2009 1:39am

Ruu wrote: »

In my day, you would get Primark be glad of it!

Old-Timer

seanfromshankil · 30-10-2009 1:42am

Dunno about the people they were surveying, but myself and my mates were never as extravagant as that and we sure aren't gonna start now!

anonymous_joe · 30-10-2009 1:42am

darkman2 wrote: »

Of course this has to be looked at in a deeper way. Firstly most teens are not working in the recession and secondly it is easy to spend your parents money.

When are the parents - who are stretched as it is - going to turn to their children and say actually no you cannot have that and you will have to make do? Because they are heading for financial trouble if this behaviour persists. Alot of people are in serious trouble in this country yet teens think it is fine to demand designer gear still.

One wonders when the parents lose the house and they are homeless how much they will care then. Just wait till interest rates rise and see the volume of repocessions!

Social pressure > Fiscal rectitude.

orourkeda · 30-10-2009 1:44am

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Social pressure > Fiscal rectitude.

No Bills or responsibility = Do what you like with your money

ironictoaster · 30-10-2009 1:47am

I would expect a 13-15 year old not fully understand the strain they're putting their parents after they have lost a job/pay cut, but 16 onwards, you need a slap on the back of the head and some cop on.

anonymous_joe · 30-10-2009 1:52am

orourkeda wrote: »

No Bills or responsibility = Do what you like with your money

Well exactly. They don't care because they don't have to face the realities of the situation.

brendansmith · 30-10-2009 1:57am

Ruu wrote: »

In my day, you would get Primark be glad of it!

In my day we had to fashion our own clothes out of stones, water and mud. And if we were lucky we might get 'not-killed' for christmas.

JupiterKid · 30-10-2009 2:03am

This just shows how utterly spoiled rotten a generation of teens are in this country.:(

Many of them will get a much needed rude awakening before too long.

whatdoicare · 30-10-2009 2:04am

I don't think I ever got to have designer gear when I was a teen....I remember my dad once got me joe bloggs jeans (I hadn't a clue what that was at the time) off the back of a truck, me reckons...it was about two sizes two big for me but I was just delighted my daddy got me these jeans! haha and when I was in my early 20's he delighted in getting me "nope" trackkie bottoms and "burberry" t-shirts from the market off a dodgy friend! It meant more to him to get me this stuff- I honestly didn't give a hoot, in my mind designer meant badly fitting weird looking stuff- the stuff he got me at the market lasted me years (still have the trackkie bottoms) and I think I was more impressed with how he had to be Del boy to get me them. lol
I was 21 before I got my own mobile myself -feckin' brick of a thing. But I was out on my own by then and pretty much paying my own way.
Teens today (listen to me I'm not even 30- hahaha) are the product of richer times and endless flowing cash- they'll get a culture shock soon enough the way things are going. You honestly can't expect them to have a clue- what teen does?? It's the parents who are at fault if they are keeping it going TBH but I suspect a fair few parents are in a bit of denial about the reality of the situation if you ask me.

Leftyflip · 30-10-2009 2:07am

I'm a teenager and I wear Pennys and Dunnes clothes, whats wrong with wearing them? You don't need to spend €60 on a hoody, Jesus....

poisonated · 30-10-2009 2:08am

Its funny you mention that actualy because I was in London the other week and the que just to get into abercrombie went around the corner.Rediculas!

RandolphEsq · 30-10-2009 2:09am

Parents brought up their kids during the boom years with high expectations as to a standard of living. Now the parents themselves are worried the kids will be unhappy if their standard of living drops.

brendansmith · 30-10-2009 2:14am

I remember having to sell part of my hand just to afford the bus into town.

Pygmalion · 30-10-2009 2:22am

As a teenager I don't really get why people give them the money for this.

When I needed clothes I'd generally be given €20 and told that there was a sale on in Penneys.
I'd be able to get a decent amount with it, and unless you're going for the scumbag look there's no difference in appearance or comfort of the clothes anyway.

That said, I'd say a lot of the people who don't give a **** about spending mammy and daddy's money would demand nothing less than the scumbag look.

themont85 · 30-10-2009 2:43am

I hate when people say 'shop in Penneys, its cheaper and there is no difference'. You get what you pay for in terms of quality of the clothes, I'm not saying splash out on serious designer gear but upto a point I believe it is well worth it.

K4t · 30-10-2009 2:45am

JupiterKid wrote: »

This just shows how utterly spoiled rotten a generation of teens are in this country.:(

Many of them will get a much needed rude awakening before too long.

:rolleyes:

The survey of 252 teenagers

Hardly a fair reflection on the thousands of other teens in the country that they managed to find a bunch of ignorant cnuts to carry out this survey on. They were probably selected by their degree of ignorance. I'm thinking dublin private school etc.

brendansmith · 30-10-2009 2:49am

JupiterKid wrote: »

This just shows how utterly spoiled rotten a generation of teens are in this country.:(

Many of them will get a much needed rude awakening before too long.

You sound old.

Why do you call yourself Jupiterkid?

Overheal · 30-10-2009 2:53am

I spent $20 on a shirt the other day and im sickened.

Having said that the $30 wool newsboy cap was an excellent purchase.

Im with k4t. 252 teenagers, probably all pulled off dublin shop streets.

JupiterKid · 30-10-2009 2:54am

lol I'm 35 years of age. Why my username is JupiterKid? Because i like it, simple as.

IMO a lot of teens in Ireland are spoiled, rude and bad mannered.:( If they are 16 or over and want to still buy designer clothes - can they not earn money via a part time job?

brendansmith · 30-10-2009 2:59am

JupiterKid wrote: »

lol I'm 35 years of age. Why my username is JupiterKid? Because i like it, simple as.

IMO a lot of teens in Ireland are spoiled, rude and bad mannered.:( If they are 16 or over and want to still buy designer clothes - can they not earn money via a part time job?

35????? You sounded like an 80 yo spinster in your last post.

The real jupiterkid would have not cared and just rode their hoverboard across the milkyway with a pair of these on : http://thebosh.com/upload/2008/11/30/fashion_assassin_beyonce_and_dumbest_sunglasses_ever/beyonce%20tinsel%20shades.jpg

kincsem · 30-10-2009 3:00am

Good news. I have shares in Abercrombie & Fitch. The selfish teens know how to spend.

starbelgrade · 30-10-2009 3:01am

I heard a vox pop (or is it vox pox?) on Newstalk a few weeks ago when they were discussing the price of clothes & how much people now spend on them. They interviewed a D-4 (sounding*) girl who said, "OMG - NO, I used to spend wads of cash on my wardrobe, but these days I'm loike, SUCH a frugalista / recessionista, but loike, ya, I'm still looking loike a fashionista, ya".

* = She sounded D4, but the report was recorded in.... Louth. Go Figure.

bertie4evr · 30-10-2009 8:55am

I'm 16,couldn't give two ****s what I wear.I've never seen some people in the same clothes twice,it's ridiculous.

robbie_998 · 30-10-2009 8:57am

ive been a teen for many years now and have never like nike, addidas or any of that crap AT ALL

also i have wearing runners and also i hate tracksuits !

TanG411 · 30-10-2009 9:03am

Leftyflip wrote: »

I'm a teenager and I wear Pennys and Dunnes clothes, whats wrong with wearing them? You don't need to spend €60 on a hoody, Jesus....

Agreed. I'm 17 and have been wearing Penneys clothes for years. And that's not because we didn't have money. I thought they were genuinely comfortable clothes.

speedboatchase · 30-10-2009 9:06am

kincsem wrote: »

Good news. I have shares in Abercrombie & Fitch. The selfish teens know how to spend.

The same Abercrombie & Fitch whose profits just dropped 68%, good luck there

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008740344_apearnsabercrombiefitch.html

Irish people, especially teens don't wear "designer" clothes anyway. Most people just buy Pennys and Topshop, nonsense article

K-Ren · 30-10-2009 9:09am

I always buy from Pennys because I like the idea that Taiwaneese children toiled wretchedly just to clothe me.

bertie4evr · 30-10-2009 9:12am

K-Ren wrote: »

I always buy from Pennys because I like the idea that Taiwaneese children toiled wretchedly just to clothe me.

Vietnamese

m5ex9oqjawdg2i · 30-10-2009 9:29am

Ruu wrote: »

In my day, you would get Primark be glad of it!

That's still the case, I rather pennys tee shirts than any other. The only thing I splash out on is a pair of jeans. Although the best pair of jeans I have cost me 20 dollars :P

Never understood the point in spending 50 euro on one teeshirt when you could get 6 or 7. It's nice to have some designer stuff, don't get me wrong, but shop around, get bargains, and buy the no name designer stuff...

speedboatchase · 30-10-2009 9:54am

Blakely Dirty Bag wrote: »

That's still the case, I rather pennys tee shirts than any other. The only thing I splash out on is a pair of jeans. Although the best pair of jeans I have cost me 20 dollars :P

Never understood the point in spending 50 euro on one teeshirt when you could get 6 or 7. It's nice to have some designer stuff, don't get me wrong, but shop around, get bargains, and buy the no name designer stuff...

I'm the opposite. My mate has tons of ill-fitting, rubbish looking jeans that are falling apart. I've only have a few jeans but they fit fantastic, look great and hold up after plenty of washes. I understand a bargain is a bargain etc but personally I think if money is always your main motivation you'll never wear the things you really want and look the way you want to look. I don't bother with the high street or Pennys but I do love a sale on ASOS.com, don't see the point in wearing the same clothes everyone else is wearing every day

phasers · 30-10-2009 10:03am

The only pieces of clothing worth splashing out on are a good coat and decent shoes.

Although I got a gorgeous coat in Penneys yesterday for a tenner, it's so warm

I'm technically still a teenager and my favourite pastime is finding bargains! paying more than ten euro for things sickens me

arybvtcw0eolkf · 30-10-2009 10:05am

Ruu wrote: »

In my day, you would get Primark be glad of it!

"Primark" .. Look who's trying to be a poor/posh!.

'Pennys' was good enough for us in Ballymun, or at Christmas you got your clobber from 'The Vincents!.

'Primark' me hole :P

Pace2008 · 30-10-2009 10:08am

K-Ren wrote: »

I always buy from Pennys because I like the idea that Taiwaneese children toiled wretchedly just to clothe me.

Taiwan has a pretty developed economy; I don't think it operates what we'd consider 'sweatshops' on a large scale. In any case, sweatshop work might sound like hell to people with Irish sensibilities, but a lot people in poorer Asian countries are happy to work in them since they’re a lot better than the alternatives.

phasers · 30-10-2009 10:08am

Fred's Fashions FTW ye poshie bastards

amacachi · 30-10-2009 10:13am

I'm 21 and other than footwear and a suit I don't think I've got any currently-fitting item of clothing that cost more than 6 quid.

~nop~ · 30-10-2009 10:15am

This survey looks completely biased to me. The question presumed that they were buying designer clothes in the first place, so therefore kids who weren't anyway aren't going to tick this answer as their way of cutting down on spending.

I know no teenagers at all who wear nothing high-street, and even high street is very expensive for a lot of them (think Topshop etc.)

Pace2008 · 30-10-2009 10:18am

~nop~ wrote: »

This survey looks completely biased to me. The question presumed that they were buying designer clothes in the first place, so therefore kids who weren't anyway aren't going to tick this answer as their way of cutting down on spending.

I know no teenagers at all who wear nothing high-street, and even high street is very expensive for a lot of them (think Topshop etc.)

Absolutely. The article is ephebiphobic nonsense.

seraphimvc · 30-10-2009 10:42am

so college students are not teens anymore??:(

caused' i see nothing like that article said is actually happening around me!

DancingQueen:) · 30-10-2009 10:56am

I'm a teenager and nothing like the ones in that article. I like to look nice but wouldn't spend too much money on designer clothes. I like Pennys, you get some great bargains there and when I do splash out on clothes its normally my own money and not my parents.

RandolphEsq · 30-10-2009 11:05am

Shirts, shoes and trousers/jeans do require money being spent on them for proper comfort. Cheap jeans especially IMO (under €30) have always just had something wrong from the way they make your legs look to the crotch being to close to the waistband.

streings · 30-10-2009 11:09am

JupiterKid wrote: »

IMO a lot of teens in Ireland are spoiled, rude and bad mannered.:(

When have teenagers been anything different? You were like this once you just didn't realise it so get down of your high horse.

Really it's up to the parent's how much their teenager spends. If I am given E40 by my parents I make the reasonable assumption that this E40 is fair game to spend unless told otherwise. After all, why would my parent's give me money they don't have to give away?
The only reason the teenagerss parents are reducing expendeture is that their income has been cut/abolished, otherwise obviously they wouldn't. If the teenager's income (their pocket money or money they get off their parents when they go out) isn't cut, it is unresonable to expect them to reduce their own expendeture without being encouraged or forced.

Pygmalion · 30-10-2009 12:10pm

K-Ren wrote: »

I always buy from Pennys because I like the idea that Taiwaneese children toiled wretchedly just to clothe me.

Yeah, Nike and Adidas workers for example live as kings among men, get €15 an hour and all over 18 and from developed countries.

amacachi · 30-10-2009 12:20pm

Pygmalion wrote: »

Yeah, Nike and Adidas workers for example live as kings among men, get €15 an hour and all over 18 and from developed countries.

I too love how people think that more expensive clothes mean better conditions for the workers. Had someone say once "I'm not buying clothes in Penny's any more because I read about how they buy from sweatshops." Eh yeah, go pay 10 times more for something similar elsewhere, it may even have been made in the same damn factory.

partyatmygaff · 30-10-2009 12:29pm

About 60-70% of all the clothes I have are designer or atleast high-quality but I paid for it all out my own money, I rarely ever ask my parents for money since I started secondary school.
I never ever buy cheapo shoes because they just do not last at all, same for any other high-use things like jeans etc. A t-shirt etc I don't really care so long as it looks good.

amacachi · 30-10-2009 12:31pm

partyatmygaff wrote: »

About 60-70% of all the clothes I have are designer or atleast high-quality but I paid for it all out my own money, I rarely ever ask my parents for money since I started secondary school.
I never ever buy cheapo shoes because they just do not last at all, same for any other high-use things like jeans etc. A t-shirt etc I don't really care so long as it looks good.

These €20, 2-year-old runners I'm wearing must be some kind of time-bending entity. Can't believe I bet those ****ers at CERN to the prize.

Pygmalion · 30-10-2009 12:54pm

amacachi wrote: »

These €20, 2-year-old runners I'm wearing must be some kind of time-bending entity. Can't believe I bet those ****ers at CERN to the prize.

Incidentally where did you get them?
Cheapo runners are like the one piece of clothing I find that actually don't last me that long.

the_syco · 30-10-2009 12:55pm

starbelgrade wrote: »

* = She sounded D4, but the report was recorded in.... Louth. Go Figure.

F**king D4 wannabe - the worst type!

amacachi · 30-10-2009 12:57pm

Pygmalion wrote: »

Incidentally where did you get them?
Cheapo runners are like the one piece of clothing I find that actually don't last me that long.

JJB sports. "Hi-Tec" ones. I wear them pretty much every day like so I've gotten a ridiculous amount of use out of them and I can't see any holes in them.

ScumLord · 30-10-2009 1:09pm

All my clothes are designer, well someone had to design them, I think it's racist to say if my clothes where designed and made by Chinese lads that they don't count as designer.
Just because the Chinese work hard and don't ponce about the place like fairy's while they charge €230 for a woolly jumper just because said fairy stood over a smelly student and watched them stitch the arm on before they sent it off to another Chinese factory to be made properly, the good old fashioned hard workin' communist red way, with blood, sweat and a few missing fingers thrown in for good measure.

I buy my clothes in Dunnes.

Teens not giving up "designer" clothes yet

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