Preteens take over fashion blogosphere

‘ ‘ ‘ Think back to when you were 12. ‘ ‘ ‘ You were probably in sixth or seventh grade. You… ‘ ‘ ‘ Think back to when you were 12. ‘ ‘ ‘ You were probably in sixth or seventh grade. You were awkwardly gyrating to N’Sync or Baha Men’s ‘Who Let the Dogs Out?’ at your school dance. Your glitter eye makeup was running rampant, and you were thinking you were super cool with that teeny glow stick in your mouth. You were wearing a tank top proclaiming that you were an ‘angel’ or ‘princess,’ and you had it artfully rolled up to show off your pre-adolescent belly. Or maybe you were sporting all your Tommy Girl gear, accented by some mini butterfly clips that you used to keep all your bangs twisted back in place. ‘ ‘ ‘ But things are a lot different since I was 12 in 2000, just eight years ago. The public in general has become a lot more fashion-conscious and trendy, and this has trickled down to younger kids. Now, more fashion-forward pieces are available for a younger audience.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Additionally, technology has grown exponentially ‘mdash; cell phone use wasn’t nearly what it is today, and I don’t think texting really existed. And while instant messaging was a big thing in middle school, blogging and social networking sites weren’t even something on a preteen’s radar.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ But thanks to the widespread use of technology, the creation of fast fashion for the masses and fashion blogging ‘mdash; where users post a picture of their outfit and describe the pieces and style inspiration ‘mdash; a whole new breed of mini stylistas has emerged. ‘ ‘ ‘ In a recent article in The New York Times Style Magazine, Elizabeth Spiridakis described a young-style blogger named Tavi. In her article, ‘Post Adolescents,’ Spiridakis describes the high-fashion blogging of kids just hitting puberty. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Not bad for a 12-year-old,’ she wrote.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Excuse me? 12? So while I was busy obsessing over glittery L.e.i. jeans and tacking boy band images on my walls, there’s a girl named Tavi who’s busy spending her twelfth year on earth honing her fashion aesthetic and perusing the Internet, learning as much as she can about the industry to create unique looks that rival those on the pages of a fashion magazine. ‘ ‘ ‘ I must be a late bloomer. Upon examining her blog, Style Rookie, I am simultaneously intimidated and thoroughly impressed. I wouldn’t mind having her breadth of fashion knowledge or her ability to pull together outfits.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ But how weird is it to want to dress like a middle schooler?’ ‘ ‘ ‘ And she’s not the only one out there. There are more. Tons more. If you check out a forum on TeenVogue.com and view a thread where the users discuss their ages, it’s overwhelming how many are under the age of 15. And these kids aren’t just wearing Abercrombie and Juicy. They have genuinely unique style influences pulled from all eras and genres of music, movies, books, culture and life. And many love to plug their own blogs shamelessly. ‘ ‘ ‘ But being an underage blogger doesn’t come without its drawbacks. While Tavi of Style Rookie has garnered national attention for her blog, privacy can be an issue for a fragile preteen. A USA Today article from August details the worries that some parents have about their young fashion bloggers ‘mdash;’ being recognized on the street from photos, cyber-bullying from haters and provocative photos damaging reputations.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Luckily, the article then goes on to say that most girls take preventative measures to protect their anonymity by blurring out their faces in photos and not mentioning their last names.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ I guess this is all just bad news for us college-aged girls with marginal fashion sense. We’re about eight years behind and will probably never catch up. ‘ ‘ ‘ So I say that we should all just give up and wear sweat pants and ‘comfortable’ shoes for the rest of our lives. Their style sense is probably in their prepubescent genes anyway, some preternatural calling to be effortlessly chic.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ But forget about the preteens. There’s an even younger demographic on the style horizon to watch out for. Yes, that’s right: toddlers. Namely, two-year old Suri Cruise. What can I say? The kid’s got class with her effortless little dresses and chic flats, not to mention her cute dark-haired bob. Too bad Katie Holmes doesn’t pick out my clothes, too.