James Mok’s Soliloquy

Watched an ABC’s 20/20 show last night about a problem of teenage American girl fashion, which is influenced by pop stars like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, where everyone is dressing less and exposing larger parts of their bodies.

Towards the end of the segment, Barbara Walters wondered and asked what parents could possibly say to their teenage daughters when everyone in the same age group are wearing the same type of fashion as the “in” thing to do.

Back in my teenage days in Canada in the late ’70’s, one inch wide leather ties were the “in” thing to wear. I hated the look. I started wearing crew neck sweaters over a shirt with the shirt collar on the inside, where everyone else would wear their collar on the outside at the time. Soon after that, a lot more followed and wore their shirt collar on the inside. In the early ’80’s I started the narrow red bow tie on black tuxedo look going to the prom, by ordering a wide red bow tie and then rethreaded the bow much narrower since no shop carried them at the time. The following few years, a lot more wore the same.

To answer Barbara Walters’ question, I’d say, “To lead, is cool. To follow, is lame.”