Girls are walking around with glasses that my grandfather wears. Boys are sporting messenger bags and vintage flannel, while both genders are kicking back in hand- decorated shoes and shirts. “Hipster kids” are taking over California.
More specifically, teenagers who subscribe to do-it-yourself culture — a fashion movement defined by the creation or embellishment of unique clothing and accessory items.
Fashion in 2011 isn’t about who has the most expensive or sought-after purse: It’s about uniqueness, and displaying your creativity through art and individual expression.
“There are lots of rewarding things about making your own clothing,” says San Francisco’s Karen Macklin, co-author of “Indie Girl,” via e-mail. “It can be cheaper than buying name-brand clothes and the process itself is really creative. But I think what’s most rewarding about it is that you aren’t walking through the halls wearing the same exact thing as everyone else.”
As a teenager, I have often found it difficult to keep up with fashion trends. Because they are so fleeting, it’s nearly impossible to pin down a specific style before a new one crops up.
Aidan Merris, a sophomore at Bishop O’Dowd High School in Oakland, decorates his T-shirts and shoes. “I feel most inspired by Jackson Pollock — I’ve always been interested in splatter paint,” Merris says. “It’s a unique process, and something I feel expresses my individuality. So far I’ve decorated two T-shirts
and a pair of shoes. It’s a mess, but it’s fun.”
Another sophomore, Emma Silver of Castro Valley, creates jewelry through beading. “What I love most about it is how unlimited it can be,” she says. “Beading provides a ton of options. I can make everything from a ring to an anklet, and personalize it any way I want.”
The best part about do-it-yourself style is that you don’t have to start from scratch to make something unique. In fact, if paint splattering, sharpie graffiti, or beading jewelry borders on the overtly artistic, many indie folk are satisfied with altering a hemline or simply scrounging for kitsch finds in their local thrift store.
While stores like Urban Outfitters are stocking new products with a vintage, handmade feel, books like “P.S. — I Made This” and “Indie Girl” encourage teenagers who want to create, but are unsure of how to start. Whether it’s making a lace bangle out of a cardboard tube or stringing bottle caps together for a belt, books like these, as well as Internet blogs, are breeding grounds for a teen’s growing interest in DIY. Arts and craft stores also stock mounds of fabric pens and paint, perfect for detailing a pair of jeans or adding designs to a backpack.
However, ultimately the trend circles back to the consumer and the maker’s expression of his or her own tastes.
“When we go shopping, we pick a piece of clothing off of a rack that has 10 or 20 more just like it, sitting there waiting to be bought,” Macklin says. “When you design your own stuff, you know that it’s going to be original, and truly say something about your style.”
The Life in Perspective board is made up of teens who write columns and features for TimeOut. Celina Reynes attends Bishop O’Dowd High School in Oakland. Reach her at lip@bayareanewsgroup.com.
Article source: http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-living/ci_17482798
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