TheDivaCast.com

[Diva Carrie]

Something I meant to share...

I'm wondering how others may be feeling about the "sexiness" of the adolescent stores.

Whoever came up with the marketing concept of some of the teen clothing stores is a genius and downright selling sex, in my opinion. My oldest daughter and I went clothes shopping and I realized stores like Hollister, American Eagle, and Abercrombie & Fitch all have this "club" concept going on where the store is set up with guys' clothes on one side, girls' on the other, with a hang-out area in the center--couch, loud music, TV, magazines. All in good fun? Okay, I get it, but some are pushing the envelope in my opinion ~ American Eagle is pretty clean-cut, but Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch really make my radar scream. Photos of teens in various stages of undress and sexually implied positions...the music is booming, the ambience is dark and ... I call it Sensory Assault.

Okay, maybe I'm *old*...Fine, but even my daughter used the term "disturbed" when we walked in Abercrombie & Fitch's dressing room and there on the wall hung a photo of two headless teens, one female, one male, both naked from the waist up ~ the GIRL (not woman) on top the BOY (not man). My daughter said, "Hey, Mom...you should tell your Diva listeners to take their kids to Abercrombie and Fitch to teach them Sex Ed"... No doubt ~ a pedofile's dream shopping experience.

Sidenote: You may be saying..."Hey, just don't shop there if you find it offensive"...and YES, I *should* write a letter to the CEO or whomever may listen...I'm not ruling that out. My issue is that I have 2 hard-to-please girls whose body types are hard to fit. Believe me, I'd love to buy their stuff at less expensive shops that don't have all the sexual innuendo going on, but feel at this point sort of forced to deal with the crap to get to the clothes.

Hmmmm, maybe I should start a petition...
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[G2G Bay]

Carrie, if you write a letter to corporate, I think you should post it publicly here.

As for the sexiness of store set-ups, not to mention their merchandise, I have often thanked heaven that my daughter is a total geek and tomboy. She rarely dresses in anything even remotely revealing. To be honest, I'm torn about that -- she's anti-fashion, and I'm so into clean, bright, feminine, girlie things. Emily, on the other hand, wants to wear baggy black clothes all year.

Ooo! One time at Disney last October, she wore this really cute outfit -- just cropped pants and a darling little sheer peasant blouse over a cami -- and my DH said, "Oh, my God, I'm never letting her out of the house." And I didn't think it was bad at all! But apparently men see danger in fashion that women just can't *see*.

But I am really looking forward to "preppy" making a big comeback someday. I'm so tired of hip-huggers and blouses that reveal the midriff.

--Bay

[Diva Carrie]

Hey Bay,

Just got notice of your message as I took one last email peek before heading home from Disney...

I hear you on the fashions...the main thing I get my girls at these stores are jeans ~ They are so hard to fit. They're not into the bare mid-driff scene--though, I've noticed that fashion nightmare passing us by, thank God. Anyway...the fitted long t-shirts are more the rage...still, some girls sure like to show the cleavage. The short shorts and skirts is another issue...what to do?

Our hubbies must have some radar we don't...mine won't allow the girls to wear anything written across their butt, unless its PJs and they aren't leaving the house. At first, I thought that was odd, but he said, "Carrie, think about it...if you put writing on their butt or chest, that's right where the eye is drawn"...Hmmmm....Nah, I don't want that for my girls.

This leads into a topic/organization we'll be discussing soon...Pure Fashion...we're working on setting up an interview with one of their reps. Check out their site...I think it's www.PureFashion.com, but you may have to Google it, 'cause I'm not at my own computer to check (and too rushed to go hunting right now ). But, basically, it's a move toward trendy, but modest clothing. They have fashion shows and such and we're excited to chat with them. Will keep you posted.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Bay.

Take good care,
Carrie
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[Michele]

Abercrombie & Fitch's marketing was bad enough before. Those pictures of six-pack abs and bikini clad girls are screaming "SEX" the minute you walk into the door...not to mention they have those days where the shirtless male model hangs around by the entrance.

And then they opened Abercrombie for kids and now there are sexy and alluring photos of young models hanging in the stores, not to mention on shopping bags and in catalogs. With all those sickos out there, who knows what these kids are the victims of.

A&F definitely needs to tone it down. Their marketing seems to be a desperate, over-the-top attempt. American Eagle is a bit more laid back, with the same style.

And how about RAVE for girls and the Limited Two? Some of the stuff is cute, but if I had a young daughter, I wouldn't want her prancing around in some clothes that I wouldn't wear in my 20's...think Juicy Couture for kids.

[Diva Carrie]

If I wasn't so over-extended, I'd start a boycott of A&F!

Though, I may just have to hang out at the mall and check out this six-pack model you speak of...JUST Kidding!
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[joetraff]

I agree with you.
You are quite right.
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[madtoymum]

Carrie, you say you forgot to mention this on the podcast, does this mean you are still doing podcasts? I have not seen a new one for over a year, am I missing out?

Viv xx