Boys Clothing Styles: 2000s--Country Trends


Figure 1.-- One very noticeble trend is the virtual disappearance of destinctive national clothing styles in Europe. It was once possible to identify many old photigraphs on the basis of the clothing styles worn by the children, at least for the larger countries. This is no longer possible in Europe. Children now wear a kind of generalized European style. There are still dsome differences, most climate related. Nortice the use of English on the shirt even though this boy is probably neither American or British.

We do not yet have much country information for clothing trends in the 2000s. One very noticeble trend is the virtual disappearance of destinctive national clothing styles in Europe. It was once possible to identify many old photigraphs on the basis of the clothing styles worn by the children, at least for the larger countries. This is no longer possible in Europe. Children now wear a kind of generalized European style. There are still dsome differences, most climate related. It is possible tonan extent to differentiate European and American fashions. And this trend has also affected the Third World. Western children's fashions now dominate countries as diverse as China, India, and Indinesia. Many poor countries in Africca, Asia, and Latin America are affected because they import used clothing from America and Europe. Some trends in individual countries include the following.

America

One interesting trend notable in 2000 is in "T"-shirts. Anmerican boys in the 1980s and 90s commnly used their "T"-shirts to convey messages. These message varied widely, raninging from Christain messages to nilhistic acid-rock themes. The new developmentvis that American girls in 2000 have begun wearing "T"-shirts making fun of boys. It has been common for boys to put girls down. Apparently girls in 2000 have felt empowered enough to make fin of the boys. Sample "T"-shirts read, "Boys Are Great. Every Girl Should Own One." and "I Make Boys Cry". One "T" shirt reads "Boys Will Be Boys" over an image of te rear end of a donkey. Some clothing retailers have rejected such "T" shirts in the past, fearing some mothers may be offended. The success of the first such "T"-shirt, "Boys Lie", has resulted in these "T shirts appearing in many retail outlerts. The boys don't seem to be complaining. One boy said that his only objection is that there are no comparable "T"-shirts aimed at girls. Apparently the attitude of retailers is that girls making fun of boys is good fun, but that boys making fun of girls is offensive. [Zimmerman]

Europe

One very noticeble trend is the virtual disappearance of destinctive national clothing styles in Europe. It was once possible to identify many old photigraphs on the basis of the clothing styles worn by the children, at least for the larger countries. This is no longer possible in Europe. Children now wear a kind of generalized European style. There are still dsome differences, most climate related. It is possible to an extent to differentiate European and American fashions. And this trend has also affected the Third World. Western children's fashions now dominate countries as diverse as China, India, and Indinesia. Many poor countries in Africca, Asia, and Latin America are affected because they import used clothing from America and Europe.

Other Countries

This trend for standardized styles has also affected the Third World. Western children's fashions now dominate countries as diverse as China, India, and Indonesia. Many poor countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America are affected because they import used clothing from America and Europe. A reader writes, " Actually it's the other way around. The clothing worn in developed countries largely comes from factories in developing countries. That which isn't exported is worn locally, complete with foreign labels. Globalization of clothing manufacturing has led to homogenization of styles. If a factory in Thailand has customers in both Amsterdam and Atlanta, it's much simpler to send the same stuff to both places than to keep everything separate. Fashions around the world are thus kept in sync, or lockstep if you want to see it that way." Our reader is correct in his assessment about Globelization. Of course the clothing being manufactured in the Third Worls, is being produced according to orders recived from America and Europe. This means that the designs and styles are Western.

Sources

Zimmerman, Ann. "If boys just want to have fun, this may bring them down," Wall Street Journal, November 10, 2000, p. A1.






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Created: 6:14 AM 11/24/2007
Last updated: 9:25 PM 12/9/2007