Back to school battle
By Paula Rath
Advertiser Staff Writer
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Small acts of diplomacy are going on in homes and dressing rooms throughout the Islands as parents and daughters shop for back-to-school clothes.
Parents often get a pass until the last years of elementary school or, if they're lucky, the first years of middle school. Until then, kids are often willing to put on whatever moms buy, no questions asked. Then they discover their fashion muse, be she Ashlee Simpson, Hannah Montana or Lindsay Lohan.
That can be the beginning of the end of parental clothing control, as Jocelyn Kaneshiro knows all too well.
"She's expressing her independence about what she wants. At 10 she has her own interpretation of what fashion is," said Kaneshiro, regarding her 10-year-old daughter, Brooke, who will enter fifth grade at Noelani Elementary School.
At this age, there is frequently a disconnect between parent and child. "They go through a discovery about themselves and what they're interested in, feeling comfortable with their own body," Kaneshiro said.
Friends begin to have more influence than family. Kaneshiro recalls buying a sweet Cinnamon Girl dress for Brooke to wear to sing in a talent show last year: "She didn't like it at all until she tried it on and her girlfriend said, 'Oh that's so cute.' Then she loved it."
Typical of elementary schools statewide, Noelani offers only general guidance. The student handbook guidelines are:
Hmmm ... guess that cutesy little hot pink Hot Topic T-shirt appliqued with two guns across the chest might get Brooke sent home from school?
TOP TOPIC
Fortunately for moms miffed about exposed midriffs, this year tops are longer and layered. One cami or tank top doesn't cut it. Layering two or three is far more fashion forward. A cap-sleeve T-shirt over a long-sleeved striped T-shirt is the look at Abercrombie & Fitch.
The challenge, of course, is to find stuff kids won't be embarrassed to wear, but that won't get them sent home from school, either.
Retailers are stocking some styles that should work for everyone. At American Eagle Outfitters, it's plaid puffed-sleeve schoolgirl button-down blouses. Preppy polo shirts have trickled down from the runways to the real world in a big way. Cargo pants, somewhat slimmer than in seasons past, are still hot and have enough detailing to make kids happy. The color blue is big from head to toe, and who doesn't look good in blue?
Don't be surprised if daughters say they simply must have a new pair of jeans. The silhouette is changing radically, back to slim-leg jeans; baggy styles and flared legs will soon look dated.
A DOWNWARD TREND
Be prepared for the battle ground to shift downward as hemlines climb to extreme heights. We measured shorts at six inches from waistband to hem and a mini skirt at eight inches at Abercrombie & Fitch.
What constitutes "very short" in the school handbooks? That will undoubtedly be in contention this year as minis are seen on the runways, in fashion magazines and music videos. The rule of thumb is that the length should reach the bottom fingertips when arms are held straight at sides.
Of course, the style forecasters are not recommending minis with bare legs; the style statement for fall is a narrow legging layered under those skirts. But will Island 'tweens want to follow that fashion fad?
Short skorts are making the scene now that Hawai'i's famous teen, Michelle Wie, is wearing them on golf courses around the world. But not everyone has million-dollar legs like Michelle's, nor should they be baring that much leg in the classroom.
"School should not be a fashion mall," said Gerald Teramae, principal of Jarrett Middle School. "Of course it's important for kids to feel part of the group and to feel fashionable, but they're not here to show off the latest fashion. They're here to get an education."
At Jarrett, students wear uniforms on top and choose their skirts and pants. Teramae said there is a two-inch inseam rule. "The only hard and fast rule we've had is no red shorts to address gang issues. Denim and khaki are fine. We've never had a problem with too-short shorts or skirts ... so far," he said, with a sigh.
This might be the year.
SKULL CHIC
One fashionable theme this year that moms might question: skulls and crossbones. While they used to connote dark Goth or punk styles, this year they're inspired by tongue-in-cheek, over-the-top Johnny Depp as Capt. Jack Sparrow in "Pirates of the Caribbean." Yep. It's skull chic.
Skulls are turning up in the most unlikely fashion venues. Dior is offering a diamond skull pendant for $19,000, while American designer Ralph Lauren created a skull-and-crossbones belt. Claire's Accessories have entire racks of skull-related merchandise, from scrunchies to hoops, bangles and chandelier earrings.
We caught up with mother Dolores Sanders of Hickam Air Force Base and daughter Gabrielle Sanders, age 12, soon to be a 7th grader at Aliamanu Middle School, as they sought a compromise over hoop earrings at Claire's in Pearlridge Center.
Gabrielle wanted the biggest hoops available; Mom wanted the smallest. They settled for medium. For them, school clothes are about "respect," Gabrielle said. "We need to be respectful of each other."
Sanders, for her part, made clear her respect for her daughter's sensitivity to family concerns. "She knows her limits and our values. A lot of exposure is not OK," Sanders said.
She added what we hear from many parents: "I pick my battles."
Another compromise? Gabrielle said the first garment on her back-to-school list is a pair of "Holey jeans, but I don't want to show too much skin." Her mother beamed with approval.
Many Hawai'i middle schools have tackled the clothing issue by requiring uniforms. While this was a bit of a culture shock initially, parents and kids seem to have adjusted and are even happy that peer pressure is removed with more democratic duds.
"I liked wearing normal clothes before, but in middle school a lot of kids like to show off, so it's good to even us out," Gabrielle observed.
At Hollister in Ala Moana Center, Briana Prieto, 12, of Salt Lake, who attends Moanalua Middle School, was shopping for jeans. She and her friend, Clariza Antolin, 14, who attends Moanalua High School, said they sometimes argue with their mothers about the depth of slits in skirts and the length of shorts.
The uniforms in middle school have leveled the playing field for Prieto. Antolin, who had a tank top and jacket in her shopping bag, said dressing for high school is more challenging.
The ultimate challenge, of course, will be the dork test. If the kids think it's dorky, nothing will get them to wear it. Better to negotiate another style, one that you can live with — one the school will tolerate and one the student thinks is cool.
Reach Paula Rath at prath@honoluluadvertiser.com.
