To Look Young, Wear Young
By Megiffer, age 14, Illinois
When you go to the mall most stores that sell other companies' merchandise have shirts that have Elmo or Strawberry Shortcake on them. Are these only marketed for little kids? No way! A new fashion is in - To look young, wear young.
Elmo
Now seriously, who doesn't love this cuddly red monster? The faded picture makes it seem more mature than a children's shirt. There aren't building blocks or other children's stuff on it either.
Care Bears
Don't you just want to hug these bears so tight? Why not wear these happy little bears?
The words "Lucky You" probably mean, "Lucky you, you've got me now." The darker colors don't make it seem too young for teens.
Rainbow Brite
Here's a girl always out to brighten your day. Bring on the rainbows!
The colors and font used with this tee are so retro, and make a shirt like this more mature. Also, a baseball style t-shirt isn't what you usually find on younger kids.
Strawberry Shortcake
Sweet as frosting, Strawberry Shortcake always has a smile on her face, and she smells good too. Kohl's has some cute ones in the pajama section. P.J.'s are now popular to wear any time of the day. The shirts I saw in the juniors section had faded pictures of Strawberry Shortcake.Prices vary. Try e-bay.com.
Cookie Monster
Can't forget that cookie-eating fuzzy blue monster! C is for cookie.
Another faded tee, but that's not the only reason why it's mature. The checkered pattern behind Cookie Monster is similar to what you find in teen and adult clothes.
Mickey Mouse
The same gullible mouse who's been around for years. It's not faded, but the pattern isn't what you find in the toddler section. Also, it has random x's, hearts, and other designs popular on teen shirts.
Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends
This show has recently become as popular as SpongeBob SquarePants. Who doesn't love Cheese?
The truth is that any age can wear these shirts. I thought they were cool. Hot Topic has a whole new line featuring Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, with jewelry, stickers, clothes, backpacks, and so on. There are tons of shirts with Cheese. One says, "I pooted." Check it out at Hottopic.com. Search Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends.
Now you know what to look out for. Hot Topic is popular for these type of clothes, but they can be found in many kinds of stores. Junk Food's faded graphics and different patterns make these favorite characters cool and mature. Darker colors, tank tops, tube tops, and design elements you don't normally find in younger kids' clothing make them wearable without looking like you shopped in the wrong section of the store. To look young, wear young.
Happy shopping,
Megiffer