Posted on 05/23/2004 6:32:12 AM PDT by SLB
The president of a leading retailer promises to offer more modest clothing to youth after receiving a letter from a concerned 11-year-old girl.
Ella Gunderson wrote Nordstrom executives, who promise more modest fashions:
Ella Gunderson's missive to Seattle-based Nordstrom made it all the way to Pete Nordstrom, an executive vice president and president of the company's full-line stores, the Seattle Times reported.
"Dear Nordstrom," wrote Gunderson, of Redmond, Wash. "I am an eleven-year-old girl who has tried shopping at your store for clothes (in particular jeans), but all of them ride way under my hips, and the next size up is too big and falls down.
"I see all of these girls who walk around with pants that show their belly button and underwear," she continued. "Your clearks sugjest that there is only one look. If that is true, then girls are suppost to walk around half naked. I think that you should change that." (sic)
Two Nordstrom executives responded, promising they would educate employees on the fashion choices young people should have.
Kris Allan, manager of the Bellevue, Wash., Nordstrom store where Ella shopped, wrote:
"Wow. Your letter really got my attention. ... I think you are absolutely right. There should not be just one look for everyone. This look is not particularly a modest one and there should be choices for everyone."
Fashion watchers such as Gigi Solis Schanen, an editor for Seventeen magazine, told the Times Gunderson should be pleased with the new trend on the horizon.
"If modesty is what she is looking for, it's going to come full force in the fall," she said, adding 'tween and teen girls can expect to see fuller skirts, higher waist lines and more "layering" of tops.
"The '50s sexy-librarian look is in," Shanen told the Times, and the Britney Spears-style exposed belly is out.
The Seattle paper said Gunderson's mother isn't waiting for fall, however, and plans, with other concerned mothers, a "Pure Fashion" show in Bellevue tomorrow to highlight more modest fashion options.
"You see girls doing a lot of tugging. They want to be covered, but they are not having the clothes cooperate," Gunderson told the Times.
"The girls want to look feminine and they want to look pretty, but the only look the stores offer is sexy," she said.
A nice feel-good article.
But girls today have been indoctrinated to dress like what we, of the last generations, would've called sluts.
"The better to see you with, my dear..."
Did you the the front page article in today's NY Post?..it defies belief, and description..
Oh, be still my heart! (Figuratively speaking!)
My 14 year old daughter is 5' 7" and has been since she was 12. My wife buys women's clothes for her, misses. She's a perfect size 6.
My 17 year old daughter is 4' 10" and very modest. My wife buys petites for her.
It works for us.
I see Nordstrom missed the point once again.
I understand the problems in finding clothes for your kids. My oldest is 6', the rest are all in the 5'7" to 5'10" range, and range from so slender they hardly cast a shadow to others that have to count every calorie that goes into their mouth.
On the other hand, I am 6'4" and heading back down to 205 from a winter at 225 and our 27 YO son is 6'3" and 180. No problem for us to find clothes.
I have only one daughter who will be 6 in July - and I can not believe how difficult it is to find decent clothing for her. Thank goodness for the thrift shop run by the local food bank.
It's not just the clothes, have you tried finding decent kid shoes? There's two choices; sport sneakers or spiked heels. Nothing to wear to church or nice but casual enough for playtime.
Kudos to the store and the young girl for speaking up.
Rumors about this have been going around for years. This one is probabaly about as true as the one that went around saying that if you removed the pottop from a soda without breaking the little ring and gave if to a female she had to do a sex act on you.
This may just be another case of people jumping all over something because they feel the need to 'do something'.
Look on ebay. Very easy to find new clothing there in every style shape color material that one can thing of.
I got 7 outfits and one dress for my six year old's winter clothes. All with tags for 60.00 on e-bay. You're right!
My daughter actually started a fad at her school after buying her cloths at the Goodwill. She went to a private school in Virgina and I had no problem buying her new clothes but she and a girl friend thought it would be fun...I must say...they were very creative...I didn't complain...nether did any of the other parents...
I say YEAH for her!!!!!! She has encouraged me to write letters now. I am going to write Nordstroms too!!!
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