FASHION: Covering up is the new black. Teenagers are tired of flashing of the flesh, writes Deirdre McQuillan.
When Dublin schoolgirl Michali Hyams (17), goes out with her friends, she likes wearing jeans and T-shirts, lacy camisoles and little jumpers. Not for her micro-minis, cropped tops and belly bars, the paraphernalia of provocative dressing powered by pop idols. "There's a lot to be said for being a little classier, not trashy," she says. It's a view shared by other stylish young women today whose taste is becoming more decorous and who don't think displaying flesh is cool or desirable.
The trend of baring the midriff, displaying thong-baring denims and exposing skin, so much a feature of recent summers, holds no attraction for these confident, style-conscious teenagers. They believe that there are more alluring alternatives to fashions that do little to flatter even perfect bodies. Michali, like many others of her generation, prefers more demure ways of dressing.
"Girls are definitely changing," says Deirdra O'Regan, also aged l7, who reckons her own style started to diversify in the past year. "I used to wear Britney tops, but I think once everybody started to do it - and there are people who don't look as good as Britney - I stopped. I can't stand seeing skin everywhere and used to feel very conscious of having to hold everything in," she says. Tops are more feminine, more pretty, she reckons.
It's a view echoed in the retail trade. Anne Marie Flood, of A-Wear, a woman with her ear finely attuned to the vagaries of the street, agrees that bare midriffs and an overtly sexual way of dressing "are definitely gone". High waists, layering and the "Bohemian" look reminiscent of the 1970s are starting to take over. "It's goodbye to the G-string and hello to Bridget Jones big knickers," she says, adding that Wimbledon banned thongs in women's tennis this year, another sign of the times. "Smart city girls are wearing jackets and jeans. It's all about dressing up on top and dressing down on the bottom."
Michali, a fan of the US retailer Abercrombie & Fitch, regularly shops in New York and has always liked "very cute, feminine things; I don't like to look like a boy". She hates Ugg boots, but never wears skirts and only occasionally a dress.
"When I was younger I was bigger and wore plain bottoms and colourful tops because I've always liked very bright, colourful clothes. Now that I am older, I prefer clothes that are small and fitted rather than clingy. I never really liked showing my midriff because I don't have a washboard stomach."
Deirdra, on the other hand, likes skirts with covered-up tops and the "vintage scruffy" look of Kate Moss. She cites Sex and the City as the main influence on her change in style. "The places I go to now are more classy and people are more covered up. From day to night, it's the same outfit now, a really nice pair of jeans like Miss Sixty, fitted, narrow but not skin-tight, camisole tops and not too much cleavage." Emma O'Shea, also aged l7, always covered up her tummy because "when I see other people's flab, I don't want to look like that. I like to keep covered." Stage-wear is costume, they say, "not for walking down the street".
In the US, popular brands such as Quiksilver and Limited are seeing thong-baring styles being ditched in favour of knee-length skirts, high-waisted jeans, layered T-shirts and flat shoes. Role models are changing, too. Stars such as Jennifer Lopez and Christina Aguilera have been replaced by others such as the prim, headband-wearing Mischa Barton in US hit series The O.C., and in the UK, the actress Sienna Miller, known for her waistcoats and long skirts, is a mix of Bardot and Moss. Anne Marie Flood thinks that Katherine Hepburn is another influence. According to a report in the New York Times, in a recent poll of young women aged 14-18, many revealed that they preferred modest rather than risqué clothes.
Comfort is another factor. Emma O'Shea likes her clothes to be comfortable as well as smart. "I like camisole tops, short sleeves and jackets. I don't wear short skirts, top of the knee is fine, and I like high heels because I am a small person. I have also noticed a lot of flowy tops going over the belt line of the jeans at the moment and I like that. All of my clothes are pretty safe. I wear things that suit me."
According to these teenagers, girls who go out in very revealing clothes such as tight skirts and tops will get a lot of attention, but in their opinion it shows a lack of confidence. Michali has a top that is quite revealing "but in a classy sort of way. Your collarbone is very under-rated and really nice. I am lucky I have a chest and can wear V-necks and look good." She loathes tattoos and remembers one girl whose tattoo stretched right across her back as she got bigger. "I think they look trashy and are absolutely horrible. I didn't have a belly bar and I am glad now that I didn't. During my rebellious stage I got a second hole in my ear, that's as far as it went." Chin-piercing looks like spots and as for tongue-piercing, she says it chips the back of the teeth "and after all the money my parents spent on mine I certainly don't want to do that". When it comes to style, Marilyn Monroe is "amazing", she says.
The shift to more feminine dressing indicates a certain growing female confidence. "We have had a huge ladylike season, very girly, with lots of cardigans, bows and things," says Anne Marie Flood. "A pretty look is not about the belly hanging out and a thong showing. That just looks nasty. Girls now want to wear great dresses over jeans."
The more refined mood has also to do with teenagers distancing themselves from younger girls. According to Deirdra, "there is no way I would go out looking like Britney now. Little girls age 10 are dressing like girls aged l7 and they look ridiculous. I have friends who buy clothes for maximum cleavage, but I would never buy something now just because it showed a lot of skin."