Picture this…It’s 2013. You’re in math class wearing your favorite Aeropostale t-shirt and your Converse with little drawings on the toes. Your hair is dyed with thick blonde streaks and topped off with a bow. You’re feelin’ cute and you can’t wait for the bell to ring so that you can flaunt your outfit up and down the halls while telling your BFF’s that they have to wear a skirt with you tomorrow. Life was good.
At 13 years old, I thought I was very stylish and cool. My favorite outfit was a white Aeropostale t-shirt with a hot pink camisole under it, hot pink peace sign earrings and boot-cut jeans. I liked to top it off with a white bow if I was feeling really good. Nowadays, most 13-year-olds dress better than I do and it baffles me. I honestly feel bad for them because they aren’t going to have any hilariously awful pictures to look back on like I do.
Speaking of pictures, here is me getting ready to go to 8th grade formal.
I don’t think they even make dresses like this anymore, and you definitely wouldn’t catch any current 8th grader in this, especially with the satin bow. This year when I saw all of the pictures of 8th graders going to formal, they looked like 12th graders going to homecoming. It is crazy how generations change so drastically.
Here’s another gem. This was my “dressed up” look and it was never complete without one of my signature extra-long necklaces. I rarely ever wore something other than a t-shirt so this was a big deal, hence the dramatic tree-hugging picture. Fun fact: those curls took about an hour because I didn’t, and still don’t, know how to properly use a curling iron.
Bonus picture: Here is one of my little brother’s classic outfits from middle school. Those plaid shorts proved that he truly knew what style was and I’m surprised that I wasn’t wearing some just like them. He also surpassed me when he started buying American Eagle logo t-shirts instead of my classic Aeropostale ones. Not to mention the hair, which was dyed blonde and spiked letting off major summer/cool guy vibes. Needless to say, we did not find love that summer.
Finally, the biggest change that I’ve noticed in 13-year-olds now vs. then is makeup. At 13, the only thing I knew about makeup was that it was complicated. The only makeup I used was mascara (occasionally) but even that was always clumpy and spread under my eyes and on my eyelids. As we can see from just walking through the mall (or any other places that young people frequent), young teenagers can do makeup flawlessly. When I was their age, I used the internet to play Farmville on Facebook and to watch scary videos on Youtube. Now, they have access to any tutorial that they need to perfect their looks. The real question is, where are they getting the money to buy makeup because I need some tips.