Teenagers thrive on feeling like individuals. When I was younger this meant that while we were all wearing identical ensembles from Tammy Girl the few who dared to be different were Goths. They wore dog collars and were head to toe in black, but in doing this they achieved exactly what they wanted to, they stood out and were seen as different. Teenagers are all insecure creatures, but none more so than those who see being Londoners and therefore knowing how to dress as a birth right. Topshop has been around for decades, and yet despite being a high street staple never really stood out from the rest. Then they did something amazing, and ironically highly original, they started selling individuality. Teenagers in London can dress as though they’ve been trawling the Brick Lane or Portobello markets without going further than Oxford Circus. The Topshop generation are identifiable at a glance, bright colours, casual layering, bleached hair, plenty of eyeliner and of course drainpipe jeans are de rigueur. They are cool, or at least they act as though they are, like members of a club where only a few know the secret password. They sit in bars, coffee shops, parks and talk loudly about anything they want with authority; people need to hear their opinions. But I always observe them with a wry smile because at the end of the day production line individuality is nothing more than your average run of the mill conformity, dressing to belong.
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