Maybe it’s the congeniality of the kids, or maybe it’s the inspired use of the riff from “She Bop,” but this high school documentary, dated either ‘84 or ‘85, is possibly the only reflection on fashion I could describe as “adorable.” This is not to patronize the subjects, who display the kind of plucky fortitude necessary to survive the crude politics of high school. The problems they face may jog your memory: an emphasis on conspicuous consumption annoys a girl who can’t or won’t drop the cash for expensive threads, a sweet brace-faced girl and her best friend are harassed by jocks for their punk aesthetics, and (of course) a boy gets called a “fag.”

It’s all very cliché high school stuff, but it’s also very real (and very recognizable), though school is obviously only half the battle for a teenage fashion pioneer. When asked about their parents’ opinions on their children’s sartorial choices, students reported a range of responses, from support to “disgust.” Overall, the teens seem pretty confident and self-assured, and they don’t really appear all that obsessed with the “outsider” clothing they’re sporting. When asked to give advice to their peers, one reassures teens of a world beyond their small town, and another simply recommends a lot of punk shows.

You hear that? The kids were all right.
 

 
Via Network Awesome