How Should I Dress? Hmmm. Let Me See What My Teen is Wearing!
Now this really does come as a shock. A Temple University Fox School of Business study found that mothers are more likely to buy what their teen daughters buy rather than vice versa.
Yep, you read that correctly. Moms are copycats when it comes to clothing and makeup... and it's their teen daughters who have a significant influence on them.
“It is not merely the mimicking act that is conscious,” say the researchers. “The findings clearly indicate that the subjects intentionally choose the figure they want to emulate...” They've dubbed this phenomenon "the consumer doppelganger effect."
The study included 343 mother-daughter pairs. The average age of the the mothers was 44 and the daughters were all around 16. The more youthful and fashionista the mom, the more likely she was to view her daughter as a "style expert" and "dopplegang" her behavior.
We refer to this in the psychological literature as "child effects." We used to think that children's emotional behavior and misbehavior influenced parents' moods and even their marriages. Never for a second did we think that our teens had such a powerful style influence on us.
As I look into my closet, it could almost be mistaken for the closet of a teenager -- a stylish teenager that is. I have at least fifteen pairs of jeans. I am embarrassed to admit that... but I am committed to telling the truth here. Do I have my teen daughter to blame? (Yes, that's me in the picture to your left!)
My boot collection ranges from over-the-knee boots to suede. I must say that I have a number of summer dresses that I bought in Urban Outfitters when shopping with my daughter. My makeup is made by Mac, Bobbie Brown, and whatever product line my teen daughter and her friends were endorsing. My very favorite secret is that when they started wearing lip plumpers I bought three of them in different shades. My friends like to ask if I've had lip injections. Nope, I haven't...
Hmm. Your thoughts on this surprising new study?
