To wonder why creosote tans, blinding white teeth, false eyelashes and BIG hair....

[lazyhound444]

became the norm? I appreciate that not all young ladies adopt this look (my own DD being one of them) but I couldn't help feeling a bit skiffing through my DS's Instagram last night at the endless duck face pout selfies of young ladies he goes to school with who all look exactly the same because of this current "uniform". It just made me feel a bit depressed. I'm 48 but when I was young we had a bit more diversity and of course we were au naturel. AIBU?

I work with women (30yo +) like this. Prior to our xmas team lunch, they rushed to the loos and came out with massive hair, heavily mascara laden eyes, bronzed within an inch of their lives and did all the pouty stuff in photos.

I find it a bit weird. They look a bit like plastic wags but would be horrified if anyone said that to them.

I'm sure you did Angela. However, I have no doubt that you look so much more magnificent without it!

Ha yes! Imagine if we had facebook those days to post our new perm!

teenagers have veneers? do they live in chelsea?

Half the teenagers round here have braces. Ruins the pout somewhat.

I started the thread party because of the Instagram photos that had me really but also because my DD was attending a senior school dance a few weeks ago. Her friends came round to get ready and when they left they all looked fabulous and every one was individual and differnet looking. Checking her photos of the event however was just depressing as the rest of the girls there looked like clones. It concerns me that young men find this attractive and are bypassing all these independent thinkers. Maybe I'm reading too much into this!

There's a mural painted on an underpass in Sunderland. It depicts people of all colours and even includes a lovely orange one, complete with exposed thong top.

My mum has read this over my shoulder. Although she agrees its ridiculous she points out at least they're making an effort with their appearances however misguided.

This is because in my school days my chums and I followed the grunge (what she calls tramp look) look. She doesn't get it was STILL an effort to wear a nirvana t shirt under my dad's old ripped jumpers, panda my eyes and tippex my DMs. My tights didn't artfully ladder themselves, it took ages with a carefully bitten nail. And cost a fortune to replace every time!

I can't believe in urban outfitters you can buy jumpers ready grunged. At £50.

Yes I think you're reading far too much into it to say you find it 'depressing'.

I just find it mildly amusing...just like my Mum found my teen style mildly amusing and I'm sure my Gran thought the same about hers.

If I got an approving look from my Mum before I went clubbing, I would have been tempted to go and change straight away

I don't understand the huge bun on top of head look. Hideous. A few of my friends do it though so can't say anything.

I'd forgotten about the donut bun look. It's horrific.

"If I got an approving look from my Mum before I went clubbing, I would have been tempted to go and change straight away"

Worra

I used to put more "modest" tops over my actual outfit before discarding in the back garden after I had left the house.

My DF used to nod approvingly...if only he knew.

Oh lazy, you silver-tongued charmer, you!

it will date. just as perms, flicked hair date those who were teens in the 80s or 70s. the conformism is nothing new, nor is it worse now than when you were young, just that back then you were 'in it' and could see the diversity among your peers that you can't see new as an outsider. There are still a variety 'types' out there, each with their own uniform, and a few individuals here and there who don't conform. shall be ever thus.

Oh it is our job as 48 year olds to be horrified by teens - they wouldn't be happy if we weren't outraged would they !

I was an avid Siouxie and The Banshees devotee and my parents' thought I'd turned into satan back when I was 16 and here I am now listening to The Archers and baking cakes for tea so I don't worry overly.

Yes and had a perm too with a ghastly fringe and blue eyeliner! Thank god there was no FB back then...

I was just thinking this morning that young women do strange things to their eyebrows these days, having passed several in half an hour with very thick, dark, heavily penciled ones. Then I remembered that in my teens and early 20s I and all my friends plucked ours to oblivion, so was hardly in a position to criticise.

Virtually no brows, lashings of thick black mascara and piles and piles of loose face powder (constantly reapplied as no one would be seen dead with even a hint of a shiny t-zone). No blusher and either clear lip gloss or very dark purpley lipstick. Hair was either very long and very straight, or very short - a few of us, me included, had a pixie cut a la Winona Ryder.

We must have looked as odd to grown women as young girls do to me now, but none of us would've considered doing anything differently.

Ladies, you've made me feel so much better. Love the different perspectives and the realisiation that it twas ever thus. Thanks!

I'm sure that the cottage loaf giant hair but will date soon, but it amuses me.

No one looks good with painted of eyebrows. Ever.

...oh and I had the Annie Lennox/Winona crop going on. Thought I was the mutt's nuts but photographic evidence may challenge this assertion.

Captain we must be around the same age! Sometimes I still rock the emo fringe and gunshot wound back-combed monstrosity although it's a sensible shade of blonde now

Still have the holes for my snakebites too. I was clearly epic, because my lip rings were rainbow metal.

I hope this orange duck thing passes soon. I get some right funny looks when I'm out and about for not partaking.

It's not just teens though is it. It's the TOWIE look which so many women follow like sheep.

Ha, Melonbreath - I had to hide my carefully distressed DMs from my grandad, because every time he saw them he'd take them away and polish them to a gleaming shine! "They're good boots, them", he'd say. "Last you years if you look after them."

At the time it infuriated me. Remembering it now brings a tear to my eye to think of him lovingly cleaning and polishing them for me.

Are teenagers in Britain getting veneers?!! Why?!! Why not just get good braces and a good oral hygienist?!!

It's the fake eyelashes that get me. For me, false eyelashes are for a special occasion. Last weekend we so some so long, thick and stiff that evn dh noticed - and he never notices women's makeup. He was fascinated.

We call it the Scouse look round here: Orange skin, v blonde hair, scousebrows and fake lashes.

I wear the big bun thng - but not scraped back. I kind of pin non-straightened hair around and in it to make a sort of messy bun. Am eternally jealous of kids these days who had hair straighteners before the age of 25, though. Oh how different my teenage years would have been!