Corrupting Couture

Although I hate to be negative, I have some issues with Seventeen magazine.  I have been a subscriber of the magazine since I was 16 years old (so for roughly 3 years), and even though I felt that I had outgrown the magazine a while back, my mother accidentally renewed it for another two years.  Since I feel guilty for placing the mag straight into the trash, I casually flip through it, reading whatever interests me.  Just from flipping through, I am not a fan of their stlye picks. Seventeen is a transistion age.  Seventeen-year-olds are gearing up to transistion into college, and the magazine needs to prepare girls for that by providing clothes that are grown-up but still fun.  The clothes do not have to scream hilary-clinton-power-suit, but they should be somewhat classy, professional, and laid back.  Instead, the magazine features obnoxious mixes in patterns (yes, mixing patterns are definitely in and can be appropriate when done right - think Mondo Guerra, this past seasons runner-up on project runway - but these are NOT done right), overdone layering (who do you know that would ever layer a patterned button-up shirt under a patterned sundress), overly bright colors, and many other styles that I consider fashion crimes.  Instead of giving girls clothing options to heighten their sense of fashion with sophisticated yet age appropriate styles, the magazine is giving teens the idea that the "teeny-bopper-gum-smacking-look" is in. I understand that the mag is designed for girls around age 13 and older, but if you are going to have your clothing aimed towards younger girls, do not feature articles about college partying and STD's.  I am sure the mag is trying to appeal to a larger audience, but they really need to pick an age group and stick with it already! Fashion editors of Seventeen, if you ever read this, please remember one thing, LESS IS MORE. Please just simplify your featured looks into outfits that real seventeen-year-olds would not be embarrassed to wear.