Pirate Style

While I agree that Johnny Depp makes a GORGEOUS pirate, I'm not sure I'm into the "pirate style" like some teen girls are wearing these days. Today my daughter wore her pirate shirt and her jeans with the lace-up sides. She actually looked cute, although she wasn't into posing for photos today. Ever since the first "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie, this style seems to be quite popular. I've seen lots of "skull and crossbones" patterns on everything from shirts to purses. I've even seen complete sets of bedroom linens emblazoned with them! Watches, jewelry, shoes...the pirate theme seems to be everywhere. I get it as a costume for Halloween, I just don't quite get it on an everyday basis. Oh, well...yet another fashion trend that is passing me by. My daughter doesn't have a lot of pirate-themed things, and I hope she doesn't want to expand her collection much further. It's just a bit too "Goth" to me (yes, I know...an 80s term that I THINK is now referred to as "emo," though I don't know if it is really the same thing or not). I will always love my teens no matter what style they choose to adorn themselves in, but I kind of have my fingers crossed behind my back that they avoid the whole "Goth/emo" thing. Has anyone seen that movie, "Thirteen"? OMG...talk about scaring parents!! All I can do is be the best parent I know how to be and continue to love them, no matter what they do or how they look (what style they choose). And I realize that sometimes the "scariest" looking teens can sometimes be the soft-hearted ones, and vice-versa. Personality and values cannot be determined by a person's fashion and style...I never want to stereotype and think that the "preppy looking" kids are the "good kids" and the "Goth looking" kids are the "trouble makers"--it OFTEN is NOT the case!! Still, I would LOVE to get through this stage of parenting without this being a major issue. And I am NOT saying that my daughter's wardrobe choice today signifies ANYTHING...I do NOT think she is headed toward an all-black wardrobe/dark eyeliner/black lipstick/etc. Honestly, she seems to like bright colors too much to give them up. I was just noticing that the pirate style seems to be in, and it makes me think about the other dark styles that are sometimes seen. I will love them even if they DO choose a style that I don't particularly like because the style does not indicate the person inside. However, I will confess that I don't really understand the "Goth/emo" style and I secretly hope that this will NOT be a part of teen life in our house. But a little bit of pirate style is bearable...even cute in moderation (ESPECIALLY the Johnny Depp shirt!) :)