Along with the aesthetic of her cases , Ari pointed out that tech has entered a sort of “ brand-erase ” among teens , one that continues to boost sales for the companies making cases as they ’ re used to cover up the less-desirable tech company logos among the phone options available . To us , that sounds an awful lot like fast fashion , and probably why you can find phone cases priced at or below five dollars in many retail checkout lines .
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This incredibly astute 15-year-old seeks style inspiration from bloggers and communities online , through platforms like Tumblr and Polyvore ( she uses the apps of course .) As
Ari shows us , gone are the days of browsing magazines for inspiration , hoping the September issue would provide a look you could recreate affordably .
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Instead , Ari uses Tumblr to find the looks that stand out the most , recreates them to match her style using Polyvore , and then attacks brick-and-mortars with a plan ; it ’ s an attitude that many retailers are begging for .
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When it comes to kids these days , teens like Drew and Ari , companies and brands must be aware that this generation is a special one . Thanks to the amount of information available , and the level of technology that has existed their entire lives , we ’ re looking at an incredible consumer base that was born to be conscious consumers .
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They know tech , they know brands , and most importantly … they know exactly what they want .
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-Written by Jeff Wilber
ISSUE ONE · THIRDWAVE 67