Now teens are gender neutral, they prefer different colour schemes

Tradition has us thinking that pink is for the girls, and blue is for the boys, but not this year. Interestingly, Rula Zaidan, from Lifestyle, said they are seeing more and more teens moving into different colour schemes. “What we’re seeing with Generation Z is that they are more gender neutral. They’re no longer following this pattern of pink for a girl and blue for a boy, so mixed colours are a big hit with school backpacks this year.” And when it comes to footwear, Anoop Boparai, from Shoe Mart, has the lowdown on what will keep you in your children’s good books come September. “This year we have moved away from lace ups. Parent focus groups have taught us that children prefer strap ups, and for parents themselves, they’re the more efficient style as they take less time to take on and off, saving time in the morning during the school rush.” Given the restrictions from schools when it comes to footwear, Boparai said the black and white exteriors have been cleverly contrasted inside. “We’ve transformed the interior into bright and colourful artworks with some of the favourite children’s characters out there. That appeals to the parent and the child as it is in keeping with the school rules.” When it comes to new trends this season, he said ‘Hello Kitty’ and ‘Puket’ are the new styles for girls, and for boys ‘Captain America’ and ‘Iron Man’ continue to be the most popular. “They’ve been gold for us forever. For girls, the most popular at the moment is the Princess collection from Disney, but we are expecting the new introductions to do well.” Though shoes in both gloss and matte are available, he said gloss seems more preferable among parents this season.