8.07.2010

Love 21 - Forever 21 Fashion Supporting Teen Pregnancy? You Weigh In

I came across an interesting announcement while catching up on Meg's blog,
Recently, one of my favorite stores, Forever 21, has launched a trendy maternity clothing line called Love 21


There are questions regarding Forever 21's motives for launching a maternity line where their client base is mostly made up of teenage girls. So far, the line has been launched in Arizona, Alaska, California, Utah, and Texas. According to recent statistics, Arizona, California, and Texas are in the top 15 states with the highest rate of teen pregnancy. 
However, executive vice president, Larry Meyer, denied an intentional marketing strategy to these particular states and said that 80% of F21's client base is made up of women 18 years and older. 

Read the full article and video on CNN.com here.

There are many different and legitimate arguments on both sides of the issue, but regardless of where you stand, pregnant women deserve to look and feel great FOR LESS! F21 offers that to women. Take a look at some of their duds!







What do you think about Forever 21 launching a maternity line?

At least it isn't called "Maternity Forever."

Weigh in with your thoughts below!

9 comments:

  1. My friend and I were just discussing this the other day. As someone who has an advertising minor, I'm not sure I completely buy that it was a coink-dink that three out of the five states they are launching their line in, have the highest pregnancy rate. Morally, should they be trying to glamorize on teen pregnancy? Absolutely not. I don't agree with this new line but they are a business and their first goal is to create a profit. Secondly, if girls think that it is now acceptable to get pregnant because their favorite store is now selling maternity wear... well we have bigger problems. As my friend pointed out, there are clothing stores that sell fashion clothing to plus size women. Does that mean these stores are encouraging women to gain weight so they can wear these clothes?

    I feel like we're always trying to pass the blame on problems in society. Kids are getting pregnant bc Jaime-Lynn Spear is doing it, bc of the show Secret Life of the American Teenager, bc forever 21 has a clothing line for it... who is ultimately responsible in instilling self respect and personal worth and values in a child? Are we now leaving it up to television, celebrities, and corporations?

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  2. Great points, Pam. I agree with you. The responsibility lies with the family at home and not in the media just because we can place the blame somewhere else. Unfortunately, the media does capitalize on societal trends, so teen pregnancy and obesity are still pertinent issues that need to be dealt with. The argument that stores sell plus sized clothing is a great one - your friend is exactly right! And yes, they are a business - so it's possible that this just might be a very smart marketing tool! Thanks for weighing in. Post this link so we can get some more public opinion!

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  3. I think Forever 21 is making a great move with this. I do not think they are glamorizing teen pregnancy. While there will be controversy over F21's decision to sell maternity wear, their marketing & leadership teams are making a great decision with this move. Why? Well...

    -People like us (no longer teenagers) grew up with F21 during our teenage years and have created a bond with the brand. I believe that most shoppers are beyond their teenage years because they began shopping when they were teenagers.

    -F21 is using their existing brand image to tap into a new market. People already wear F21, so why not give them the option to continue throughout their pregnancy?

    -There is a need for affordable maternity wear. During pregnancy, expectant mothers should watch their spending habits, as babies will be expensive. Why not let 20- and 30-something moms look cute when they are pregnant? Honestly, we shouldn't force people to lose their sense of style during their nine months of carrying a baby.

    As for launching the lines in areas of high teen pregnancy, I'm sure there was some intent to tap into the pregnant teenage market. However, I don't believe the available of trendy maternity wear will really be the reason anyone decides to get pregnant in their teens. Pregnant teens suffer a lot already - why make them feel worse than they already feel by losing their self esteem and self-identity by having to wear clothing that's out of their style and price range?

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  4. YES, CADENCE! Everything you said was spot on with what I think. Geez, you would think that you were like a communications major in college or something :) Well put.

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  5. Gina - you inspired me with this. So much so that I ended up doing more research and writing about it. See this link for my article: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/330748_forever-21-launches-love-21-maternity-is-this-for-teen-moms-or-just-for-profit

    I linked to your blog in the article, so hopefully you see a positive response from that. I don't mean to steal your idea at all, so I hope you aren't upset, but I was so inspired that I had to let it out!

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  6. Yeah. I'm sure people will blow things out of proportion, but the reality is exactly what Candice said.

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  7. Cadence! I'm honored. Glad this topic is interesting enough to be expanded upon. Thanks for the link to my blog. I am going to check out your article right now.

    Dan, Cadence is a pretty smart lady, huh!

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  8. I honestly don't think that a clothing line could influence teenage girls to think that pregnancy is okay. There's enough out there that tells them its okay already! The fact that teenage pregnancy is lucratrive enough to have a store that mainly caters to them to have a maternity line is the sign of a bigger problem. That bothers me more than anything else.

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  9. being pregnant...and already shopping there.. i am so excited and hope that they open one in pittsburgh! cute, inexpensive maternity clothes are hard to find!

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