Model teens help school
officials,
AAFES explore clothing needs
By Eric B.
Pilgrim, Stars and Stripes
Eric B. Pilgrim / Stars and Stripes
Jazmin Gipson shows off a $68 outift she found at the Hainerberg exchange. Eight students
from H.H. Arnold High School volunteered to be models for the fashion show. |
WIESBADEN, Germany — Warmer weather often means less clothing. At American schools
in Europe, where dress codes are enforced, that can lead to problems.
But sometimes, students say, they can’t find reasonable styles at reasonable
prices in military post exchanges.
Faculty at General H.H. Arnold High School decided to find a solution in an unusual
way: a fashion show sponsored by Army and Air Force Exchange Service with clothes modeled
by students.
"This is something we wanted to do because we don’t want school uniforms
here," said Jim Federline, chairman of the school advisory committee. "If this
is a bust, then we’re going to turn back to AAFES and ask them to provide more
clothing lines for our students."
He said later the show wasn’t a bust. Information raised between AAFES officials
and board members should benefit all of those concerned, he said.
The idea for a fashion show materialized after parents and students voiced several
complaints about their lack of choices at main exchanges, especially for girls.
"We’ve had trouble finding appropriate things for the young ladies to
wear," said Jayne Short, the school cosmetology and Spanish teacher and fashion show
coordinator. "Shorts are a big problem."
The committee asked AAFES to provide enough clothing that met dress codes to fit 10
different students.
It then asked for student volunteers to pick out clothes and model it during their
meeting.
Eight volunteered: Alexa Mitchell, Chevarous Kennebrew, Brynn Brewington, David Walker,
Alonzo Byers, Kaleena Jons and sisters Jazmin and Loretta Gipson. They devoted a day to
rummaging through clothing racks at the Hainerberg main exchange.
Jazmin Gipson, 17, said the search was not easy.
"It’s hard to find certain things to fit me," Gipson said. "And the
shorts weren’t long enough. It took me like an hour to try stuff on. I went through a
whole bunch of them."
Kennebrew, 18, said he didn't have such a hard time of it.
"It wasn’t really difficult. It all looked alike," Kennebrew said.
"I tried on a lot of stuff too, but then I realized they all were the same, so I
quit."
After the 10-minute fashion show finished, members of the committee questioned two
AAFES officials about how they decide which clothing styles to offer in their stores.
Tony Mawson, manager of the Hainerberg store, said the main factor is demand. He
admitted that many of the shorts hanging on the racks may look like something Britney
Spears would wear, but that’s what customers want.
"A lot of our buys are based upon what our customers want," Mawson said.
"It’s a tough business, but we listen to our customers."
Since those customers at the meeting clearly wanted more clothes for teen-agers to wear
to school, AAFES officials agreed to send copies of the school’s dress code to its
headquarters and to buyers making purchases for the exchange.
"We’re going to work together in the near- and long-term future to make sure
there is more casual clothing, especially for the teen-agers," Federline said.
Some of the student models might get a chance to walk the runway again.
Federline said AAFES officials agreed to another show early next year. By then,
students from Bad Kreuznach, which is scheduled for closure this year, will have joined
the student body and the demand for suitable clothes for school will likely be even
greater.
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