By NICOLE SANTOS
CASA GRANDE HIGH SCHOOL, SENIOR, 17

Conformity in today’s society can be seen anywhere and everywhere. Individuals may choose to behave in a certain manner according to what they believe are the accepted standards in society. Conforming can appear through an individual or within a group.
A well-known way that individuals conform is through the latest fashion trends and styles. People choose to wear the most fashionable clothing to have the “in” look or to be considered trendy. They may believe this will bring them more acceptance in their community.
Jaclynn Burggraf and Daniella Petri are two Casa Grande High School sophomores who consider themselves conformists and like to follow the latest trends.
“I do what my close friends do,” Burggraf said. “We wear certain types of jeans and we act a certain way, but we like to be open and laugh too.”
Petri agrees she chooses to be in style, although she is open to change as well.
“I like to follow trends, and I usually follow them with my friends at school, but sometimes I like to change my own style,” Petri said.
The most popular form of conforming is through clothing. Many individuals can be seen sporting the same brand of clothing on campus. Abercrombie used to be the most popular brand, but recently other stores have taken over that title.
“I generally follow clothing trends and shop at stores such as Forever 21 and Miss Me,” Burggraf said. “Forever 21 is the most popular.”
Sophomore Rachel Gugel is another who considers herself a conformist. She enjoys taking part in the clothing trends with her friends.
“We borrow each other’s clothes and we all share clothes with each other,” Gugel said. “Sometimes we dress like others, but we are our own group.”
Hairstyles and makeup also offer a variety of trends to follow. Current trends show long hair, straight or neatly curled, is quite popular among young people.
“I usually wear my hair straight and use a straightening iron,” Petri said. “My friends all have long hair too, and sometimes we curl it or wear it back but mostly we wear it straight.”
The latest look in terms of makeup is simple but accompanied with detail to the eyes. Many girls apply eyeliner to either the top of the eyelids or underneath their eyes. Along with eyeliner, mascara generally is only applied to the top eyelashes, although some girls lightly touch the bottom lashes as well. Often, a hint of colored eye shadow also is used and can bring animation to the face through the eyes.
“In my group, the style we usually wear is cat eyeliner and a lot of mascara,” Burggraf said.
Choosing to conform to the latest and most popular trends that are in society can sometimes be a tough decision for teenagers to make. Conforming can be a result of pressure or pleasure; Burggraf and Petri view it as a pleasure.
“I don’t think it’s necessary or important to conform,” Burggraf said. “If it’s something you want to do, you should be able to do it.”
Both girls agree choosing to conform is an individual choice. Following trends may appear to bring more acceptance to an individual, although it is essential people express themselves in ways that are unique to them.
“Conforming is not important at all,” Petri said. “It’s important to be yourself and if you like to dress a certain style, dress that way, but it’s OK if you want to follow trends too.”