Would you still be my friend if I wore the Amazon version?

The other day my daughter and I walked into Altar'd State.

T-shirts now run $50 a shirt (if you didn’t already know this).

As I walked around looking at tanks, jeans, and dresses, all I could think was, "How are kids supposed to keep up with this?"

Everywhere you look there's another "must-have" brand. Another trend. Another sweatshirt that costs more than some people's grocery bill.

I get it.

I remember middle school and high school. I remember wanting to fit in.

That feeling hasn't changed.

The price tags have.

As we walked around, we started talking about all the Amazon dupes of free people, lulu and alo. The shirts that look almost identical. The leggings. The sweatshirts. The shoes. I finally asked her a question.

"Do you know one single friend of mine who would stop being my friend if they found out I bought the Amazon version instead?"

She said, “no”.

Because that's not how adult friendships work.

At least, I hope it isn't.

So why do we accept that it's normal for our teenagers?

I understand wanting to fit in. I really do.

I can't ask you to value things I don't value myself.

I'm not going to spend $150 on a sweatshirt for you when I wouldn't spend $150 on one for me.

And even if I had all the money in the world...

Would I?

Because at some point, it stops being about whether we can afford it.

It becomes about what we're teaching.

Are we teaching our kids that confidence comes from what's stitched onto their hoodie?

Or are we teaching them that confidence comes from knowing who they are, regardless of the logo?

I don't expect my kids to ignore peer pressure. They're teenagers. Fitting in matters, its timeless.

My job isn't to pretend it doesn't exist.

My job is to help them see beyond it.

The people worth having in your life won't care where your clothes came from.

They'll care how you made them feel.

That's a brand worth investing in.