The sudden bankruptcy of several teen retailers are not only the effects of a few wrong business decision, but a generational shift. Trendy teen retailers like American Apparel, Wet Seal and Aeropostale have all filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after their profits have decreased drastically. American Apparel was founded in 1989 in Los Angeles, CA and gained a large amount of popularity due to its cotton basics and “Made in America – Sweatshop Free” motto. During the 90’s and the 2000’s, American Apparel was remarkably successful, reportedly garnering a net worth of $1 billion in 2007. Wet Seal, known as Lornes prior to 1990, was founded in 1962 in Newport Beach and was also hugely successful mostly due to the clean, beach- vibe California aesthetic it offered its young clients. For most of the last decade, Wet Seal established itself as an affordable alternative to teen fashion. Aeropostale, founded in 1973, made a name for itself as an all American brand. It dominated the fashion scene in the late 90’s and the entire first decade of the new millennial, garnering a large fan base due to its prominent and flashy logo. Recently, all three of these brands have suffered decreases in profits and financial instability, caused partly because of wrong business decisions but mostly because the lifestyle choices of teens have evolved since the mid 2000’s. Teens made up a large portion of its clients, so when they stopped spending so much money on clothing, the companies suffered. In the 90s and early 2000’s, teens spent a large portion of their money on clothing, disregarding prices in the name of fashion. Nowadays, teenagers tend to spend their money on experiences like Coachella, Burning Man, Lollapalooza, etc or the newest technologies. Teens are more interested in keeping connected than they are in buying a new dress or jeans. According to Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at The NPD Group Inc, “Getting connected is already hundreds of dollars per month,” He added “That used to buy jeans. It’s not buying jeans anymore.” Stores like Forever 21, H&M and Zara have all thrived financially because they constantly restock their inventory with cheap and trendy clothes, which gives young adults the opportunity to look up-to date with the newest fashions while still having money to spend on their own interests. Another point to be made is that trends in teen fashion are always changing. Showing off one’s wealth by having huge printed logos on the backs of sweaters is not in trend anymore, so stores like Aeropostale, who made money off of their well-known logo, were left floundering for new ideas. This shows at an even greater extent that stores like Forever 21 are dominating the teenage fashion industry. Whenever a new trend pops us, they are quick to making cheap look-a-like versions of it. America’s new obsession with cheap and disposable fashion proves that people don’t care about quality-made clothing as long as it’s trendy.