A Teenager Dressed Me For A Week And It Actually Was Awesome

Kids these days...

Macey J. Foronda / Charlotte Gomez / BuzzFeed

Everyone knows teenagers are society's tastemakers — they decide what is or isn't cool, and that is no more apparent than with fashion. I mean, just look at Willow and Jaden Smith at this year's Met Gala:

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Slay a little.

Then there's me: I'm 25, and while I'm no slob by any means, I doubt any of my outfits would earn Anna Wintour's nod of approval.

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I'm a shorts-and-T-shirt type of guy, and I am a *BIG* proponent of wearing athletic wear in non-athletic situations (aka "athleisure").

But what if I, a decided non-teen, were to dress like a teen for a week? While I didn't have access to Willow or Jaden (or even Kylie Jenner, who's too busy brewing up lip kits in Calabasas), I DID have a teen of my very own: my 19-year-old sister, Grace.

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Grace's thoughts before the experiment: "Before this project, Sam had a pretty good style. He dresses every day as if he is ready for an Instagram. However, he can sometimes be a little outdated, but not by much. Sometimes he thinks his style is up-to-date just because he knows what's going on with the Kardashians. There are a couple of staple pieces that I want him to try that are currently popular."

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• Each day would fit a theme (street style, date night, work, weekend, workout) that Grace would interpret in her own way.

• I could use a mix of new clothing (I had $100 to spend), borrowed clothing, and clothing I already owned.

• Grace would have final say over all outfit choices.

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Why Grace chose this outfit: All-black is on point (black is slimming and goes with everything), and the black hat is super sassy. This is important, because being fierce but subtle or low-key about it is in. Also it’s the perfect Instagram outfit — it’s flawless. This just screams, “I’m feeling my look.”

Sam's thoughts on this outfit: I felt more like I stepped off the set of American Horror Story than like I was headed off to date night (but then again, dating as a teen is TERRIFYING). When I was a teen in Connecticut, where my high school looked like an army of Ralph Lauren models, it was more important to dress so you DIDN'T stand out for the wrong reasons than to dress so you stood out for the right reasons. It seems like priorities have changed for teens nowadays. But hey, if I can pull off the sexy Slytherin look, then I might be down to think that way too.

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Why Grace chose this outfit: There is nothing I love more than when my brother wears his print button-up shirts. I make him button it to the top because it’s flawless. This outfit is just comfortable and casual, which is what teens live for. Jeans are always a good idea, because obviously slipping into a pair of yoga pants or sweatpants would be a comfier option, but jeans look good on everyone. That being said, some guys really aren’t into wearing jeans, which is OK.

Sam's thoughts on this outfit: The jeans and the shoes aren't far off from what I might normally wear on a good day at work, but this shirt was a really cool reminder of how a subtle tweak to an outfit can make all the difference in the world. Normally I would have went the simple T-shirt route, but Grace went for the road less traveled, and I think it really paid off. I like how I look both ready for both the office *AND* Coachella at the same time. Good call, teens.

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Why Grace chose this outfit: A nice simple outfit is perfect, because we're going to go fierce some of the other days. You can’t go wrong with a fresh pair of sneakers. My go-to are Converse, but I don’t necessarily love those on Sam, and who can’t resist the fresh white Nikes. The denim baseball hat is fun, especially when the rest of the outfit is chill.

Sam's thoughts on this outfit: This outfit feels like I was going for as many likes as possible on Instagram and I am SO here for it. I feel like it was both flattering AND cool — dad hats are apparently SO in right now. Also, I learned that dressing for others and dressing for yourself don't have to be mutually exclusive. I felt comfortable in this outfit in the sense that it highlighted my personality well, and it ALSO stood out from what everyone else was wearing in the office that day. Looking social media–ready can have its perks.

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Macey J. Foronda / BuzzFeed

Why Grace chose this outfit: Adidas is so in right now. Everywhere you look, you see people wearing Superstars or any type of Adidas clothes. Even though it isn’t a crime to be basic, I didn’t make him wear the Superstars. Instead, I made him wear my favorite shoe of all time: Timberland boots are the best things in the world. Any girl will tell you that we love when guys wear Timberlands. In school, everyone wears them to class and the tailgates. Paired with the Adidas, he couldn’t look more like a cool teen.

Sam's thoughts on this outfit: On paper, this SEEMS like a normal outfit to me, but it also was the outfit that shed the most light on teen shopping habits. For this outfit, my teenage sister was ADAMANT about certain brands — Adidas and Timberland — to the point that I was exhausted trying to put it together. In the end, I liked my look, but if you knew the blood, sweat, and tears (all metaphorical) that went into making this outfit a reality, it wasn't worth it, although Grace might disagree.

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Macey J. Foronda / BuzzFeed

Macey J. Foronda / BuzzFeed

Why Grace chose this outfit: JOGGERS!!! The hype is real for the joggers, and everyone is wearing them. I also made him wear Nike because even though everyone is low-key going through an Adidas craze, you can’t forget where you came from. [Editor's note: I think I just got roasted by a teenager.] Wearing some bright colors to the gym is fun as long as it’s not too crazy, which is why I paired with black shorts (shorter cut because thigh is really in).

Sam's thoughts on this outfit: This outfit clued me into something fascinating: Teenage clothing choices aren't *that* different from adults' — they just prioritize different things. All of these outfits are something I could see myself wearing, but this outfit was the closest to something I would choose on my own, and I don't want to really go back to dressing like an ADULT. That being said, I don't remember this much thought going in to my gym outfits in high school. Teens are savage, y'all.

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Grace's favorite outfit: Definitely the weekend outfit. I love the Timbs, and I also love the full Adidas look. It might be a little excessive, but it’s all about the brands.

Sam's favorite outfits: OK, I had to pick two. I loved the street style and date-night outfits — with these two, it was like I put on a costume to become a living, breathing teenager. These made me feel the most like random teenager who has a million Instagram followers just because they're genetically #BLESSED and take cute photos. And at the end of the day, isn't that what we all want? OK, maybe it's just me.

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Grace's least favorite outfit: The workout outfit. I wish I made him wear a tank to show off his arms. Whenever I go to the gym, girls are wearing the tanks they accumulated throughout the year. They're great because they're just something to spice the outfit up, especially during the summer.

Sam's least favorite outfit: While I wasn't a huge fan of the weekend outfit (being THAT concentrated on a brand that isn't Starbucks just seems exhausting to me), my least favorite choice was probably the workout outfit, because it didn't seem that different from something I'd normally wear. When you spend some time outside of your sartorial comfort zone, it's just way less exciting when you return to wear you were before.

Charlotte Gomez / BuzzFeed

• Taking advice on how to dress from someone younger than you doesn't mean you can't dress your age.

• Being bold with fashion choices can be exciting, but sometimes it's the little tweaks like wearing white sneakers that make you feel fly as hell.

• Paying too much attention to what brands you shop because they're "cool" or "in" might yield a cool outfit, but it also might be exhausting.

• What adults think is cool sometimes can be in line with what teens think is trendy, or it can be VASTLY different — I wasn't a *huge* fan of the weekend outfit, but Grace loved it.

• I remember caring about my appearance in high school, but with the advent of online shopping and social media, I think the importance placed on appearance (even somewhere as mundane as the hallways of high school or a college campus) is exponentially greater.

• On that note, I really don't miss being a teen.

• I'm still not Kylie Jenner.