Los Angeles Times
April 8, 2009

"Off-screen and in the real world, the "tame tween" phenomenon is already making itself felt, with both retailers and trend researchers noticing a general shift away from the edgy.

"Kids are more modest than they would care to admit," says Kristen Taylor, owner of Juvie, a tween boutique in Silver Lake that caters to those seeking preteen fashions that straddle hip and wholesome. "They want to be comfortable -- they are still playing in the playground every day at school, after all. They want to be fashionable," she says, but not over the top.

She carries lines like Splendid Tween, Splendid Mills JR (for boys) and Ella Moss Girl: brands, she says, that "offer coverage on top, are long enough so that they hit at the hip rather than the belly button and have enough width so that they are not skin tight." On their feet, girls are wearing Chuck Taylors, Doc Martens, Vans and ballet flats. Lip gloss is still very much de rigueur, she says, with most parent-tween disputes arising over the use of eyeliner."