Going against the flow used to be cool. Back when I attended high school, individualism was celebrated, even though peer pressure was a strong motivating force.

As it is today, fashion was an important influence for teens of the '70s, such as myself. Among hot fashion trends in Oregon, where I grew up, were designer jeans, velour sweaters and waffle stompers (hiking boots that got their nickname from the "waffle" footprints they made). Popular places to buy teen clothing included mall shops, such as Casual Corner, Lerner and Nordstrom. Fred Meyer was another choice, since it was open nights and weekends in that pre-supercenter era.

Though nobody would openly admit it, Kmart was also a popular stop because of how cheap everything was. That was back when teen clothing was mixed in with women's on long linear racks, way before Route 66 and Jaclyn Smith.

The money I earned from a part-time job was spent primarily on clothing and jewelry, and a lot of it through my teen years went to Fred Meyer and Kmart because I could get more for my money. I liked being able to buy lots of clothes I liked rather than a few expensive but perhaps trendier items from a department store.

Perhaps that's why I have a hard time identifying with the teen mentality today. As the parent of a 13-year-old girl, I'm learning that the store brand and its image mean so much today--too much, in my opinion. My daughter's friends like to shop at Hollister, Abercrombie & Fitch, Old Navy, The Gap and Target because of the image associated with these retailers. At least a dozen girls at my daughter's middle school last year proudly wore "Abercrombie" shirts in their yearbook portraits.

A seminar I attended at last month's Retail Industry Leaders Association conference proved just how brand-conscious today's teens are. Four Dallas-area youth shared their perceptions and shopping experiences, naming the retailers Target, Hollister, Urban Outfitters, Fast Forward, Gap and Old Navy as their favorites. Which discount chain did they like the least? Wal-Mart, which one panelist said had "frumpy-looking clothes." Another decried the retailer's "gloomy," unhelpful staff.

Surely this is not the same Wal-Mart I have come to love here in Texas, mainly because of its great prices. Most of my daughter's clothes indeed have come from Wal-Mart, though one day soon I know she'll be trying to hide that fact. I bought several pairs of her trendy-looking jeans and T-shirts with fun sayings at Wal-Mart when school started in August, all for a price that didn't break my budget. Many of my daughter's friends have, in fact, complimented her on the tops she's worn.

In comparison, I admit to never having purchased an item at Abercrombie & Fitch in my life, especially after having been dragged into the store by my daughter and her friend recently and observing what I viewed as outrageous prices for super-thin sweaters that looked as though they would disintegrate after one washing.

While Wal-Mart's juniors apparel may not be as edgy or racy as some popular styles, it's certainly not as bad as depicted by the teen panelists. In this case, perception is much stronger than reality. In fact, an interesting experiment would be to take several Wal-Mart juniors items, place them in a Target store and then see if this teen group could notice the difference and label those items "frumpy."

My theory is that teens today are so vulnerable to branding messages that the retailer itself has become more important than the actual fashion item. That explains why Target and Gap commercials have resonated with this group. Wal-Mart doesn't try as hard to be hip, which may be a weakness in catering to teen shoppers.

As the world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart certainly doesn't have to worry about pleasing everybody, especially fickle teens. But with today's teens becoming prime consumers in the next decade, striving harder to identify with this fashion-conscious group could certainly work to Wal-Mart's advantage in the coming years.