The trends of the Park Cities

Thanks to celebrities such as the Kardashians and pop-culture influencers like Vogue, the millennial obsession with health, beauty and style has dramatically augmented over the past five years.  Many are of the opinion that living within the “bubble” only adds fuel to the fire of the “keeping up with the joneses” tradition.  While we, proud “Parkies”, do not go to the absolute extremes of Beverly Hills’ residents for appearance, we do have our laughable fads.

Although its location is convenient, Highland Park Village’s stores are far from “convenience” stores.  The transplanted Rodeo Drive hosts the likes of Jimmy Choo, Louis Vuitton, Hermes and the more affordable, Anthropologie.  Proof of the expensive real-estate is found in the popular, new restaurants with Royal Blue Grocery selling its seven dollar coffees and Bird Bakery not even listing its prices.

It is here, in Highland Park Village, where high school girls, such as myself, chase the trends of Hermes belts, $600 Dior sunglasses and $400 to $800 Louis Vuitton faux-fur key rings that mimic a rabbit’s tail. Wowza!

Contrary to belief, it is not the designer items that account for the majority of spending of most HP residents, but rather purchases contributed to health, fitness and beauty.  With the constant oscillation of diet trends, stores selling $10 fresh-pressed juices and $6 juice shots have managed to maintain a consistent customer base, including myself, by marketing themselves not as meal replacements, but rather focusing on the medical and detoxification benefits of their products. And this strategy works, not only for HP residents, but all over cities across the United States as the revenue for the “juice and smoothie bar” industry is now worth two billion dollars.

Along with dietary health, physical fitness has become a priority of not just athletes, but the majority of our population as TV shows like “Biggest Loser” and Khloe Kardashian’s “Revenge Body”  depict the impact of a healthy and toned body on the psyche of a person.  In the Park Cities, we are fortunate to have the resources and ability to have memberships at gyms, personal trainers and attend workout classes.

However in recent years, new installations to our neighborhood are seriously expensive for the average gym-goer.  The newest hotspots of HP are; SoulCycle, which is $30 per 45 minute class; Treadbarre and Pilates Barre, which are also $30 a class; and the newest $45 class in the heart of Highland Park Village, the Tracy Anderson “pop-up studio.”  For that price, maybe you could guest star on the Baywatch!

With the effortless make-up look gradually making its way back into style, many HP students flee to their nearest dermatologist to rid themselves of that pesky, teenage acne.  From light therapy to micro needling and chemical peels to steam facials, we have the blemish-free world at our fingertips… for a price! The newest facial, the Vampire Facial, costs anywhere from $1,500-$2,000 to have platelet rich plasma injected back into your face!  This is not recommended for the squeamish.

Before closing, two points should be noted in the interest for clarity.  One: although many of these trends seem ridiculous, most intentions are sincere.  Two: “Parkies” tend to spend equal amounts towards charitable causes.