“Usually, when I shop online, it’s more for things I need for school or other quick things,” says Grace, adding that all of the clothes she’s purchased online to date have proved to be a sizing “disaster.” Patricia Garrett, an 18-year-old incoming college freshman in Rochester, New York, says she used to shop almost exclusively online, but has lately switched to buying most of her clothes in-store. “I find it more reliable,” she explains. “Sometimes, when I order online, the sizing doesn’t come right, so I’ll send it back and go into the store to try it on.” Carmen, a 16-year-old from Ojai, California, echoes that sentiment. “I prefer shopping at malls, because you can try on clothing and see how it works and how it fits.”Unlike the generation before them, which cut back on how much money they were spending on clothes, teens have no problem dishing out dollars for some new pieces — about 20% of girls’ disposable income goes to apparel (and 15% of boys’, which is more than they spend on video games, cars, and electronics), despite the fact that they've had a difficult time finding jobs since the recession. And though their purchasing power exists, they're not willing to simply throw $100 (or more) away on a pair of jeans at a department store or specialty e-boutique. It's that consciousness that’s helped drive the success of more value-conscious retailers like Forever 21 and H&M, which regularly offer jeans for as little as $10, as well as outlets like T.J. Maxx and Nordstrom Rack. Resale sites/apps like Depop and Poshmark have gained popularity, too, for those unique (and affordable) pieces you just can't find at the mall.Perhaps the biggest difference between teens today and Millennial teens, though, is how keen they are to cultivate their own personal style. “Brands like American Eagle and Aeropostale were about belonging to a tribe,” Saunders says, giving us Mean Girls-luncheon-style flashbacks. “[Teens once] bought into it for a sense of belonging, but the younger generation isn’t as interested in belonging, not through products, anyway.” That's why many gravitate toward thrift stores, secondhand shops like Goodwill, or trend-forward retailers like Urban Outfitters or Zara Social media, too, obviously plays a role in the appeal of the anti-mall store, as well as that of designer beauty brands and fragrances. “[Teens] are seeing Givenchy and Chanel and becoming more educated, their taste quite refined,” explains Sarah Owen, a trend forecaster at WGSN. Celebrities like Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Cara Delevingne, and Gigi Hadid are major trendsetters, she adds, as are various social-media personalities (particularly on Instagram and YouTube) and TV shows like Pretty Little Liars. “If I’m on Instagram and I see one of my favorite celebrities wearing something, that will influence me to buy for sure,” Patricia says, noting she recently went into an Adidas store to buy a pair of Stan Smiths after seeing them all over the internet.