By Marissa Yeo

We were all kids once, and what we wore did not really matter. As long as the clothes weren't scratchy, we were okay.

We wore what our mothers picked for us, usually a pair of jeans and a simple T-shirt.

Nothing more, nothing less.

But now we are in secondary school, where popularity and status matter. Let's say I'm at the top of the social pecking order.

My top concern would be to dress well and look good.

I can no longer wear those crummy jeans and tees my mother bought. I need new clothes, cut to the latest fashion.

And I need them NOW.

I am not kidding. I do have friends who think that as self-appointed trendsetters, they have to be decked out in the latest fashion seen in stores.

I know one who revamps her wardrobe every month. As soon as the new season of clothing from M)phosis or Topshop arrives, she will be one of the first to lay her hands on it.

She once told me: 'I am going to go shopping after the New Year, because there will be a lot of sales. Besides, by then, my top (a pricey sequined top) will be out of fashion already, so I must change.'

Her top had easily cost her close to $50, a hefty sum for a teenager. But though she had just bought it, the next thing you know, it had been discarded to make room for the new in-season clothes that will arrive the next month.

As students, we do not support ourselves. Our parents are the ones who slog to earn money to support the family.

What does it feel like to have a child who constantly stretches his hand out for an extra allowance just to splurge on a new pair of jeans or a brand new set of graffiti tops?

Is this fair?

Many of us lead sheltered lives. (I admit, including myself.)

Our parents provide us with the luxury of mobile phones, clothes, food and pocket money.

When they need to make extra provisions for their children, they never hesitate to cut down on items for themselves but not for us.

I am not saying that I am the most considerate daughter, but at least I put a limit to my expenditure, especially on clothes.

Hey, I want to look good too. But that's not the same as thinking that if I wore all the latest fashions, I'd be the most popular and admired person on this little red dot.

Believe it or not, how you look is not the most important thing. Ask yourself, do you love your friends for the way they look or who they are?

For me, inner beauty is the important thing.

There's nothing that beats a heart of pure gold, because it is the most precious thing you'll find.

Marissa Yeo, 15, is a Secondary 3 student at Tanjong Katong Girls' School and a member of the IN Crowd 2009.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.