The culture of wretched excess

Re “Gucci and Prada for the under-13 crowd,” Nov. 24

I hope the children you profiled know a few other brand names, such as UNICEF and Habitat for Humanity, or those of local service organizations, such as Food on Foot in Beverly Hills and St. Joseph Center in Venice. As a mother, I know that children find out early about the allure of luxury.

Our role is not to simply ask our 10-year-old daughters, as the woman in the article does, “What do you need these [expensive brands] for?” but to explain to them why they don’t.

I think you need a parent to show you an alternative to the values of a teenager who has been seduced by self-centered consumerism. It is the role of parents to provide a larger context for our children. We are not powerless over this culture of wretched excess. We just like to think we are.

TERRY CONVEY MORELLO

Venice

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So, the little devils wear Prada too? What a shame.

BONNIE KINGRY

South Pasadena