David ROHDEMARCH 23 1997 NYANN guest house and Nikola ibanks, the two decrees, were \'Gettin\' giggy.
\"That is to say, they walk with their heads high on the bustling Flatbush Avenue in the heart of Brooklyn, and the latest decorations are fashionable --
Jump in fashion and show off their designer clothes and beautiful girls. Mr.
Ibanks is wearing a $120 pair of green Tim burlan men\'s boots, $60 pair of drooping, a $60 colorful Tommy Hilfiger shirt for oversized Fila jeans, and a $119 Green L. L.
He proudly claimed that the bean jumper and $20 Tommy Hilfiger boxing shorts. Mr.
Rocky is a little less stylish, wearing a $49 army surplus camouflage green jacket, but with a $50 Maroon Phat Farm sweatshirt, $60 Pelle
Pelle jeans and $130 tan Timberland boots.
Their clothing reflects a fashion trend with sales hitting record highsof-the-
House prices are also rising in some of New York\'s poorest neighborhoods.
What clothes are cool for teenagers, from $125 Nike Air Jordan to $500 designer --brand-only hip-hop outfits.
\"It\'s like peer pressure,\" says Christopher Harris, 17, frattbush . \".
\"If someone else gets it, you have to get it.
Teenagers say any price pressure has intensified tensions in several ways.
Flatbush and agers, shopkeepers, parents, police and youth advisers in eastern New York. Teen-
Police believe that young people in expensive clothes are drug dealers and harassed them.
They accused the store of selling fake designer clothing at full price.
Some say they go to factory stores in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia to buy designer clothing, while some even say they won\'t buy clothing from designers they think exploit others.
\"When I was in Jamaica, I saw where Tommy Hilfiger was making clothes,\" he said . \"
Nyann says he prefers to buy from smaller black designers like Pelle --
Pelle and Fett Farm
\"I know a woman who works in a company.
This is a sweatshop.
She gets $25 a week.
\"Advertising Tommy Hilfiger will not respond to countless calls.
The designer reported a significant increase in sales of fake hips
As increasingly expensive brands become new targets for thieves, jumping costumes and shopkeepers are strengthening security.
Parents criticized the price increase and said they tried to use designer clothing as a tool.
\"I bought her what she needed, not what she wanted,\" Maritza Alindato said . \" She lives in eastern New York with her 15-year-old daughter, Wilmary, who earns $8,013 a year.
\"She does deserve good pants and shirts as a reward, but it\'s only once a year.
\"Violent crime in the city has fallen dramatically since the 1990s S, resulting in fewer cases of young people being shot and killed to buy sneakers, boots or leather jackets, but teenagers
Agers, interviewed, estimates that 25 of their peers may be selling drugs or robbing in order to buy clothes. Ragga-
Popular muffins
The hop clothing shoe store on Flatbush Avenue, after being robbed twice in the past six months, installed a steel door on the roof.
Dror Skaff said that in both cases,
The owner, a few hours later, the thief broke into the door and only stole the hottest brand.
Three months ago, 30 Avirex leather jackets went on strike after they came out for $500 a piece.
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Steal better
Well-known brands have become an identity symbol in some circles, and some young people admit to stealing clothes or selling drugs to buy them.
\"Why not pack it if it\'s easy to take? \'\' said one 15-year-
Speaking in an anonymous capacity.
\"Some people do this just to tell people, \'I stole Tommy Hilfiger.
\"Many designers give costumes to rap stars and hope they can put them on in the trend --
Set up music video.
They\'re still in hip-
Jump magazines like Vibe and The Source.
While other areas of the fashion industry have stagnated in recent years or have only grown slightly, sales of fashion clothing
Hops clothing has been growing steadily, with an estimated number of hundreds of millions of pieces per year. Leading hip-
Jump designer including Tommy Hilfiger and Pelle
Pelle\'s sales are reported to have hit a record high.
Some young people say designers have the right to price goods as they like, and point out that no one is forced to buy expensive clothing.
But some blame designers for making too much profit at the expense of poor teenagers.
And their families.
Umma group\'s youth outreach director, Abdul Jabbar, who conducts anti-violence patrols in the frattbush area, praised basketball star Hakim Olajuwon for about $60
The designers defended their prices by saying they paid high import tariffs and used top-
High quality, expensive materials, high indirect costs. David M.
Rubinstein, managing director of Pearl-
Detroit\'s most popular items are $65 jeans and $550 leather jackets, and Bailey denies that rising clothing prices have led to drug sales or robbery.
The clothing industry has not exacerbated the problem, he said.
\"If we only do the tan khaki pants and plaid shirts, there will be no shortage of drugs.
\"We are constantly improving the quality of text archives.
Please send feedback, error reports, and suggestions to archid_feedback @ nytimes. com.
A version of the article appears on page 13013004 of the national edition of March 23, 1997, with the title: What is the price of Tommy Hilfiger? .