Sometimes in the world of shopping, the Fashion Gods smile down on you when you least expect it. You won't know of the reason, so just put on your most comfortable shoes and run with it!
Yesterday I woke to a note from my sister saying she wanted to do some light shopping. I, of course, was on board 100%. She didn't want to spend a lot of money but wanted to get some cute items that she could wear out and about, whether it be a trendy bar or just a fun dinner with friends. We decided to go to Express and Forever 21. Forever 21 you say? Yep. When it comes to fashion, you can't always put your nose up to low-priced clothing. Sure they probably won't last as long as say a Calvin Klein or Michael Kors top, but they are great for getting something trendy without breaking the bank.
After finding a parking spot on the very top floor of the garage, or the surface of the sun as I like to call it, we got our mindset in order. The mall can be very intimidating and annoying on a weekend, but for some reason, it's more bearable with a funny buddy to get you through the crowds. We walked into Express and started to case the joint. There were sale signs everywhere so it was just a matter of getting a dressing room so we could start the fitting room fashion show. You know, where you are in side-by-side dressing rooms giving each other a play by play on what's going on with your current item then opening the door and looking at each other to give your opinions. Usually, it's either "oh that's cute!" or "I mean, it's not bad" If you get the latter of the two, put it back and move on.
Katie, my sister, was set on some white jeans but the cut of the waist was just a little ridiculous. I'm not sure why ultra low is even an option. They fit like a glove but she wasn't sold on having her waistband sitting just above her lady parts. She decided on a charcoal shirt with a silk front and some dark skinny jeans while I settled on some great pants for work and a sparkly top (can't wait to rock it someday soon!) We saw the signs for tops that read "Buy one get one 50% off" so I added her shirt to my pile to save a few bucks. We make our way to the register and my items, two tops and a pair of pants, came to $110. I see the sales associate whip out a coupon from underneath the counter, which I later referred to as 'the magic card from Heaven', and voila! My total dropped to $68!! Katie and I looked at each other with eyes as big as saucers but didn't say a word in fear we'd jinx it. Katie was up to bat and she also got 'the magic card from Heaven'. When we were walking out of the store we were like "what just happened?!?! should we look for more stuff!?!" But we didn't, we pressed on to the next store.
Katie was bummed about her white jeans and still wanted a pair so I suggested Gap. I new they had a wide selection of fits and colors. When we arrived, the white jeans were all sectioned off at the front of the store as if they knew we were coming. They were all on sale, but more importantly, on sale for $11! Yeah, eleven freaking AMERICAN dollars. She tried them on and loved them. She got the LAST pair in her size and length. We were at the register on a high from finding not only a pair of WHITE jeans that looked great but also for a price that you can't beat with a stick. The sales associate scanned the tag and the total came out to...wait for it....$6.67! WHAT! I was so shocked my knees buckled and I jokingly asked "are we in India?" Katie just stood there with her mouth open and laughed in disbelief. I mean, it's like they were paying her to take the jeans off their hands!
Again, we walked out happy like we just won another medal at the shopping Olympics. Gold, of course. So if you're keeping tabs, that makes a cute new top and awesome white jeans for Katie. But what's an outfit without accessories? Forever 21 was a few doors down so we ran in there to see if they had any cheap, cute options to offer. I love this place for accessories b/c by the time they've fallen apart or lost their luster, I'm usually over the piece and I'm only out $7-$10 bucks at the most. We found a multi-colored, multi-strand necklace with knot detail. It was perfect and only $7. Sold! We figured that her yellow or green wedges would be the perfect pop of color to top off this outfit. All in all, she got an entire outfit for $35 and it all started with a $17 charcoal shirt from Express. She felt great, looked amazing, and got compliments to boot!
The only thing more satisfying about new clothes and accessories is new, low-priced clothes and accessories. The sales aligned and we reaped the benefits.
The malls might be intmidating, but if you never give them a chance, you'll never be blessed by the Fashion Gods either. So buck up and give it a try every once in a while. You never know what treasures await you.
Love and shoes,
Kim
