Today I decided it was time to reward myself with some retail therapy. The mission: To buy only tops and dress shirts. I hadn’t purchased any real shirts for myself in a long time and my wardrobe was beginning to look very lopsided with$7 tees and $250 jeans. I realized that I neither had anything dressy or even dress casual for the upper portion of my body. But an even bigger realization occurred to me as I was cheerfully shopping the outlet mall, hoping to nab some amazing after Christmas deals. I realized I am in a fashion slump. This slump has put me in a quagmire of discovering what my age-appropriate clothing is and my desire to hang on to the frocks of my youth. I am stuck somewhere on the outskirts of Juniors and kicking and rebelling against the fringes of Missy. Could I be in the category of Women’s Contemporary now?? It reminded me of the Judy Garland song “In Between” where she sings mournfully of how she’s a circle in a square and doesn’t fit in anywhere.
My first stop was Abercrombie, where I have shopped for the last 10 years of my life. For so long, I loved the simple styles, bright colors and good fits that Abercrombie offered. It was always a brand that was a sure thing but today it all looked different. The funny thing was, the silhouettes and colors were all the same from 6 years ago. It had not changed at all, but I had. The once cute baby doll tops were now as desirable as wearing a moo-moo and the lace-trimmed tank tops were like a bad cliché. Disappointed, I left with only a pair of brown, straight-leg chinos and a yellow and white striped hoodie.
I thought that since my luck had not been so good at Abercrombie, maybe I’d try Gap. I walked ¼ of the way inside, took a few glances at the tops with the giant GAP logo on it and quickly made a u-turn back out into the mall. I’ll be damned if I’m going to advertise to the world that I’m wearing a Gap sweater! J. Crew caught my eye and I pleasantly embraced the casual comfort finds that could await me there. It was a mess of leftover size 14s and corduroy pants in every color of the rainbow. Again, I left disappointed with one black button down dress shirt and two basic tanks tops. I passed by Ann Taylor and looked through the window hoping something would catch my eye but quickly recoiled when I realized I had even considered Ann Taylor at all. Oh my god, I must be desperate! The 'G by Guess' store was much too clubby/Bebe/Baby Phat. I quickly figured out that I wouldn’t be able to make anything work for me in there. Plus, I hadn’t owned anything by Guess? since 1989. Even Saks 5th Ave. Outlet proved to be a dismal adventure. There was nothing but the same old regurgitated Ed Hardy tops that I had seen in Los Angeles three years prior. This is what the people here in Texas get after the rest of the country is done with a trend: sloppy seconds.
I wondered if I was just shopping in all the wrong places or if I was in a fashion rut. It’s true, I was very uninspired by the leftover pieces that never made the cut the first time around and barely made the cut at the outlet mall. So I took it easy on myself and realized that it wasn’t entirely my fault. Perhaps outlet mall shopping in Texas after Christmas just wasn’t a good idea.
That evening I went home and logged onto Abercrombie.com for validation that I was still age-appropriate for some of their pieces. Much to my content, I found a few classic styled sweaters and two blouses that were very nice. Although, the selection was much less than what I would have purchased just a few years ago. I was disappointed to see the $70 and $80 price tags on their blouses, too. There was no way I was going to spend $80 on a short sleeved cotton blouse from Abercrombie. Perhaps they have me all figured out. They know the Abercrombie girl grows up to be the Abercrombie woman. Or perhaps the natural process of weeding the women from the junior’s section is taking place. Either way, I don’t think I will be missing much. And in the meantime, I am searching for my next favorite brand in which to bestow my loyalties for the next decade.
1 comment:
Dear Ava,
I just noticed you had this blog. I understand how you have had a slight fashion slump, i also have had the same experience lately. I have been designing denim ideas for Tall Women as you know, and must say that our slight fashion slump is only a passing phase. Each one of my clients who are tall have never been able to find the perfect jeans or tops due to a lack of designers designing unique and stylish designs for them. I am changing that denim wise in April, but there is still much attention needed for that market. I am still open to you helping me perfect my first collection. :) Great blog by the way.
Roy...
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