Shopping Tips: Forever21

I love shopping at Forever21. I have never come away from a shopping trip there with the feeling of "Holy cow I just spent way too much money", as I often do at other stores (I be looking at you, Urban Outfitters...).

The thing about Forever21, though, is that I hate shopping in their stores. They are so extremely messy. I googled "Forever21 store" in hopes of finding pictures of the inside of a Forever21 store that looks like everyone I've ever been in, but of course the only pictures I found showed an immaculate layout and presentation, such as:
If anyone knows where this pic was taken, please let me know. I would love to go shop at that Forever21.

The stores I have been in are disasters. The racks are so jam packed that you can't move the clothes apart to look at them, there is always a line 15 minutes long for the dressing rooms (half of which are full with empty cardboard boxes for some reason), the checkout line is always long and only 2 people are working, the jewelry display looks like a toddler decided to play Godzilla in it, there are shoes and boots laying around all over the place, you can never find the clothes that are on the mannequins, and there is always some awful music playing at ridiculously loud volumes. It's just not good, not good at all.

So to satisfy my hunger for cheap clothes, I have instead turned to the internet.
No lines, no messy displays, no nasty music, no jam-packed racks. I love you, Forever21.com.

Obviously shopping online means you have to know your body well and have a good understanding of how things fit you. I have yet to order something from Forever21 that did not fit... and I order in 3 different sizes. Depending on the cut and shape of the item and how I want it to fit me, I'll either get a S, M, or L. So before you delve into the world of online shopping, make sure you have a good handle on your size and fit.

And I know more than anyone that paying a lot of money for shipping (more money than it actually costs to ship) is no fun, but at F21 you get free shipping on orders over $50. If you're like me, you can break 50 no problem, so no worries about shipping costs!

What to Buy:
-Basics. You can get plain t-shirts and long sleeve shirts for less than $5. Camis and tanks are as low as $2.50.
-Tops. $10 won't buy you much in other shops, but at Forever21 you can pick up a nice long-sleeved striped top for about that much.
-Belts. At an average of about $5-$7, get as many as you like. (The second one in is only $3.50)

-Necklaces. I know I sell jewelry and I'm not supposed to advertise for other jewelry, but I buy F21 necklaces all the time so I don't want to be a hypocrite. F21 is great for inexpensive statement necklaces. Mind you, they are plastic (unless otherwise stated), which is the difference between most handmade jewelry and jewelry from chain stores. They quality isn't very good, but they designs are bold and eye-catching. Their necklaces cost anywhere from about $3 to $2o, but most are in the $6-$11 range.
-Shoulder Bags. I'm kinda meh on their handbags, but I love most of their shoulder bags. They have great colors and some interesting vintage-inspired touches. I have 5 shoulder bags from F21 and all of them have held up great so far. Their bags can be a bit more expensive than I usually like to pay, but they often go on sale for significantly less. Regularly priced, shoulder bags range from about $15 to $25.


What NOT to Buy:
-Dresses. They are all soooo short. Maybe if you're really short it would be OK, but if you are anything close to as tall as I am, steer clear.
-Undergarments. I've never bought any there, but I've seen them in stores and they ain't good, honey. Just replace you normal undies with sand paper... that would probably feel better than the material F21 uses.
-Shoes. Unless you go in the store and see them for yourself, don't risk it. Some of their shoes are made with nicer materials, but others are made with really crummy stuff. It's hard to discern online, so I would not recommend buying shoes at all when shopping on their site.
-Make Up. I have never used it or heard anything about it, but I can tell you it's not good. Cheap clothes can be saved with some savvy styling... cheap makeup can mess up your face.

I know F21 get a bad reputation for their quality, which is somewhat true. But honestly, you're going to be getting rid of these clothes in a few years regardless of whether or not they have holes in them. Most of the stuff I've bought from them is still in fine condition, though I do try to be a bit gentler with them than some of my other clothes.
...And just so you all know, the 3 items I bought from Urban Outfitters the first time I shopped there all have some sort of tear or break in them now, and it's not like I wear them constantly either. So price is not really that great of an indication of quality. Give Forever21 a chance! :)

Shopping Tips: Kohl's

1) If you should happen to be so unlucky as to fall in love with one of the 5 things in the whole store that is not on sale, don't buy it. Go back next week and it will be on sale. I promise.

Exhibit A: One time I wanted some tights. They weren't on sale. I went back a few days later. 60% off. Boom.

2) If you should happen to be so lucky as to fall in love with one of the 150 thousand things that are on sale, consider waiting to buy it. Chances are it will be even more on sale next week. If what you want to buy is only 15-30% off, try to talk yourself into holding out for a better sale. If there is only one or two left, then perhaps it would be a good idea to buy it, but if there are plenty in stock then it can be very rewarding to wait.

Exhibit B: There was a pair of black combat-ish boots that I wanted that were already on sale (they were $39). There was only one pair left in my size, but I decided I'd wait. A few days later I checked on Kohl's.com and saw the boots had been dropped to $28. I went right back over and bought them. And when I went there a few days ago, the same boots were on sale again for $22.

Good things to get at Kohl's:
-Basics (plain t-shirts, tank tops, long sleeve tops)
-Shoes, but like I said above, never buy them if they're not on sale.
-Tights. Vera Wang and Apt. 9 are both good brands.
-Super-on-sale scarves. I got a really cute blue and green scarf for $2.50 last time I went.
-Vera Wang dresses. I'm not too impressed with her top and pants offerings, but her dresses are to die for. Usually they're around $40, which is reasonable for a brand new designer dress.

Bad things to get at Kohl's:
-Anything from the Junior's section. Avoid it like the plague.
-Purses. The cute ones are all ridiculously expensive, even on sale, and the cheap ones are just ugly.
-Make-up. I haven't tried much of it (got an eyeliner there once that was pretty awful), but it is really expensive and is one of the few things that never seems to go on a decent sale.
-Anything with a celebrity's face on the tag. If Britney Spears likes it, you shouldn't.
-In general (there are always exceptions), their stylized tops are pretty not-good. Shop for your statement pieces somewhere else.
-Jewlery. Unless you can find something good on the super marked down rack, don't get any. It's extremely overpriced. As someone who know jewelry construction and materials, please trust me when I tell you that most of it isn't worth the money.

Happy Shopping!