Sunday, September 20, 2009

where do you shop?

This is cross-posted from my tumblr, but I'm curious about what comments I'd receive, so it's worth a post here too.

I just came home from a massively uninspiring shopping trip. I haven’t really shopped in person (vs. online) in a LONG time, and I was kind of disappointed by what I saw. I know there are seasons of fashion that I absolutely love, and other seasons where I can’t find anything I like, but it was still a bummer. And the place I went only had the basic mall-y line up of stores: gap, banana, ann taylor… I probably should have driven the extra 20 minutes to Oak Brook for Nordstrom, J.Crew and Anthro. But I wasn’t looking to spend tons of dough either, so those three aren’t really where I wanted to head today.

I thought I’d see what others have to say though. Where do you shop? How are the prices? Does the clothes fit well? What do you like about it?

Also, mini pet peeve: when salesclerks offer outfit suggestions. “That would look great with black pants.” Really? What an exciting choice.

5 comments:

justem said...

I have nothing to offer. I have no style!!

tara pollard pakosta said...

gap, old navy, target.
sad to say, but they are cheap (and I need to lose 20lbs before I will allow myself to buy expensive clothes!). I love Jcrew and ANthro the best though!!!
tara

willikat said...

Shop:
Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor LOFT (LOFT has been getting so much better lately, I think...probably because they are biting J Crew so much), J Crew is always tops with me, Banana, Nordstrom, Anthro, soemtimes Target... I feel like we're at an age where we look cute in stuff, but I feel too old for Express...too young for a lot of Ann Taylor... we're caught in a weird spot, unless we can afford really expensive designer stuff, a la Nordstrom, am I right?
Plus we both have specific tastes. And that can be hard. I'm excited that eggplant is back in, I love wearing purple... There are a couple indie shops here that I go to, but that wouldn't be helpful for you. One website I love is melange4women.com...the people there are SO NICE, they will even find an employee with similar measurements as you and have them try stuff on! They carry a lot of Michael Stars, Citizens for Humanity, etc. If I think of any others, I'll stop back!

robyn said...

Earlier this summer I went shopping for a formal dress and when I walked through Macy's and Nordstrom's I was so surprised at the beautiful clothes they had. I think I've been holding onto this idea from my childhood that department stores were only for boring old people and had nothing of real fashion to offer women. I felt like I must have been a spectacle explaiming "oh my god, this is so cute, and so is this, and this, and this toooo!" Now, I'm the girl who's entire wardrobe can be traced back to Target and Old Navy. So, it can be easily understood that I'm pretty sheltered. I do love Anthro, but I have never bought anything from there. It's partially because the things I'm drawn to are the things that look handmade and I realize how it would be even cooler if I just made something similar myself and it truly was handmade, AND partially because my bank accounts can't take the kind of blow.
I'm curious and will check back to see what other places people have added. I'm happy to say I've been losing weight and have been going down in sizes this summer and will be redoing my wardrobe, so I'm very excited to fill it with lots of beautiful things :)

Unknown said...

this is perhaps not going to be entirely useful, but perhaps... i really enjoyed shopping in japan because there were stores there that had both well made basic pieces and interesting fairly limited things that i would be willing to buy. some of these places are now in the states and potentially internet order able. they are muji, uniqlo, thank you mart and jeanasis/lowry's farm. i found recently that i can pretty much no longer thrift store shop because i am no longer willing to be fascinated by hours of digging around. i still like thrift stores, but will only spend ten fifteen minutes in one and if something finds me it does, if it doesn't, well, then, it does not. i also like american apparel, for all its questionable contents like lace body suits, etc... they still have some choice basics, i just feel a little more slimy going there nowadays than i used to. the latter two, thrift stores and aa are the only two places i have really bought anything at since i've been back. i, too, have been pretty unexcited by what's out there. oh, occasionally h&m and zara can be good.