clothes are getting to be sooooo much money. agreed?

$70 is a lot, period.

The answer is to stay out of Abercrombie. You can dress fashionably for probably 66% less if you do a bit of shopping.

You would be surprised what the other stores in the mall carry (and brand name for the sake of vanity is senseless). Not to mention the Target and Wal-Mart stores.

At 14, you've got some growing (or shrinking, per your "diet" thread below) to do, so buying high-dollar clothes that will fit you for merely one year isn't reasonable.

Don't forget the (eek!) Goodwill and Salvation Army stores. They don't just sell stuff from the 1970s you know (of course, some of that stuff is back in style!). Most of the Goodwill/SA stuff is in very nice condition, with years of wear left in them.

People just outgrew them, or bought something new and donated the old.

<b>Let someone else pay $70 for your pants.</b>

I have purchased many jeans, work pants, oxford shirts and neckties from Goodwill. I know, I don't buy the same stuff a girl would, but this will give you a ballpark concept.

Jeans and pants are generally under $10, I pay $4-6 each for oxford and polo shirts, and neckties, even 100% silk ones, are only $2-4.

Garage sales are also good, but they take too much time for me.

Girls have a particular advantage when it comes to shopping, IMO. They can combine just a few articles to come up with several entirely different outfits.

Besides, a girl who dresses well, but differently (not "weird"), is very intriguing to guys.

Let your clothes express your a) personality b) confidence and c) intellect.

General Tsao

forget clothing. nudity is the way. It's a much more attractive look than sporting great hunks of cheese on your head.

Try tj maxx and Ross. Unbelievable prices on top stuff - but you will have to be selective.

Yep, try a few thrift stores ... If you go back regularly, you'll be amazed at what turns up there!

Value village rocks, and because I am employed there I get 50% off of what was already dirt cheap!

hand me downs were always nice

Re: clothes are getting to be sooooo much money. agreed?


Yeah, the problem would be that you're buying from Abercrombie. Their clothes are overpriced, cheaply made, and don't look very good (pale, thin, badly fitted.) Not to mention that Abercrombie is out of style by a couple years (and trend is the entire reason for paying that much for something that cost 5 cents in Indonesia with a label slapped on it, right?)

I have found that if name brand tags are important to you, you can still find -excellent- deals on clothing if you're willing to invest a little time. Check the gap and old navy sale racks. Do this every couple months and right before season changes and after holidays. I have found $50 jeans/dresses that looked hot on me and fit just right for $5 b/c they were out of season. Also, it doesn't hurt to check out discount stores - outlets, marshalls, tj maxx, etc.
Once you already tried something on you like, you can sometimes find it for less on the internet: for example, on ebay or www.gap.com or www.bananarepublic.com (all list sales.)
I feel the need to metion, however, that you should never buy clothing without having tried it on, even if you know the brand.

It is better to have one $100 outfit that you will wear and wear forever and look great in than a bunch of pieces that are just okay or trendy and will go out of style for $30, and probably spend most of their time in your closet. Be honest with yourself: if it's not fabulous, don't buy it.
*note: if you are still growing this doesn't apply as much, as you'll have to throw it out in a year anyway.

Express used to have really good sales too, but I think they recently upped their prices and stopped having sales. It's worth a good check every now and then.

Also, buy classic pieces that you know won't go out of style. Buy things that are sturdy in colors and styles that look good on you and won't go in and out like trends. For example, a great fitting solid color V. neck or a perfect pair of (classic, not trendy) jeans will never go out of style. A great black skirt, a fitted blouse, etc. If you feel the need to incorporate a trend element you can do it with accessories, which are much easier on your wallet.

Clothes don't have to be expensive. I buy mine at Target, TJMaxx, Marshall's, etc.

I buy my clothes at Filene's Basement, TJ Maxx, too. The Filene's Basement down the street from my house is actually set up more like a real Filene's than a dump like a lot of them.