Another Spin on Spending
I know “Teen Style Tuesday” is supposed to be Tuesday, but I’m trying to put less publishing pressure on myself these days. 
Generally speaking, I have issues spending “real money” (translated = anything over about $15) on clothes. Shoes, as you may have noticed, are a different story.
But, sometimes it just makes more sense to go out and buy what you need. As in the case of staples, like jeans. Or for my hero, twill pants for work. I just bought him two pairs of identical brown cotton trousers, and paid $100!, but it was worth it. He wears business casual everyday, and he wears a difficult-to-find size, and he has been looking for brown for a few years now. (And now if he wears a green shirt, he can look like a tree.)
But it was jeans I really wanted to talk about. Last week, my daughter and I were walking past the one store whose jeans she has consistently been able to wear (Express) and they were having a sale. She did more or less the same thing I did for her dad: bought two pairs, although hers were not identical, spending $100. And considers it money well spent. (For the record: she buys her own clothes, so it was her hard-earned $100. How we handled teaching our girls to budget for their clothing: Crazy Budgeting Mama.)
Incidentally, when we were there, I mentioned to the young lady helping us my most recent visit to that particular shop, which I describe back here. Her response - to the idea that a salesperson would not bring me skinny jeans to try on - hilarious laughter! That relieved the tension! LOL (Paranthetically: what brought it up was dd buying a pair of bootcuts and a pair of skinnies. I am convinced skinnies are more slimming and flattering.)
BTW, there was no possible way I could shop for myself. Am I the only one who has to spend all their energy to keep from break-dancing in those stores?
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Can Wearing a Certain Brand of Clothing Be Immodest?
Can what you wear possibly be immodest, or otherwise (morally) inadvisable, simply because of the brand?
While at first blush the question may seem ridiculous, allow me to ask, “Have you ever actually been in an Abercrombie & Fitch store?” It’s been a long time since I have, but afterwards my brain needed washing! Which makes me wonder, although I have never actually been in a Hollister store, why La Kettra Bennett wanted to work there anyway. (Bennett is the former Hollister employee suing the company for firing her for refusing to wear trousers or an above-the-knee skirt.)
Biblically speaking, I believe this issue is governed by the principles outlined in Romans 14. In other words, if there is nothing immodest about the garment, we are certainly free to wear it, HOWEVER … if it would cause offense of conscience in another, we are advised to choose something else. And don’t we have an abundance of choices?
The problem, in my view, is often that we are naive to the connections in the mind of other people. And naivete isn’t always bad. If you’ve never been in an A&F store, an A&F t-shirt isn’t going to pull up images of half-dressed young men for you. (Or Victoria’s Secret … women.)
Are there things you would never wear, out of sensitivity to the conscience of another? (For me, the answer is “yes. Fishnet stockings”.) Things you wouldn’t allow your child to wear?
- Brands: SouthPole, Hollister, University of Pink?
- Looks: gangsta, goth, preppy, biker?
- Investment: luxury or welfare?
- Embellishments: piercings, tattoos, unnatural hair coloring?
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Teen Style Tuesday: Boyfriend Cardigans
If your legs are long in relation to your body, this trend will be easy for you! For versatility, try a boyfriend cardigan worn open in a color that blends with your hair (or face). Click on any of the pictures for more info, pricing and other colors available.
Are you sporting this fall trend?
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Teen Style Tuesday: Charlotte Russe
Every now and again, I feel guilty because my thoughts are so self-centered. Like on Tuesdays, when I’m supposed to be thinking of teen clothing. Says who? Well, says me. I like routine.
And my routine for Mondays is to hit Value Village first thing in the morning, usually accompanied by one or more teens. This week I tried on a jacket by Charlotte Russe. (Although it was a nice cotton/spandex fabric, great fit, and super cute styling, I didn’t buy it because is wasn’t one of my colors.)
Anyway, because we agree that online shopping is a frugal move these days (did I tell you I figured out a round trip to Walmart costs me $5 in gas?), I wanted to link you to Charlotte Russe.
Because now not only is online shopping frugal, it’s social with Charlotte Russe’s Shop Together application. Plus, if you buy something through my link, they’ll pay me for it!
Make your next visit interactive. Visit the Fashion Lounge at Charlotte Russe and check out what’s new. (And play with their outfit builder, which is where I got the picture of the safari dress over the bermuda shorts.)
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Are Skinny Tanks on the Way Out?
I say yes. And so does my stylishly innovative daughter.
Honestly, I have not worn one at all this summer. She hasn’t either, except in cute layering combinations.
What’s replacing them? Sleeveless tees. The kind you can wear with a normal “undergarment”. And this summer I’ve been wearing alot of short-sleeved, button-front white shirts.
Last September was all kinds of fun around here when I said v-necks were out (which statement I stand by), so let ‘em fly. Clearly, we’re keeping our tanks for layering under sweaters this winter, but do you still want to wear them as a top?
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Have You Ever Wanted a Different Eye Color Temporarily?
Have you ever wished you could change your eye color, just for an evening or even a few minutes? I imagine any number of young ladies were thinking that a few weeks ago, as they were auditioning to be Disney princesses.
Spokane is pretty white. I don’t mean to be racist or anything, but there are times when I wonder things like: can you have a blue-eyed Pocahontas? I mean, you can always put a wig on somebody, but changing eye color isn’t an everyday thing.
Ah, but it could be! In our increasingly competitive world, 15-year-olds could stand out from the pack (or blend in with it) by wearing colored contacts. Play with different eye color looks at lensshoppers virtual color studio.
Now I’m wondering, since it’s Tuesday and we’re thinking about young people, do you think it’s wrong for parents to allow kids to change their eye color? Does it make a difference if they wear contacts anyway?
As I look at what’s changed in the world just in the recent past, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if colored contacts became as common as body piercing or tattoos.
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Casually Elegant Teen Style
What’s ”text” for laughing at myself? LAS (Laughing at Self)? If there isn’t one, there should be!
I’m laughing at myself because I just don’t feel like posting today. :) Happily, I just happened to snap this photo of my dear daughter last week. Update: I wasn’t laughing when my server went down in the middle of putting together this post. Argh!
Presenting her creative outfit, Real Fashion for Real People style:
- I picked up the purple knit dress on one of my dollar day trips to Value Village. She folded the sleeves under to transform it into a tube top.
- The belt is from a shirt-dress picked up at the same thrift store.
- She had to borrow a tank from me. :) It’s what makes the outfit wearable.
The leggings? I don’t recall.Borrowed from sister?- Pink, crocheted flats: thrifted as well.
For Real Fashion for Real People we also reveal style personality and lifestyle segment (where/for what the outfit is worn). In this case we have an ultra -frugal and -functional 17 y.o. going to school for a final, then changing into a long dress for a performance before changing back into these clothes for a graduation party. At a lake house, an hour’s drive away.
But I think she could wear this outfit for alot of different functions, don’t you?
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Teen Style Tuesday: Spaghetti Straps?
Just in time for summer, an admonition concerning strap size:
Keep strappy construction details on the upper body in scale with the wearer. Even a slender woman can look burly in spaghetti straps.
This looks more proportional.
In addition, it’s my opinion that most people look uncomfortable wearing strapless.
But this last look would look good on alot of people. Would you wear it?
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Italian Style: Prints vs Solids
The main fashion take-away for my 18 year-old from our Italy trip? They didn’t wear many prints. She kept commenting on how much easier coordinating outfits would be if prints weren’t in the picture. (I told her with her idiom she’d be better off learning to mix prints and go for the trendy Dutch style we also saw.)
Do you wonder what place prints should occupy in your wardrobe?
- If you prefer solids, I noticed the Italians mixed textures and details into their ensembles, thereby keeping them from looking boring.
- A simple way to keep from having to mix prints: use them in only one part of the wardrobe, for example tops and blouses. Or suits and jackets. Or skirts and pants (my preference).
- Want to wear multiple prints? Pattern-mixing advice from “The Prince of Chintz”, famous interior designer Mario Buatta, via Sensational Color:
start with a biggest pattern first and then add all the other elements based off of the colors in the largest pattern chosen
This technique is illustrated in detail in a tutorial at Vintage Threads.
Are you a print person or a solid person? As the weather warms up I am drawn to more prints, but solids remain the backbone of my wardrobe.
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The Real Prom
As promised (ooh, stealth pun!) last week, pictures of what dd wore to the real prom.
Shortly after she attended the winter formal, and all the challenges of finding a dress, we happened on this gown, at Value Village for $40. It fit perfectly! (And is modest.) Even though she had no guarantee of having an invitation to wear it, having it hanging in the closet seemed a frugal move. An investment of sorts.
It may have been a wedding dress in a previous life; it had a train, which she saved the price of alterating by cutting off and hemming herself. The only other expense (besides necessary undergarment) was the dry-cleaning: $30.
Princess dresses like these are priced in the $400 neighborhood these days. ha ha. We don’t live there. Don’t believe me? This one from Nordstrom, the closest I could find to show you, is priced at $388. My frugal daughter spent about 20% of that price. You couldn’t make it yourself for less, could you?
