Frugal Friday Confession

I. Shop. At. forever 21

I'm not 21, I'm not even 31, but the "forever" qualifier is good enough for me. And last time I was there, they weren't checking id's. However, the girl checking me out actually called me "Miss" (score).

So here's the thing. I never, ever pay full price (save that leopard print shirt), except at Forever 21. Everything is just so cheap. I buy a few of my disposable wardrobe items at there. Tops, summer dresses, tank tops, $5 sunglasses for the pool. And even this $6.80 necklace, paired with a $10 top.

I totally get why the Forever 21 concept is big enough to take over the empty Gottschalks and Mervyn's stores. Cheap, trendy clothing is probably better than expensive out-dated clothing. And then I started considering the seemingly unlimited disposable income of the tween and teen set. Those girls spend me under the table. Also, there is very little rhyme or reason to the merchandising in Forever 21. There is just too much stuff. I always get the sense that the store is one strapless top away from exploding all over Ann Taylor Loft. I visited the XXI store in Chicago and it is huge (huge I say, huge!). And I was comforted by the sneaky branding twist with the Roman Numerals.

I'm not advising you to head over to F-21 and start buying things willy-nilly. You have to abide by a couple of rules. 1) There are things in Forever 21 that make you look like you want to be Forever 21 (I'll just say it: hoochie mama). Unless advised by Stacey and Clinton, steer clear of the shirts pretending to be dresses, the tube tops and the leggings. 2) You have to try things on. The return policy is a pain (the clientele might be the sort that wears and returns) and the sizing is completely whacked. If you want to dress a size down, go to Banana. At F-21 you will almost certainly need a size larger. 3) Don't turn around when you see the bandana top in the window. There are hidden gems in this retail jungle, you just have to keep looking. Really, I promise.

I'm a shopper and I don't care what the 13 year olds think of me. I will brave F-21 with the kids to uncover a deal any day. This experience is not for the faint of heart. Happy shopping.