Fashion Shift

Obviously there's been a little hinting here and there on some of my posts of outrageous fashion steals. That coupled with the lack of beauty related deals, I have decided to start posting more fashion related shopping excursions as well since they do go hand in hand with my beauty shopping trips. My stakeouts are relatively the same with clothes, shoes, etc. as it is for makeup; Nordstrom Rack, TJMaxx, and Marshall's. I will be adding a new stakeout, which is undoubtedly everyone's favorite place...Forever 21.

Now many people compare this chain store to others that may appear to be similar, such as Wet Seal, Charlotte's Russe, Windsor of the more recognized companies and smaller ones such as Papaya, Rue21, Fashion Q, etc. However, in my opinion Forever 21 supercedes all these places in trend awareness and quality. A very few will beat in price though. For instance Windsor will be higher in price, but the quality of the fabric does not compete well with F21. And Papaya may be cheaper, but again, the quality is not as great. I used to wander into these other places, but have since stopped because I just could never find anything I felt worth buying. I would always hear myself saying, "I can find something way cuter for better and cheaper at F21!"

My favorite part about Forever 21? Their inclusion of all fashion styles. You can find items in their stores that are comparable from Abercrombie, Hollister, American Eagle, etc. to Guess, Bebe, etc. to Urban Outfitters and the lists go on. If they search hard enough, they even have items to please the Hot Topic customers. Not to mention their men's line. I also love that they've added Faith 21 and now they have their H81 expanded to encompass tweens. It makes up for them getting rid of their infant line. That line was so adorable! They need to bring that back and add toddlers too! They've truly become a one-stop shopping experience when you include their beauty, accessories, shoes, and handbags.

I don't really have complaints about their Return Policy, because I already know it going in. So I make sure that what I buy, I really really like or at least know of someone who would. I mean that is about the smartest thing a retail clothing store could think of; all income.

My favorite F21 OC stops? I am going to list them in rank from most visited/favorite to least:

1. Anaheim (2 story)

2. The Spectrum

3. The Block

4. Fountain Valley AKA Fashion 21

5. Fashion Island

Location has no bearing on my decision whatsoever as the closest one I live near is at The Block or Main Place and I don't even have that one listed as a fav. They seriously need one closer to me, like at The MarketPlace or The District. The deciding factor is store size. The Anaheim one is the mecca for me because of it's size. This location holds all of their lines on the bottom floor and the entire top floor is dedicated to reduced price items. Lots and lots to choose from. Love it!

There is only one place that I will stop in if Forever 21 is lacking or is in the trend lull between seasons, Fashion Young. This place has tons of items comparable to Forever 21. The con? It is way too cluttered! All the newest and best pieces are in the first and last few rows of the store. Everything in between is a literal hot mess!

Well, this is just my opinion on Forever 21. Either you love it or hate it. And when you hate it, don't hate the lovers. Not everyone will have the same shopping taste or wallet size for that matter. Some people shop there because they love it, some because they have to, and some for both reasons. So when you have your opposing opinions keep that in mind.

So here's my current Forever21.com shopping cart... (I always have a running one!)

(click to enlarge)