Shopping Your Age

It’s an odd feeling, the realization you come to while shopping that all of a sudden, you’re not a junior any more and you have to find a new favorite store pronto. One minute you’re having a blast in Charlotte Russe and then you notice that you’re at least five years older than everyone in the place, including the counter help.

Now I admit, I still indulge in the occasional Charlotte Russe shoe, hat, dress (okay I love that store and can’t stay away) but the key is digging through items to find things that are age appropriate. I’m no fashion expert here, just the amateur clothes lover, but I can tell you that places like Urban Outfitters and ANY juniors section of a department store will not have anything for the 20-something chick on their racks.

I remember the days when shopping was easy, simple and totally painless. I had to abide by a few simple rules when it came to clothes for school; no skirts or shorts more than 3 inches above the knee, no bare shoulders. Buying clothes back then was cake. However, now I’m shopping not only to cover a few flaws that sprang up somewhere along the line between 18 and 24, but I’m shopping for work gear and party wear. However, like most chicas in their 20’s I have a more stingy shopping allowance than my 16 year old, no bills to pay self. So every clothing purchase has to, for the most part, fit my day-time career motivated self and my night time rebellious alter ego.

Friday afternoon, after busting out of work and gearing up for weekend celebrations of, well the weekend, my car took the long rout home and I found myself at the mall. So I decided to air out my zero balance Macy’s card and hit the winter sales, because a card with no balance deserves a party. There, on the over stuffed racks of puffy winter coats, I found a jewel and fell in love. A knee length true red wool coat with an over sized collar, and I thought to myself, now here is a coat I can spend the rest of my life with, or a least have a winter fling. I also scored a pair of grey suede ankle booties that scrunch around the neck and are perfect to ware with my adored leggings. The boots and I were a match made in heaven because they were the last pair and my size. It was fate.

The winter clearance prices coupled with my Star rewards discounts left plenty of charging room on my card so I set out in search of a few things to revive my wardrobe. But dear old Macy’s left me wondering “where’s my section?” I saw plenty of women my grandmothers’ age and lots of giggling pre teens but no chickies old to buy beer and still young enough to get carded for it.

What I can credit Macy’s for is the availability of wardrobe essentials at a reasonable price, if you hit a sale and the One Day Macy’s sale seems to happen every other week. Black pants and plain tops are a plenty and these pieces go with you from the staff meeting in the board room to the one at Margaritas.

But variety is the spice right? I find that shops like Express, Ann Taylor and New York & Co are a perfect solution to the 20-something’s shopping dilemma. Here you will find a plethora of items that do double duty (say that 10 times fast). If these shops just don’t fit your style, or wallet, venture out to all those places you usually walk by on your way to American Eagle. When you’re in the right place, the fitting room chatter goes from “where do you want to go on spring break” to “I’m looking in the mirror but all I see is my mother staring back.”

No matter where you decide to purchase your threads, keep at the forefront the following points:

Short shorts and pigtails are cute and youthful on a 21-year old. One a 25 year-old it’s bar fly skanky.

If you’re looking to attract an 18-year old frat guy, then go a head and show off everything you’ve got. If, however, you’re looking for someone without a can of beer glued to their hand (no offense frat guys!) then you’ll want to keep things sexy AND modest. Don’t go showing off all your goodies in one display case, make them wonder what’s behind the bakery doors.

Most importantly, adopt the following mantra:
“Younger girls might be thinner and perkier but I’ve got the experience.”
Any pulled together 25 + guy will tell you that while college age girls might not have to wear support bras, nothing about “want to come back to my dorm room” sounds like a life long relationship.

Now that you are armed, go forth and shop!