Full Fashion Disclosure: Shake it Off

I just wrote a whole post bitching about an unsuccessful Forever 21 trip. But then I put up the pictures and realized I kind of like the tops. And the jeans and the jackets. I wish now I'd bought something. Could it be that I'm having a grouchy week and am thus hating on everything (like acid wash yesterday and New Yorkers on the subway this morning, thanks to the proliferation of man bags but that's for another post)?

Here are the pictures:


























Here's me being positive:

I LOVE shopping Forever 21 before 10am (on 34th Street it's open 9am every day but Sunday). The racks are restocked, you aren't tripping over teenagers and you can get right into a dressing room. And those black jeans may be the best fitting and least expensive skinny jean in the world. I didn't buy them as I'm already way over my black skinny jean allotment.
Prices: jeans $12.50: black safari jacket $22.80; ribbon top (shown backwards) $22.80; purple blouse $17.80; white top w/red $19.80; print top $17.80. Heritage1981: purple hoodie $26.90 w/blue jacket $24.90; pink sweater dress $24; navy & cream striped dress $19.80.

And the disclosure, a bit of the bitchy stuff:

Everything looked appealing on the rack but after wrestling around for my size (overstuffed racks, grrr), I'd pull it out and ugh, excessive adornment everywhere. Like this:

I wanted to like it, I felt like it reminded me of something, but why? Why stuff on top, and stuff on the bottom? While "referencing" the lovely resort collections this season, can the design team please harken this famous (albeit loosely translated) fashion advice: "remove 1 gee-gaw from your ensemble before you let it walk out the door."



I bet retailers fantasize about controlling our moods....


Forever 21, 50 W. 34th between 5th & 6th