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On Friday of last week, after taking my last final, I drove over to the mall to try and find a spring dress to wear to graduation the next day (talk about procrastinating, I know). I was extremely disappointed that I didn’t find anything after 3 hours and over 5 stores. Can you believe that?! Today I wanted to share with you the three major issues I faced while shopping. I’m curious if you have the same problems, and I like to “keep it real” by sharing my fashion-related dilemmas. 🙂
Clothes don’t match the season. My first issue was that half of the dresses I was looking at were fall colors or too thick of materials to wear to an outdoor event in the summer. What’s with that? I understand that stores like Nordstrom Rack naturally carry out-of-season clothes because they sell the leftovers, but just regular ol’ stores? Why is everything such dark colors? Even my top in today’s post is black (I’m hoping all the pink makes it more summer appropriate). I own a lot of dresses already, but all of them are for the fall or winter—that’s why I wanted a floral, brightly colored dress for the spring and summer seasons. When I found that a lot of dresses in stores were just those same dark colors and thick materials, I realized it wasn’t even worth buying a new one. I’ve been noticing this a lot lately, and I just don’t get why stores can’t make more spring clothes with lots of bright colors. Is my calling to be a fashion designer and bring back the cliché of florals for spring? Groundbreaking.
Everything’s above my price point. The next issue I encountered was price point. Sure, the Macy’s women’s department had plenty of gorgeous spring Calvin Klein dresses and Dillard’s had endless Gianni Bini, but they were all $130 at the cheapest. That’s way above my budget. Not to mention, I wouldn’t want to spend that much on a dress even if I had a bunch of money. I’m all about the best deal and the most bang for your buck. I honestly considered splurging on a new dress just because I was in such a time crunch, but I didn’t even have enough cash with me! I believe you can always find better and more affordable options, it just takes more time than I had on Friday.
They just don’t make clothes the way they used to. So many clothes are cheaply made nowadays. Maybe it was always like that, but now the prices are the exact opposite of what you’d expect from inexpensive clothes. Sure, if I were to shop at a place like H&M or Forever21 for super cheap clothes, then I’d expect super cheap quality. But expensive stores? Stores that used to have well-made clothes? I definitely expect a higher quality. I’m not interested in paying the same prices or even more for poorly made clothes. There were a few dresses I tried on that I actually really liked, but then the hem would be completely uneven or the arm holes were cut way too big. It’s very disappointing to find something you love on a hanger only to try it on and find the threads are loose or there’s some major constructional error. Ugh.
Needless to say, I was very disappointed with my shopping experience. I considered buying one of the spring dresses that I wasn’t completely in love with just so I had something to wear, but I decided against it. That’s the quickest way to buyer’s remorse—purchasing an item just because you’re rushed or feel you have to. I just wish it hadn’t been such a frustrating time! So: I would love to hear your opinions on these topics. Do you experience similar issues when shopping? Have you noticed a decline in quality clothing? I’d love to hear your thoughts below.
As always, thanks for stopping by today, and have a wonderful Wednesday!
Miles of smiles,
Grace
Floral Blouse: hand-me-down // Khaki Shorts: A.N.A. via JCPenney, $16 // Pink Flower Sandals: Target, $20 // Pink Belt // Pink Leather Purse: gift, from Italy