Sales on Sales on Sales

Every cheap little recessionista knows the three cheapest stores in which to shop and not be (too) embarrassed by the low prices you're paying.  You all know what I'm talking about.  You go up to the cashier, realize the $5.00 sweater you were buying was marked down because of a small, insignificant tear (in which you were OBVIOUSLY going to fix... not), hand the cashier $2.50 in quarters, wince at the fact that you just handed a cashier at a CLOTHING store 10 quarters, snatch your new purchase and run away.  No?  Never been there?  You haven't lived.

I have a very strong love/hate relationship with these companies.  In case you've been living under a rock for the past 10 years and are unfamiliar with these stores, I've broken them down into "Things I Like" and "Things I Don't Like" categories for your entertainment.  THEY ARE: H&M, Target, and Forever 21.

1.  H&M

Things I Like:
H&M is my favorite out of the three; although it's probably the most expensive, they have the classiest selection as well as a wide variety of products for men and women of all ages.  There's a lot of hype around H&M as there SHOULD be.  I've found that it's the only store I can go in with an item in mind - black work pants, a blazer, a plain red cardigan, a black oversized men's sweater - and leave with that exact item in hand without paying more than $50 total.  The store's "business professional" section is extensive and impressive.  I've bought several good-quality classic blazers for my internships, and the business clothes are simple enough that you can add as many jewelry pieces and accessories to distinguish yourself from a girl with the same blazer.  Some of my favorite clothes are from H&M, and they've expanded in the past few years to include close to 2,500 stores in 44 markets.  The designer collections are always fantastic and reasonably priced, like the Marni collection that I have yet to check out.

Things I Don't Like:
The store's online website is BRAND new, and I haven't quite figured it out yet.  From what I've heard and seen, a lot of the products online are not in stores and visa-versa.  How inconvenient.  Some of the sizing is weird too - apparently women don't have thighs and there's no need for pants to have stretch in them.  The teeny-bopper clothing section is horrendous, more often than not, and poorer quality (although cheaper) than the nicer product in the front of the store.


Score: 8.5




2.  Target

Things I Like:
Target will forever and always be one of my favorite brands.  The company is so well advertised, and its logo is one of the most recognizable logos in the commercial world.  Target clothing, similarly to H&M, is simple and classic, but even CHEAPER.  The best part about shopping at Target might be that you can go into a huge superstore, pick up a cheap sweater on sale, realize that you ran out of mascara, bread and shampoo and buy all of the items right then and there.  Target clothes, although I admit they're a total hit or a total miss, are well-stitched and fit true to their size.  Also similarly to H&M, the designer collaborations are all ridiculously amazing, as we've seen very well with the Missoni for Target phenomenon.

Things I Don't Like:
A lot of the clothing at Target, even though it's all classics, is quite boring and lacks real "trendiness."  They try so hard (meh!), but a lot of the women's clothing looks like (and fits like) it's only made for moms.  Going along with that, some of the v-neck t-shirts don't have a big enough "V" and cut off at an awkward part of your chest.  The online shopping isn't set up well, and because it's a department store like Walmart (but obvi better), the website design isn't "clothing store"-esque.

Score: 7.5




3.  Forever 21

Things I Like:
Forever 21 is the kind of store that you go in when you need an article of clothing for a party that you KNOW is going to get booze spilled all over it, and you're completely fine knowing that.  And you can ALWAYS find that article of clothing, whether it's just something lacy and trashy, a Halloween costume accessory or a perfect "dayge" dress.  The shoes, sunglasses and hair accessories are so cheap it's easy to buy multiples of everything just because you can, and you'll end up wearing them all.  Forever 21's clothes and young, fresh and trendy, and the store is notorious for having every current trend possible.

Things I Don't Like:
The store could not be more disorganized if it tried, and that includes every Forever 21 store I've ever been.  I think it's part of the store "culture," but I absolutely despise it, and I bet many mothers with money despise it as well.  Clothing quality is not very good, and most of the items are poorly stitched.  Because it is young and fresh, some of the clothes are TOO teeny-bopper, and people my age sometimes feel awk when shopping next to screaming Justin Bieber lovers with daddy's shopping money.  And, because it's so trendy, the clothes go out of style REAL fast.  Some of the clothes are so busy, it's hard to pair jewelry and accessories with them, and girls that don't know how to accessorize end up over-accessorizing, and it's NOT cute.

Score: 5.5  (womp.)


How accurate are my store ratings?  Agree completely or disagree?  Comment away!