XOXO, Forever XXI
Thursday, February 28th, 2008Forever XXI is a valentine to my poor lonely fashion hungry soul. It’s cheap, and at times- okay, often- tacky. And it’s really best, I’ve found, to preemptively cut the buttons off and sew them back on before wearing. And probably opt out on using the dryer. And count it a true fashion miracle to wear the article beyond three months. But….that said, I love it!
After paying EVERY BILL KNOWN TO MAN with my bonus check, I decided to treat myself to said cheaply made fashion. And oh did I ever!
Graphic Designer Friend and I hit Forever hard this past weekend. She shares in my affection for the Forever. And we don’t mess around either. We scouted out colorful sundresses and chunky plastic necklaces and large gauge knitwear on their web site before our trek to the three floor masterpiece on State Street. That thing is so crammed full of jersey concoctions in every shade possible- I swear, they don’t even know what they have. How could they? And the fitting rooms? Good lord, I’d hate to have to sort through all the leave behinds!
Speaking of the fitting rooms, we made no less than three separate trips. And we forewent lunch and spent three entire hours weighing the value of giant plastic gemstones sewed at random on tunics against plaid hooded military jackets. It was awesome.
What wasn’t so awesome was when GDF came up to me while I examined some kind of new fancy sparkly-spangled shirt/dress creation and announced, “there’s puke over there and someone stepped in it- kinda a lot.”
While we debated whether it was someone hung over and shopping for a new bar shirt to wear out that night or someone else who found themselves simply disgusted by their own encounter with a sparkly-spangled shirt/dress creation, a ginormous white plastic partition inexplicably toppled to the floor, taking a rack of fuchsia taffeta bubble skirts with it. Unfazed by neither puke puddles nor the store crashing down around them, shoppers continued to queue up for the fitting rooms and shove into the “puke cove” of black chiffon and silver sequined halter tops and skirts.
Now as for me, well, just as Meatloaf once sang of doing anything for love, I too would do anything for fashion, but I won’t do that. I won’t shop for $16 party dresses while I acknowledge and risk smelling or stepping in a pile of someone’s regurgitated oatmeal a mere foot away.
So with that, our arms shaking from hauling piles of sweaters and dresses and sweater dresses, we called it a day. And yes, it was still light out when we made it out the door. But just barely.
my mother calls it “forever twelve.” because that’s how old you have to be in order to fit into their clothing.
but it’s a great place to find costumes, or to guiltily buy those super-trendy items that you’ve been DYING to purchase, but just aren’t willing to spend money on, because you KNOW they’ll be out of fashion in about twelve minutes. or, if you’re lucky, twenty-one…
i always pay with cash when i shop there, because i don’t want there to be any record that i would EVER step foot in such an establishment; let alone PURCHASE anything.