Franish: Advice for Shopping at Forever 21

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Advice for Shopping at Forever 21

I mentioned on Monday that I think I've figured out how to shop in Forever 21, and several people asked for tips, so I've been thinking about how I figured out how to shop there. Hopefully these help you in the land of inexpensive clothes and accessories.

1. Take your time getting to know the layout of the store. When F21 first came to our mall, I did not set foot in it for at least a year. It's huge, and has so much in it that I always felt overwhelmed. I slowly worked my way through the store and figured out the layout of the sections - the boho, the glam, the girly, the sale, the basic, the "kinda for the office" section.

2. Once you know what is found in each section , you'll slowly figure out what sections resonate with your style. I generally stick to the girly and the "office" section.

3. Take your time and walk around. I'm a big "toucher" when I shop. It drives Chris crazy but I like to walk around and just feel the clothes. I usually do 2 loops around the store and pick up anything that catches my attention. Don't feel that you have to look at every single piece in the store.

4. Try on anything that caught your attention. I generally try on 6-10 items when I shop at F21, and tend to buy maybe 1 of them. Which leads to #5...

5. Figure out what pieces work and which don't. Many items are cut similarly at F21 (and most stores). At Forever 21, I can't buy blazers because they are too tight on my arms, dresses because they are too short, and jeans because they too short. That limits me to tops. I basically eliminated a majority of the store, but that also means I skip over a lot when I'm looking for things. By knowing what pieces won't fit me, I don't bother trying them on, thereby bypassing any feelings of annoyance while in the dressing room.

6. Don't be afraid to size up. I'm generally a size medium in tops in other stores, but am almost exclusively a large at Forever 21.

7. Don't forget the accessories department. I like the jewelry at Forever 21 more than the jewelry at H&M and you really can't beat the prices. When people ask me where my jewelry is from in real life, they are always surprised to hear Forever 21. They also have inexpensive scarves, bags and hair accessories.

8. Don't buy something just because it's inexpensive. What's the point if you aren't actually going to wear/love it?

I hope that helped! What advice do you have for shopping at Forever 21?