Too Conscious Fashion

I hate shopping. I very much dislike the act of heading to the store, finding parking, and having to search through hundreds of racks for the perfect item/price combo to take home. Most people don't believe me when I say this because I clean up well, if I do say so myself. I can't tell you how many times a coworker has asked me where I bought my top only to leave her in disbelief when I say, "I got it at Ross for five bucks." 

It doesn't matter if I'm going to a wedding or the beach, outfits pop into my head on a fashion designer's sketch pad as soon I know where I'm going. The problem is that they need to magically appear in my closet too. I conjure up the cutest ensembles for every occasion only to realize that my closet is devoid of them. Those designs are my only motivation for hitting the teenybopper-filled stores and their Selena Gomez (versus the original Selena Quintanilla-Perez, thank you very much) infused musical selections blasting in the dressing rooms. But it's my unwillingness to shell out more than $15 per piece of clothing that makes my ideas impossible to realize sometimes; shoes and dresses fall under a different category, though, no need to worry.

Since I have no friends in LA, thus no plans, I reserve all of my shopping needs for my bi-monthly stays there when I visit my parents. My stay-at-home and shopaholic mother reminds me of the classic Mervyn's commercials ("Open. Open. Open.") every Friday night as she prepares her itinerary for the weekend. After dinner, it never fails that she asks, Where are you going tomorrow, putting the emphasis on me because, you know, shopping is my thing. And do not give her the benefit of the doubt. She never refers to a hiking trail or the club I plan on tagging along with my sister to. She means which mall--Stonewood, Lakewood, Glendale Galleria, Cerritos-- or shopping center-- Downey, Pico Rivera, Montebello-- I will be taking her to the next day.

Against my instinct to take a hike, literally (although I've been doing staircase hikes on Saturday mornings with Jackie's friends), I go prepared for the grand ol' time I'll be having in the dressing rooms all weekend. Wide or v-neck tee shirts or button ups are essential so I won't mess up my hair and makeup too much. Skirts or shorts are a breeze to slide on and off the body. And anything I can kick off my feet, like boots or sandals, help the entire process go by much faster.

Once equipped, I head out to my "favorite" shopping center in Downey if I'm lucky. This is one of the few cities that houses a DSW where 99% of my purchases come from its clearance racks. Ross, Marshall's, and G-Stage also call this place home. If you are a professional shopper, you know that the first two stores only allow you to try eight items at a time. Therefore, I usually have to take two trips. On a good day, I'll come out with a few items, my record being ten blouses. The next day we change it up, taking our clearance search to the racks at JCPenney and Macy's at an indoor mall.

The best, though, is when, instead of shopping, I meet friends for dinner AND they give me clothes. My friends are also fashion savvy and their gifts are always an asset to my repertoire. Just take a look at the blouse I wore to the beach a few weeks ago. Receiving beautiful clothes is as close as it's going to get to having them magically appear in my closet.

It irks me that shopping is such a necessity for my mental health. I can lose my cool in less than five seconds if my visions don't follow through, mostly because I don't own what I see in my head and what I have doesn't give it justice. When this happens, I want to punch a wall and scream my lungs out. Because I rent and not own my place, all I can do it stand still and clench my fists until the rage dissipates. Then I take a deep breath and start at square one again. It is then that I wish I knew how to sew. All of my styles would be unique and I would also make comfortable but stylish teacher's shoes (Why hasn't anyone thought of that yet?!!!). But that won't be entirely necessary because I'll be able to send my visions to a 3D printer in a couple of years and strut original ideas versus the options a cheapskate like me has to work with. Until then, I hope the mornings I rip blouses off their hangers and fling them behind me towards my bed continue to be sparse so I can continue to enjoy more time outdoors where my clothes and I belong.

Location: Botanical Gardens @ UCR
Sunglasses: Versace, $150, at least three years old
Earrings: gift from Darcie although it was HER wedding
Watch: Bulova, $250, my first splurge when I started working
Thumb ring: Nothing But Silver store... remember those?
Necklace: Bday or Xmas gift from Yesica, a few years back
Top: JCPenny clearance
Skirt: Ross
Orange bracelet: student

Boots: Cathy Jean, Fall 2013, $70

Location: Corona Del Mar
Hat: JCPenny
Top: Bday gift from Maria this year from Marshall's
Belt: $15 at Target from 2004
Jeans: American Eagle, $30
Sandals: Target, probably $10, at least five years old. 

Location: Sturtevant Falls
Car: Jeep, priceless
Top: Ross
Sports Bra: Marshall's
Backpack: Camelbak, xmas gift
Flannel: Target clearance
Yoga pants: don't remember
Hiking Shoes: Bear Paw, Big 5, $25