forever 34

Merino sweater, Forever 21 ($24); Olive poly maxi skirt, Forever 21 ($20); Clog boots, Hasbeens ($400 retail, but scored mine for $149 at Aritzia)

My first blog post, and I’ll get right to the point: if you aren’t already, you should be shopping at Forever 21.

I should begin by stating that I don’t believe in age-appropriateness when it comes to fashion.  It’s clothing.  Have fun with it.  There are things you should hesitate to buy at a Forever 21 (e.g., anything with “lace,” grommeted clothing, and probably, underwear), but for the most part, the store will feed your craving for fast fashion, and satiate you for cheap. Put another way, if the choice is between paying $19.40 for an acrylic sweater at F21, or buying a $78.00 acrylic sweater at T.B.D., I’m going to go with the first option every time.

I do realize Forever 21 is owned by ultra-conservative Christians, which makes me feel even weirder about how many of their t-shirts say “I’m going to steal your boyfriend” on them. But those Christians are Korean (like me), and can really knock off a Marni necklace, to boot. Bottom line, when I can leave a store with a bag full of clothes for $50, I will happily ignore the fact that “John 3:16” is printed in tiny letters somewhere on that bag.

A few tips for those new to F21:

1) If you see something that catches your eye, pick it up and take it with you.  Because if you don’t, I can guarantee that you will never find it again.

2) Love 21 is the line that is cut a little looser and generally seems to have a more grown-up aesthetic.  Some stores have separate Love 21 sections, others have the line mixed in.

3) Don’t let the glare from the ten shades of fake gold scare you off from the accessories section.  My go-to for cheap hoop earrings and cuffs.

4) Don’t be afraid to alter for the perfect fit.  Will you feel dumb bringing in clothes from F21 to your tailor?  Guaranteed.  But with what you saved at the store, you can spend a little extra cash to get the fit just right.  In the photo above, I shortened a maxi skirt about 10 inches to show a little ankle between the hem and the top of my clog boots.

5) Don’t get me wrong: 95% of the clothes at F21 are indeed terrifying.  You will need to work to unearth your treasures.  Go with a friend and tag-team.

Ok, you say, maybe I can find a fun outfit for date night there, but I can’t find work clothes there!  But you can!  I’m a 34-year old lawyer and a harried mom of two–if I can do it, so can you. When I see a trend, and I’m not completely convinced of it, I will usually hit Forever 21 first to try it out. This fall, I’ve had a hankering for skirts, and not the short kind. I mean the long, Catherine-and-Heathcliff, swish-when-you-walk kind of skirt that you can wear with knee boots and a cozy sweater. I’ve posted three outfits, all of which I’ve worn multiple times to the office this fall, most of the components of which were sourced from–you guessed it–Forever 21.

Rust wool-blend sweater, Forever 21 ($20); Paisley rayon-blend midi skirt, Forever 21 ($20); Faux suede wedge boots, ASOS ($50)

F21 mixes well with basics in your closet. If you have a black sweater and knee boots, this is an easy look to pull off, and allows you to flirt with the 70's trend. Missoni-style midi skirt, Forever 21 ($15); Merino v-neck sweater, Club Monaco ($68); Leather knee boots, Steve Madden ($140)