DO-OVER//

Everybody has them: those haunting photos that document the most embarrassing fashion faux-pas of your youth. For our parents’ generation, those fashion police-worthy moments found youngsters clad in orange fishnets and gravity-defying ‘fros (as my Mother may or may not have somewhat confessed to me at one point or another) or obsequiously frilly handmade matching twin sets in glaring plaid (Deb and Pam, I’m talking about you). I’ll admit that I too have some made some regrettable fashion choices in my youth. (I’m 18 and an adult now, so yes I can refer to the days of my youth, thankyouverymuch.) You can see a large chunk of my questionable choices from the first six years of my life here. But even my “Fashion Flashback” doesn’t cover the worst years… MIDDLE SCHOOL.

No, I’m not going to post pictures of my Middle School get-ups. Suffice to say, I wore exclusively American Eagle denim (my favorites were the baggy AE “boyfriend” cut flares that I had two pairs of) cuffed over FUGGs (that’s Fake UGGs) and paired with long-sleeve cotton t-shirts from Cross-Country meets. And by eighth grade, when the 3/4 length legging look hit, I was pairing my token black and white pairs with hideous mini skirts and a mess of graphic tees from Delia’s. Oy.

In my middle school heyday I found quite a few really good deals on the sale racks at places like American Eagle, Delia’s, Old Navy, Aeropostale, and Hollister. However, as I entered high school, I began shopping at such stores less and less. I found that even though I could get a really good deal on basics like tees, sweaters, summery dresses, and jeans, I always ended up compromising on the fit, longevity, and styling in the name of saving money. And so I replaced American Eagle with Madewell, Delia’s with Banana Republic, Hollister with Anthropologie, and so on and so on until even buying just basics became a bit pricey.

Now, one of the pieces of advice I received in the comments on my giveaway post (ENTER NOW! Seven days left!) was that I should try to blog about less expensive clothing. This threw me for quite a loop. Honestly, what do you want me do, shop at Old Navy?! Because, after all, those brands that constituted my questionable middle school wardrobe are no longer acceptable. And believe me, I don’t spend any more total on my clothes now than I did then. The trick is to splurge on certain carefully chosen articles, thrift one-of-a-kinds, and check the sale racks of more expensive stores regularly.

HOWEVER, I decided that even though the conception that I splurge on all my clothes is an illusion, it still wasn’t right to have such disdain for these stores I’d deemed “unacceptable.” So I thought about it a little more, and then headed to my closet. I came back with this simple blue madras summer shift from American Eagle that I’d subconsciously segregated and consequently and  haven’t worn in ages. I styled it the way I would have four years ago, with Delia’s leggings and plain Old Navy flip-flops.

Doesn’t look much like an advert to go back the old stores…. But then I had an idea. It’s like those tampon commercials (please, somebody back me up on this!) where the lady just goes, “UPGRADE!”

The Verdict: Better? MUCH.

So, despite my blatant snobbery, I found that it IS possible to make relatively inexpensive clothing work WITHOUT having it look like flashback to age 13. Some notes:

• Ditch those leggings. If you must, full length jeggings are the way to go. But they have to look like pants, or you’ll look like a teenybopper.
• You CAN wear an old favorite but chances are good you’ll have to alter it a bit to make the silhouette more modern or flattering. For example, on my AE dress here, the original belt loops had the tie wrapped right over my butt and across my hips. Not a flattering place for a waist. Combined with the flat shoes and white leggings, I look short, boxy, and wide. The fix: I cut off the loops and tied the string around my natural waist for instant height and shape.
• Old Navy $2 flip-flops should be saved for the beach or showering in communal college bathrooms. Here, I replaced mine with more interesting Madewell tie-back gladiator sandals (which were still only $7 at the Garment District).
• Wear one inexpensive basic at a time, mixed with items from other stores with elevate it. With the help of a Mayhew pendant necklace, Madewell sandals, and a floppy beach hat, I’ve completely changed the mental value of this dress.

In conclusion, YES I AM A SNOB. But if you’ll forgive me, my pet project now is to find more open-minded ways to make relatively inexpensive clothing from my awkward years look stylish in a way that doesn’t offend my snobbish taste. Did I succeed here? Any suggestions?

Stay tuned for more do-overs!