First up, my long love...Gap. I love a good button down! Plus I am ruffle obsessed [my wedding dress proved that one whole heartedly] and gap has managed to bring in all sorts of ruffle in the past two years. I hardly [rarely] ever buy anything straight off the rack, I am a sale girl all the way. I wear khakis to work a lot and their Favorite [or perfect, not positive] is the best fitting khaki pant ever.
Next in line in Old Navy, I loved living so close to it in Monroe. Kind of got me in trouble at times. Since they are related somehow to Gap I tend to find khakis that fit well here too. However [much like this season at Gap] they are off and on in the clothing department. Some years I want everything they have, other's I nothing appeals to me. But they are still an old favorite. I do love their workout shorts, those are the only ones I buy.
Next up is Loft, this is honestly one store I could buy everything off the rack...but the cost is what would prevent that. They have amazing sales though. This summer I took my graduation money to Loft, picked up roughly $300 dollars worth of clothes and only spent $180. I could show you a million pictures of everything I like at Loft, but I will just keep it down to one. A great blazer, jeans, and a pretty top. I want those jeans so bad right now, oh I need to stop writing this post. Makes me wanna shop!
I am also a Target lover, but like Gap and Old Navy it just depends on the season. I'm not much for crazy expensive brands, and I re-wear things all year long. It just seems so wasteful to dump an outfit after one use, I'm no celebrity and no one else is paying for this...so it shall be worn until it is so far out of style I get looks or I just genuinely hate it.
Now every once in awhile I will be in a "dumpster diving" mood and head on over to Dirt Cheap. They are essentially a hybrid thrift store, except no one else wore your clothes. They are the left over from last season or who knows what...maybe the store just closed. They carry brands from Wal-Mart/Target all the way to Loft. I have found them all. You really need to know your brand names to know what exactly you are getting. I have seen dresses on the rack at Target for $30 and [literally] walked into Dirt Cheap and found the same Target dress for $2. It isn't for everyone, but if you are on a budget it is the place to be. There is a lot of crap, and a lot of trying on outfits to do...plus inspecting them for damage, but it is totally worth it when you find something great.
[side note: once I found a Macy's down mattress topper for $20, I looked online and it was well over $100. I had to mend a hole, but heck for that price I would pluck my own duck]
Hope y'all are having a great weekend!
