How to buy clothes from a store for teenagers and still be a grown-up

When I, on very rare occasion, shop in an actual mall, I don't really take into account normal considerations like consistency, brand, or age of target customer. I own a dress from the Target children's section and a bright green pair of GapKids shorts.

The Shorts

 I wander into PacSun as often as Macy's. I give Aeropostale a shot every once in awhile, mostly because of the adorable black cotton blouse with tiny blue flowers snagged there once. When I was disappointed in the tour merch a couple years ago when I went to see No Doubt, I ended up in Hot Topic not long after and picked up a t-shirt that was cuter than anything I saw at the show, at a fraction of the price. I am a seasoned and patient hunter when solo shopping, and I don't let preconceptions about audience deter me from patronizing a store. I may have just turned 30, but that didn't stop me from discovering one of my new favorite places for trendy basics- Zumiez. 

Yes, you heard that correctly. That concrete and metal go-to spot for skateboard/snowboard-obsessed teens. You probably walk right on by and scoff at the neon fur-trimmed parkas in winter and obscenely cropped flowy tank-tops in summer. But scoff no more! When I stopped in during the holiday shopping season last year I discovered that Zumiez had started it's own line of basics...and it's awesome.

http://www.zumiez.com/brands/zine/zine-hoodies/zine-girls-black-hoodie.html

http://www.zumiez.com/zine-girls-black-medgy-light-grey-windbreaker-jacket.html

See those creepily faceless young ladies there? They are wearing two Feathers-approved items straight from the Zine Girls line. Last year, desperately in need of a good plain hoodie, I had my heart set on a plain-colored one with a white zipper and strings. But I am wary of American Apparel, and as much as their classic hoodie fit my every requirement, I couldn't quite pull the trigger. Enter the Zine Girl version seen in the top photo. I got mine for Christmas and wear it constantly. I throw it in the wash every week or two, and let me tell you, it holds up. Six months later, the shrinkage is minimal (I'm not careful what cycle I wash it on), the color has held fast and it looks brand new. My only beef is that I find it a bit long in the torso, but perhaps that's just because I'm a shorty. The other greatest weakness is that, despite the availability of many colors, there is NO NAVY BLUE option which is what I realllly want. Otherwise, for forty bucks it's a bit of an investment for a sweatshirt, but worth it. If you're still thinking that's a bit steep, they are always always buy one get on 50% off, so maybe go in with a friend and you can each have one for thirty.

I've also got to give my endorsement for the great 70's-inspired windbreaker (second image). I got the blue one from Joe for my birthday, but when I checked just now on the website I saw the great black/gray one above, which I think is amazing and now I kind of want it. I wore mine recently on a day out with my mom and she was telling me how she had a jacket really similar when she was young. I love the way the hood is cut to look like a collar in the front, and who can resist the lovely swooshing sound you make walking around in this material? 

The jacket in action- Chihuly Museum

The jacket being awesome atop the Space Needle

I'm not sure about the t-shirts and tanks tops, which all look super long in the web photos, but if I stil had occasion to wear a backpack I gotta admit that purple one is tempting. Go check out all the Zine stuff for yourself here. Keep in mind that sizing is for juniors, so they are cut slim. And no, I'm not getting paid to write any of this. Let's be honest...only like fifteen people are ever going to read this anyway.

Half-tuck or bust

UO t-shirt, Pacsun jeans, Kenneth Cole brouges

One of the hallmarks of great style is the ability to raise even a very simple ensemble that seems like an afterthought to intentional with even one small extra touch. I always try to add something to a jeans and t-shirt look, like a vintage brooch, a cuffed hem, or my eye-catching orange loafers. In this case, on top of the obviously awesome fact that my jeans are LEOPARD PRINT and therefore stake-raising in and of themselves, I've attempted the thoughtful insouciance effected by the Half-Tuck. Often attempted and rarely executed, the half-tuck can be thwarted by a shirt that is just a bit too short or too long. Too short, and it come untucked every time I stand up, sit down, or reach for something. Too long, and the shirt bunches up and looks utterly ridiculous. So bask, as I did, in the glory of the perfect length t-shit that finally allowed me to pull of the half-tuck.

Is post-grunge style a thing? or did I just make that up?

H&M cardigan via Labels consignment, UO dress, Tokyobay watch, Bass Perry boots

What to do with a charming, twirly-skirted, polka-dot, 50's/90's referencing Urban Outfitters dress? Go full post-grunge a throw on masculine-inspired pieces. A slouchy, intellectual, elbow-patched cardigan and my trusty ankle boots feel so much "cooler" than more conventionally feminine pieces. Not that I am cool, or that I won't put on heels and my pink lipstick with it next time. 

Sail away with me

Value Village sweater, Labels consignment dress, mom's old belt, Dolce Vita loafers

Feeling vaguely nautical/preppy in this getup.

All the pretty horses

J Crew sweater, Goodwill dress,  Macy's tights, Modsock tights/sock things with horses on them, Bass Perry Boots

Value Village necklace

I'm apparently only wearing blue and black (and occasionally brown) these days. Sometime I even wear this blue sweater with blue skinny jeans and I wonder if it's okay...and then I just stop caring cause a navy crew neck J Crew sweater is super classy and you can wear it with anything.

Chapeau

Value Village sweater, Gap Outlet black jeans, Bass Perry boots, gifted beret from France

And here we have a series of photos I unearthed from the glasses-wearing era earlier this year. I lost a contact lens walking across a parking lot to get frozen yogurt. Then I spent a couple of months being annoyed that I had to wear my glasses because I needed a new prescription and my eye appointment was like two months away.  And then I wore a lot of sweaters and pants and basically no skirts or dresses but it was okay because I like my black boots or orange loafers thrown on with a pair of skinny jeans. Anyway, I seem pretty fine with everything in these photos, but I'm glad I'm back to contacts now.

All other books go home. You lose. Habibi is the best.

Buffalo Exchange jacket,  Zumiez sweatshirt, H&M dress, Wet Seal leggings, Labels Consignment boots and socks,  North Face hat, Fendi glasses

Ever since I checked out Blankets from the library where I worked at the time (about five years ago), I have considered Craig Thompson to be the absolute master of the the graphic novel. Art Speigelman gets a lot of praise (rightly so) for Maus, and Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is also widely considered literature, transcending its somewhat fledgling genre. And while both of these authors are fantastic and deserve all the praise they get, I'm always baffled by how few people have heard of Thompson, the other giant of the graphic novel form.

I remember cracking open Blankets one night around eleven pm, thinking I would read for a bit and get to sleep. Three hours later, I had plowed through the entire thing, feeling awed by the power and beauty of the book, and guilty for devouring the gorgeous illustrations so quickly. It immediately became, and remains to this day, one of my favorite books of all time. 

I recently got around to bringing home his second major work, Habibi.  I didn't think it was possible for it to live up to its predecessor, but I supposed I would still like it. Guys, I was so wrong, in a completely amazing way. I don't think I can be super objective, since I haven't read Blankets in awhile and it's not as fresh on my mind, but I still feel confident in saying Habibi  is even better. The level of the illustrations so far surpasses that of Thompson's contemporaries that I suspect it might just be embarrassing for them. I could gush on and on, but suffice it to say that this is the most moving, beautiful, complex, lovely book I have read in a  very long time.  So yeah, here I am wearing clothes, but more importantly, here is something you should read, own, and evangelize. And screw Amazon. Find a local bookstore in your town and spend the extra bucks to support an essential industry.

A quick note: my blog, despite having basically zero readership, has suddenly gotten really spammy. So I've turned off anonymous commenting, sorry if this causes any inconvenience!