Shopping as a Teen and as a 20-Something

I have many alternately fond and terrifying memories of experimenting with fashion and makeup as a teenager. My best friends in middle school, who were far ahead of me at this, were always letting me in on the unknown (to me) rules of Girl World. One of these rules was that you could not "preview" an outfit at school the day of a dance. Your dance outfits were apparently supposed to be kept secret until sundown. But they gave me these tidbits of advice, most of the time, in a supportive manner. At least as supportive as 13-year-old girls are capable of being.





Some of the girls I went to camp with sat me down and gave me a full makeover, including foundation, despite the fact that we were deep in the wilderness of New Hampshire. Our only opportunity for contact with boys were our movie and ice cream nights, during which we were supervised by camp counselors and the very protective camp director. Most of my fellow campers' pieces of advice, such as ironing my hair, I basically ignored. During my orientation at Brandeis, several of my classmates with frizzy hair asked me how I straightened my hair. It has always been  pin-straight. At times I am envious of other people's thicker, or curlier hair, but on the other hand, my hair type is the easiest to cut and style.

In spite of being behind on the fashion game in my early teenage years, I quickly became fond of shopping as a social activity. When you are in high school, there is a plethora of cheap, colorful clothing, and I was very passionate about the idea of an artsy, "bohemian" style. (My favorite movie when I was 14 was Moulin Rouge and I wanted the spirit of the idealistic artists even though I was stuck in a middle-class suburb). In practice, I had a few bohemian tops, and most days wore high-neck sweaters or T-shirts with jeans.

Fast-forward to my early twenties. I still love Moulin Rouge, but my everyday style centers on slim-cut jeans and colorful, funky accessories. Sort of a like cross between American Apparel and H&M, but less skin and more cute sneakers. However, while I packed up for Philly, I noticed that I was running very low on summer tops that were nice enough to wear to school (that is, not baggy T-shirts from AIDS Walk Boston) and in good condition. My game plan was to find several fitted t-shirts in plain colors or prints (no words) and some new jeans.

I did eventually find some t-shirts, as well as a nice wrap shirt (thanks Mom) and a custom-designed print blouse (double thanks, Mom). But I was surprised at how difficult it was to find something that fit right in terms of proportion. I have a short, mostly small torso, and many shirts were too long, hung out weird around the belly, or were way too low cut on me. It was also hard to find jeans. Many of them were too low (which makes my legs look even shorter) or too big at the waist (in front and in back). But next week is my break from school, so my plan is to hit up The Gallery (close to the house and lots of cheap stores) and the Center City Macy's for tops and jeans. If nothing pans out, I guess I will start wearing skirts and dresses more, because those seem easier to find for my body type.