Miss GlowGirl - "My blog on beauty....and everything else!": The Online Budget Fashionista

Units

When I was in the 9th Grade, I can still remember getting excited because I heard a new concept clothing store was

opening at Hulen Mall in Ft. Worth, TX. It was called UNITS! I'm sure there are plenty of you out there over the age of 40 who remember it clearly. The store itself seemed so unique at first because it was a new concept and of its cube-style interior decor looked modern. UNITS was a very simple, silly concept. A line of solid jersey knits -Tops, Skirts, Pants and Tights sold as separates. Each item was designed to be worn alone either alone or layered with other pieces. Fascinating, right? Not quite. My sister and I were so excited to go in and pick out our cool new outfits. We both chose a 3-piece combination. I opted for a light purple number and my sister, Uzma, chose blue. "What's a 3 pc. combo" you might ask? Well wearing a loose, long sleeve shirt, paired with a long Amish skirt, with ANOTHER tu-tu like skirt on top was indeed bizarre. So unfortunately, the Paki twins with the big eyebrows & even bigger hair looked strange & unfashionable....again. Needless to say, UNITS obviously didn't make it out of the 80's.... along with Stirrup Pants, Banana Clips and Acid Washed Jeans.Thank God.

Unfortunately, clothing choices in the 90's didn't dramatically improve for teens & young adults who had since transformed their UNITS into cleaning rags for their boyfriend's old Chevrolet Cavaliers. Fashion didn't get better, just more bland. Large retail chains like Foley's, Dillard's, JCPenny's and Mervyn's flourished because of competitive pricing as well as targeting every age & size group. Our mothers, aunts & grandmothers became obsessed with specials at these retail giants. Always scouring the cluttered sales racks in the hopes of finding the best deal. Of course, no one under the age of 18 really cared for these "old people" mega stores so most girls found themselves wandering thru the racks of Express and The Limited. Yes. It was stylish for the time. But, more than 20 years later, I'm honestly a surprised that they still have strong consumer appeal. I don't think I have purchased anything from either store in years mainly because the women's line at both stores is absurdly overpriced, not stylish or even original looking. And even if someone used a coupon or got something on sale, it's still not a good value. I'm not a snot, but If I'm going to spend any amount on clothes, I want them to look modern & stylish. Not like I'm heading to work at the Dallas Public Library.

Express (a.k.a. Dull)

The Limited (a.k.a. The Mundane)

Then something magical happened at the beginning of the year 2000. The skies opened, the grey retail clouds parted and FOREVER 21 fell out of the sky. We can all thank Don Won Chang for this. Not because he opened Panda Express in the food court at the mall but because he was the genius behind this retail giant. Women were shocked at the price tags on these Tops, Dresses, Jeans, Skirts & Accessories. "Is this pretty blouse really $11.90?" Not only surprised at the price but how vast, colorful & stylish the selections were! Yes, some argue that after one wash, most of the clothing falls apart, but I disagree. Pick the right material, wash them appropriately and that $21 dress will be hanging in your closet for years. With a whopping 480 Forever 21's open worldwide and a net worth of 3.9 billion, I would definitely say Don did something right.

Forever 21

Now I do realize of course that not every woman likes this store or plans on shopping at Forever 21 until she is Forever 61. That's precisely the reason why I love the fact that online Clothing Boutiques are the savviest shopping tool for women of all ages. You can find fabulous clothes, jewelry, shoes & accessories daily at wonderful prices. And I'm not gonna lie....it feels really good when your family or friends drool over a gorgeous Blouse or Dress you're wearing. Inside you're smiling because a). No one else you know has it and b). It was on SALE! Below, I have highlighted 5 of my favorite online Deal Boutiques that I would highly recommend any fashionista to join & explore. Even if you don't buy anything, it's fun to see the newest trends. Because after all ladies, we may have busy lives, we may be stressed or even a bit depressed at times....but we can all still be Well Dressed!

Saima B. xoxo