I didn’t pull that the girl had a full wardrobe in front of her, in the college town.
Btw, D1 got some adorable exercise things, incl shorts, from Lululemon. Even yoga pants are better than sloppy. No, I don’t know if this gal was sloppy- but Nike shorts aren’t exactly neat.
None of having an extra outfit is really elitist. But the idea of dressing down because you can and because you wish to self indulge is sometimes phrased as sort of its own elitism. As if some greater, more existential point is being touted.
If I ever meet any of you, say, after a casual college visit, you can count on my not wearing gym shorts. Just saying. D2 went though a long phase of very baggy shorts and sweatpants. Admission: I’d hide the worst of them, one at a time, in some corner of the laundry room. When she hadn’t noticed they were missing for a while, they went in the donations bag. Now she laughs at herself.
My son, husband and FIL go on an annual fishing trip in Wisconsin. They wear t shirts, shorts, grubby clothing because who do they have to impress when they are out in a boat all day and at a lodge at night. Nonetheless, they’d bring a polo shirt and cargo shorts or jeans because you might want to snazz it up just a tidge if you go into town. Even though the fanciest the town offers might be Applebee’s. Nothing even remotely “dressy” but there is merit in just-in-case. This is really just the commonest of common sense. Why it gets convoluted with “dressy” is beyond me.
I don’t see the pride that some are taking in not seeing the distinction between gym shorts and casual clothing, or $1.99 flip flops and cute sandals.
Btw, the Old Navy I was in - to me that’s disposable clothing, clothing for camp, clothing that if it gets ruined who cares. It’s sloppy looking to me. It worked today because S needed a cheap bathing suit and it worked when I outfitted my kids for camp but I think we can do better for everyday.
Both of my kids went through phases where the only things they would normally wear were baggy jeans or shorts, sweatshirts and tees. But they always had a few nicer outfits for church or a sit down restaurant. They dressed appropriately for friends’ Bar/Bat Mitzvah, family weddings, etc.
D2 now knows how to buy cute things. She surprises me with what she can find at Old Navy (and even cheaper places) that dresses up a bit. It’s in how you recognize something versatile and put it together. She’s also into light sweaters or topper shirts, so it works.
Even when we’d go down to visit that aged aunt who loved cat shirts, my kids got that the journey might include something else. Neither is shallow, not in the least. They just like to feel that they look good.
Wait, all the clothes in the ENTIRE STORE are “disposable”? Doesn’t Old Navy sell polos, khaki pants, and even some button-down shirts? They don’t carry my style of clothes, really, but D owns quite a few items from there. She’s got dresses she wears to church, “dress shorts”, several types of tops and their jeans are the only ones that fit her well, including the really expensive brands. Their bathing suits are not for someone with her bra size, so no luck there, but really, these are clothes you just throw away when you’re tired of them? What counts as clothing for “everyday”? Is it all about the brand, like a status thing? Or are there truly “better” khakis and jeans or polos and dresses for “everyday” that one does not throw away?
I admit to being shocked by this. I’m aware that there are high-end designer clothes and stores that sell clothing that is supposed to be “better”, but I never thought of ON clothing as “disposable”. And a post like this reminds me that I come from a very different world than some here. I’m literally about to leave for Goodwill, where I will drop off clothes that are now too large for me and others that are too small for D that will possibly go to someone for whom even buying clothes at ON is just a pipe dream. I also buy some stuff there-higher end stuff I wouldn’t waste my money on at full price. But I work with a family at my job which dresses in exclusively donated clothes, because that’s all they can afford. And here we have people throwing away clothes because they’re not “good enough” for everyday. SMH.
Never shopped at Old Navy before because, as a family, we had never ventured over there. It might’ve been because the quality of clothes was said to be not the best, but I vaguely remember. Although, if the quality is ok, might look into their basic dresses and loose tanks.
I’ve bought clothing from Walmart before. I have a couple sweatpants from there that have held up quite nicely considering I wear and wash them frequently. I’ve gotten athletic rain coats from them on clearance for about four bucks for my hiking trip and I use them now as a rain jacket in my schoolbag. I also got a could bandeaus for my cruise last minute and they’re regularly in my wardrobe. Merp. Nothing to balk over if the clothes work.
I used to be able to find an occasional thing for myself at Old Navy, but as Niquii said, the quality is generally pretty poor. Not a problem for a kid who is going to wear it out or get tired of it, but for myself I prefer to shop up from that level. I used to get a lot of things at Gap, but the quality and the styles pretty much tanked in the last couple of years (confirmed by the Wall Street Journal and the profit numbers…).
Granted, I have things from Nordstrom that have lasted for-ev-er. But it’s still in how you take care of things.
I got D1 a couple of adorable dresses she could wear to an upscale event, on a job interview, or to the movies, at H&M. On sale, very nice quality.
The quality at ON isn’t necessarily poor, it’s that some things (especially the very cheap tees) are really for just one season, then lose their “hand.”
Old Navy quality (as well as many other stores) can vary considerably, so it’s good if you are patient and carefully examine the workmanship of any garment you plan to keep for an extended period of time. When garments are 100% cotton and thin, they tend to lose their shape much more quickly than garments with at least 3% of spandex or other material in them. Some garments pill a lot quicker than others or have loose threads that cause the outfit to need repairs (some are handy with a needle and can make these repairs while others consider them unwearable once they need repairs).
I have found good and poor quality clothing at Macy’s, Banana Republic and many other stores. If you sew or are a careful observer, you can check more carefully to get garments that can last many years and seasons, otherwise you can just be luck (or unlucky). I do not shop at Nordstom’s, as I find their merchandise to be more expensive than I am willing to pay most of their time, as well as many of their garments stating that they require dry cleaning (which we do not do in this household).
You know, Himom, it’s true that even Nordstrom quality depends on the area and market. Btw, I don’t dry clean everything that says one should. Depends.
Around here, clothing gets pushed back from dressy, to less dressy to casual, to around the house clothing to clothing for messy chores or sleeping in before they become rags or donated. We still have some garments we still wear (and get complimented on) that are decades old.
Oh goodness! Everybody calm down! I never said “I buy clothing from Old Navy and then just throw it away.” I said I think the quality isn’t all that good and so it’s fine for “filler” but not the mainstay of a wardrobe. I used to stock up there when my kids went to summer camp because it didn’t matter what they wore and if the clothing got irretrievably bleached or stained or ruined at camp, it didn’t matter. I’m sure there are cute things there. Btw Old Navy was a client of mine years ago and they were very open about how they weren’t known for high quality.
And the same with Gap (also a former client of ours). I used to get great work pants there and their quality has declined a lot IMO.
I’d rather have fewer and better clothes than more and cheaper. I buy plenty of stuff on sale and I frequent a resale shop in my suburb that has nice clothing. Forgive me for not liking ON.
“got D1 a couple of adorable dresses she could wear to an upscale event, on a job interview, or to the movies, at H&M.”
I bought two sweaters at H&M earlier this year. I was disappointed, as they wore very poorly. They’re now going to go into my “wear overseas where no one sees me” pile.
" Is it all about the brand, like a status thing? Or are there truly “better” khakis and jeans or polos and dresses for “everyday” that one does not throw away?"
What an odd question. You really thought that ON quality was the best there was?
It’s so difficult to judge whether a department store is a good or a bad choice because they sell different merchandise in different locations, depending on the demographics of the area.
No two Macys’ are alike anymore. It drives me nuts.
