Learning to shop for a teenage girl with little to no money

Sometime last Spring D was at the mall with her friends and they stumbled on a sale at Forever 21 where everything she bought was $5. She’s worn a school uniform for the last three years. Now she’s trying to build a wardrobe she can wear to high school on a budget. Sure, Forever 21 is trashy, but the prices are appropriate for a teenager, and my girl is totally mod when she puts an effort into it. Nothing too wince-inducing comes home.

Last summer we were watching Dr. Who, and D fell in love with Clara’s wardrobe from Seasons 7, 8, and 9. Clara sports what I would call a mod London style - A-line skirts, mock turtlenecks, plaids, boots. As a result, D and I were on the lookout for a pinafore all summer. Trouble is no one calls them “pinafores” in the U.S. When you do find them, retailers call them “jumper dresses.” The American versions we were looking at were so styled up for “juniors” that they were no longer cute and very, VERY embarrassing to look at if you are 14 years old.

After what some might call an exhaustive search at Urban Outfitters and vintage stores in LA, I ended up finding a company online in England, New Look, that makes affordable and legit pinafores that don’t cost and arm and a leg after the currency conversion. (Just under $30, plus shipping.)

Pro mom tip: sometimes to help your teenager reach their style dream it helps to have the time to just keep clicking. For hours.

It wouldn’t be factual to say I don’t shop online for clothes. I do sometimes. But I am of the camp that thinks there are too many unknown variables and size ecosystems in the online marketplace. Either you fit in their world, or you don’t. Plus, no one hates returning stuff through the mail more than me. I prefer to go to the store, try it on, severely critique myself in front of the mirror in the dressing room, and then head to the register. The proper way to shop for clothes.

I panicked a little when D came home two weeks from the end of the semester announcing she was going to her school’s Winter Formal. She had just finished another growth spurt, so this meant we needed to get her a new dress. After ignoring the issue for a couple of days, checking a couple of local stores and making a bee-line for the door after reading the price tags, then spending a couple of days worrying about where I was going to get $100+ for a new dress, I finally went online.

As it turns out, Macy’s Fall sale is where you can get a formal dress for less than $25 online. Completely beautiful dresses. I have no idea how this is possible, and I’m sure it means someone somewhere is getting screwed, but I’ve never been more grateful for online shopping than I was at the beginning of December.

And it fits perfectly. Total online win for the unemployed mom.