The Most Dangerous Place on Earth: Target

Yesterday, my roommate and I decided to go to Target. She needed a new bathing suite for her trip and I was just tagging along. Sixty dollars later, my tag along turned into a full fledged shopping spree.
We started out in the bathing suite section, I quickly moved on to clothes with a bit more material. Not quite ready to even think about bikinis. As I skimmed the clothing racks I hit the jackpot. The Peter Pilotto collection on sale for 70% off! Bingo! Grabbed one of everything and hit the fitting room. Tried everything on, in record time may I add, and luckily for my wallet I didn't love anything. After leaving the fitting room, walking through Target became an intense inner battle between purchase or put down.

Next, I find myself meandering towards the shoes. Oh, those are cute Ked-like sneaks. No, no you have a pair of converse you barely ever wear. Alrighty, moving on to accessories. I do need a new belt. My favorite belt is about to fall apart. A new belt is a smart purchase. Let's just look at the sunglasses. I just bought a new pair last week, but these are so cute with the pink! Put them down. What's over here? Ohhhh! Cute PJ shorts! I have been wanting some new PJ shorts. And these are only ten bucks. Another smart purchase. Go me!

I knew I would want to check out the book section. I just finished Divergent, I should get Insurgent. I was going to buy it on my Kindle, but let's just check it out. Ohh, they have so many copies! And it's on sale! Okay, I'll just hold it and decide when I get to the check out. Let's get to the check ou.... OMG! Movies for $5!!! I just ahve to look. It's a rainy day I could use a good movie! Awww, Joseph Gorden Levitt. I love him. Okay, let's get 50/50. It looks great.

Now to the registers. Walking, walking. Don't look around. Ohh, I see pastels in my peripheral! Okay, just a peak. CANDLES! My weakness. You just bought some. I mean, I can smell them. Maybe I won't like the smell. Ohh, they are only $5! Target has the best prices! This blue one.. UGH! Awful smelling. The white one.. Yum! I definitely need this! They have a Clean Linen scent. My favorite! I need it! Okay, two candles, $10, not bad. Okay, this time to the registers for real!

This line isn't too long. Yay! Ohh, I need gum. Ooooo, those M&Ms look good. No. Yes. No. No... Okay, my turn to check out..... $60! Geez the belt, PJ shorts, book, movie, and candles really added up. Grrr, Target. You got me again! But I still love you! I definitely need to come here more often!

Trends are Dead! Long Live Style!

How many times do you walk into a place and see someone wearing the same garment as you? Or you view a recap of what the stars wore to one of their countless events and two celebs wore the same gown? (Ooops! I would hate to be that stylist.) Sometimes it seems as though everyone is wearing the same thing!
I blame fast fashion. Everyone wants their hands on the latest trends and as soon as it hits the rack, it is gone in 60 seconds. Look at the Phillip Lim collection that launched at Target last month. It was sold out in less than 24 hours, and less than 24 hours after that, the next Target collab was all over the media. We had no time to revel in the beauty of Phillip Lim's designs. As soon as the collection hit the stores, it was like it was old news and after it sold out everyone wanted to know what was next. Consumerism at it's best.
 The fashion industry is becoming a place of drones. One might say this is more true for the younger generation. I remember in high school when you were not "cool" unless you were wearing American Eagle, Hollister, or Abercrombie. WHAT?! Basic polos and ripped jeans with an eagle logo- that is what I used to strive for. That is what my parents and myself once paid for, to look like everyone else. To fit in nice and neatly in the Sea of Same. Gosh, I am so glad I survived high school. But sometimes that same pressure to "fit in" by wearing certain brands still applies today. Luckily, I have broken that mold a bit, but that doesn't mean I don't shop at H&M or Zara, I do. I love Zara, but I am more in tune with what I choose and how I wear it than when I was a naive teen. I have also differentiated my style enough that friends I have gone shopping with see what I have thrown over my arm to try on and say, "That is so your style!"
What is style? Is it having what everyone else has? Is is owning the gorgeous Celine bag with the blue suede side detail that every other woman is carrying? No. No it is not. It does not mean you shouldn't own those items, it just means you should only own them if those pieces are truly you, not because that is what Kim Kardashian and good-old-what's-her-name is wearing today. What you wear says something about you, or it should.
Trends are dead. Wear what you want not what is "in" because in a month or two, what was in will be out. Fast fashion is determining what we wear and to some degree how to wear it, but it by no means has to. Long live style. Make each piece your own. Don't be the person that walks into the room and three other people have on your outfit.

Who wore it best?