I am not a big shopper. Typically I will buy clothing when I really need something, or every so often if I feel like treating myself. Last Friday, however, my girly shopping gene was stimulated when I went to Forever 21.
Taking over the Gottschalk’s location in San Luis Obispo, Forever 21 is a trendy, inexpensive clothing company that has over 450 stores worldwide.
The soft opening was this past Tuesday and its grand opening was this past Saturday. I went on Friday in hopes of avoiding the mobs of teenage and college-aged girls during the grand opening. Clearly, that didn’t seem to help much.
I walked through the double doors of Forever 21 and was immediately immersed in a plethora of clothing and crowds of women fervently sifting through racks upon racks of clothing.
The single floor was enormous. It extended as far as the eye could see in each direction. Vibrant colors, shapes, and patterns caught my attention from every angle. I would pick up a shirt only to see that it came in seven other colors and five different styles. Naturally, this caused me to stand at each rack for an abnormal amount of time, debating which color and style combination to select.
Having become used to the small, often expensive San Luis Obispo boutiques, Forever 21 surprised me with the price of clothing and variety of style.
Weather you are looking for a causal, laid-back outfit, something more dressy, or business attire, this store has something for every style and occasion.
Even more impressive than the wide selection, are the low prices. For example, jeans range from $12.50 to $20. Shirts are anywhere from $10 to $25 and dresses range from about $12 to $30.
While this store is a blessing for many teenage girls and young women in San Luis Obispo, I got the impression that older women would have rather had a Macy’s or Nordstrom’s take over the location.
Looking through the countless jean styles, I overheard an older women complaining to a sales associate because the style is “too young” and the majority of jeans are only offered in sizes 25 to 30.
The majority of the store does cater to a specific demographic, however, there is also a small men’s section as well as a plus-size section.
Even though some people might not be happy with the introduction of the store, I am excited to have this store available.
Initially coming to just look around, two hours later I ended up in the lengthy dressing room line with an armful of cute clothing.
Needless to say, I bought a few things with money that should have gone to groceries.
What’s the moral of the story? This trendy store is very reasonably priced, but don’t enter unless you have some time and are willing drop some bucks.