Forever 21 Twist: Oui, Oui, Tres Paris!

Christmas Shopping time is here! I went to Westfield Mall in Escondido today and was impressed by the number of shops and variety there. I mean, they even had a pet store filled with adorable puppies! But of course, my weakness lies in my obsession with Forever 21 and I stepped in to see what they had in "store" (okay, I'll stop with the puns .. maybe).

Forever 21 has become the store of glitz and glam and glitter. Flashy sequins, beaded shirts, walking disco balls, essentially. It'd be nice at the club, but all that shininess isn't practical for sitting in a classroom half the day or wearing to work. Thus, I have felt limited this year as far as practical clothes go. Off the shoulder tops and dresses are also incredibly popular, along with cage pumps and chunky jewelry.

This is taking it too far .. creating the illusion of a tank top with big sequins + frilly ruffles will make you look like a pregnant, sparkly whale-fish (and we all know whales are mammals).



I wonder if these Cage Pumps are even comfortable ... they seem to go great with leggings or skinny jeans and are all the rage.

For Winter 2009, it seems Forever 21 is phasing in loose, wide necklines and cinched waists. Sweet little cardigans are also in stock, along with faux biker jackets and brass-studded military-inspired jackets. The frustrating thing about fashion is the First Law of Beauty: Beauty is Pain! So if you live in a cold, blizzardy place, it's hard to look dazzling in 3 layers of chunky sweaters.

On a happier note, I really appreciate that Forever 21 has reached out and explored with ballet, French, and disco-inspired clothing. In particular, I have become enamored with the Tres Paris line and bought this adorable outfit (with a different beret and tights):

I'm a tee and skinny jeans kind of girl, with a love for basic black+white and artistic embellishments. This outfit would be what I call risque high fashion, since the shirt doesn't even reach my belly button but the skirt is so granny high rise that it makes up for it.
+ + = Tres Paris indeed

The Eiffel Tower Silhouette Top was $14.80, the Bow Front Skirt $19.80 and the Wool Blend Studded Beret &7.80, so with tax it's about $35 for the entire batch. Pretty good steal, eh? (I will upload pictures later)

With classy black and white with a pop of red, the Tres Paris line is an affordable way to embrace Parisian fashion without having to hop on a plane or break the bank. Berets, funky tights and high rise skirts are a must, slap on some red lipstick and you'll have everyone saying, "Oui, oui!"



Here's the rest of my haul:

Fab Turtleneck Top in Navy ($8.50) - it has a cute peephole in the back but mine is half-sleeves

Dotted Strip Tights ($5.80) - these actually look a lot more dark navy when not stretched out on a plaster white mannequin .. I haven't tried them on yet though.

Luxuriant Bracelet Set ($6.80) - Mom thought it was a good deal

I also got black Sweater Knit Food Tights ($5.80) for St. Louis year-long winters. Yay warm legs!

Enjoy the last-minute shopping, everyone! If you need stocking stuffers, Forever 21 has great makeup products for $1-3 and very cheap jewelry under $5. Meanwhile, Happy Holidays!