Love at First Site

I love cheap clothes. No, forget that. I love inexpensive clothes. There will come a time when my wardrobe is full of classy "investment pieces" that are going to last me a lifetime like uh i doh know ... a proper business suit, perhaps. However, that time is not now. Now is the age of quantity over quality (for me at least) and I would rather buy 10 things for $100 and wear each of them once than buy one thing for $100 and it be the ONLY thing I wear.

However much like the dudes who dress rhel fly but whose idea of a romantic dinner involves a Zinger, just because something is cheap doesn't mean it should have to look cheap. That's why when I shop in certain stores, I will trawl the racks for hours searching for the tops made out of the richer, woven materials as opposed to the knit jerseys or spandexes. I look for more sophisticated cuts (for example I refuse to wear any item that has ruching on it). Don't misunderstand me, nothing is wrong with these items but when these high volume stores sell them to every single woman worldwide between the ages of 15 and 30, you want to separate yourself somehow. The way I choose to do it is through fabrication.

Finally Forever 21 gets it.

Their new line, Love 21, introduced online and in select stores on Tuesday, takes cut and fabrication into consideration resulting in a much more sophisticated aesthetic than the many brightly coloured embellished neck tunic topics that have become its hallmark. Lengths may be longer, fits may be "more modest" and necklines may be a tad higher, but face it ladies, we get older every day and the earlier we start accepting it the quicker we can look fly at any age!

Recently my father looked at me as I left the house and commented, "You have plenty of dem lil jersey dresses boy." Shame. We all do. But man shouldn't be noticing them tings. The fabrics used in the Love 21 collection, while succumbing to the occasional cotton jersey usage, are more often silks, satins and chiffons.

The best thing about Love 21 though, has to be the prices. I thought that the items would be priced higher than the regular pieces but still "affordable" by fashion magazine standards (i.e. $25-$50 each), similar to their Twelve by Twelve line. I was happily mistaken. On the exact same pricing level as regular F21 (around $17-$30 each) these prices do not disappoint.

Ladies, just be aware when purchasing online. The fits are indeed more modest, so check out the sizing chart before making your orders. You can view the lookbook here, and also check out the selection of items to which new pieces are being added every day! Take a look at my faves!