Spring is upon us, and with the season change and impending summer vacation come great new styles to enjoy.
Of course, to me and my peers, our upcoming graduation ceremonies and journey to college means lots of opportunities to update our wardrobes!
There are a few stores in Oneonta, mainly downtown, that my friends and I enjoy shopping at.
For instance, Shakedown Street is a very popular thrift store that many teenagers like to browse for inexpensive clothing.
For shoes, McLaughlin's is a great place to go for friendly service and a large selection.
And of course, Leilani's has an amazing selection for girls looking for their perfect prom dress.
However, Oneonta being a small-town community, we often have to go out of town to find everything that we need. So as to save some gas, I like to shop online.
A store that many girls enjoy shopping at, whether online or in the store, is Forever 21.
The Forever 21 in Crossgates Mall in Albany underwent a major makeover about two years ago, and the result still has girls making the trek from Oneonta to Albany.
The store features edgy décor and an unbelievable selection of clothing and accessories.
I typically shop at Forever 21 for dresses and cardigans, and a majority of the time have had good luck with the products.
Probably the best part of shopping at Forever 21 is the inexpensive prices and fun fashions that it carries. But because of their inexpensiveness, the clothes don't last forever.
Urban Outfitters is another very popular brand for teenagers, males and females, alike. Not only do I like the clothing that Urban carries, but I also enjoy the fun decorations and home products that it sells as well.
Items such as bedding sets and new alarm clocks now pertain to teenagers like me, because we're starting to make the transition to college life, where those things are essentials.
I have found that Urban Outfitter's products hold up better than those from stores like Forever 21, and therefore, that makes them a bit pricier.
But if the overall quality is better, I believe they are worth the price.
But if I am going to be honest, my all-time favorite place to shop online is a website called modcloth.com. If you are into funky, vintage- inspired, and retro pieces, this is the place for you!
I realize that not everyone is into that look, although I think the style flatters everyone. But I think that the site is worth a shot.
I admit that while the products that ModCloth sells are pricier, and sometimes downright expensive, everything that I have purchased from the site has fit me like a glove and looked exactly the way it did online.
Fit is something that a lot of people bring up as a concern for shopping online. I too have had problems with this, especially when ordering from stores whose size range is more limited and vague than others. However, ModCloth offers a good variety of sizes, and you can also see if it runs true to size, small or large, and see reviews from other customers.
My two favorite sections of ModCloth are its dresses and bathing suit selection.
One of the biggest problems I have with a lot of dresses is the length. For example, when my senior class had a brunch at the Otesaga Hotel in Cooperstown, I wanted to find a classy brunch dress that wasn't too fancy or too short.
I looked around at different places before I went to ModCloth, and was concerned that I would spend the entire time pulling my dress down so as to avoid a Marilyn Monroe white dress incident. That's just not my style.
At ModCloth, you can be sure that, especially length-wise, what you see is what you get.
And same with the bathing suits. The variety on the website is what struck me; often when shopping for bathing suits all you see are either teeny bikinis, confusing monokinis, matronly one-pieces, or weirdly-shaped tankinis.
This year via ModCloth I found an awesome red polka dot high-waisted bikini that I love. I opened up the package, tried it on, and it fit perfectly. That spells a good website to me.
If you shop around locally and cannot find everything you need, do not be afraid to try the Internet. You might be surprised at the gems you find.
Maggie McVey is a senior at Oneonta High School. 'Teen Talk' columns can be found at www.thedailystar.com/teentalk.
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