Categories

Content Type

Sources

Two teens put together trendy outfits for $25

By Bonnie Bing, McClatchy Newspapers, Source: MCT News Service

Hand two 17-year-old girls $25 each and tell them to stretch every dollar as far as they can while shopping for a new outfit.

Then stand back.

We set out to see whether teenagers could pull together a trendy outfit with $25 or less. Ideally, the clothes should be appropriate for school.

Kristen Funk and Kristine Meares, both 17, were ready and willing to accept the assignment and promised not to go over the limit. The Andover Central students in Wichita, Kan., both heading into their senior year, agreed their first stop would be Forever 21.

It was easy to see these two were experienced shoppers.

Meares, the more conservative of the two, chuckled when she realized the first three things she pulled from racks were all striped. "I love stripes," she said.

Even though Funk said she's not the "girlie girlie" type, she tended to choose feminine prints and styles. But she soon proved she likes contrasting a couple of looks in one outfit. She paired a cute sundress with a ripped T-shirt to wear underneath.

Meares was drawn to shorts and T-shirts, but they had to have some embellishments _ or stripes _ before she was interested enough to buy.

After making mental notes of what they liked, they checked out some other stores, bought some accessories, then returned to Forever 21 to purchase their favorite finds. When their purchases were added up, Meares' change from the allotted $25 was four cents, Funk's was $2.35.

Both shoppers agreed the challenge wasn't as difficult as they thought it might be. So on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being a Carrie Bradshaw-type fashionista, where do the two girls fall?

Funk, who wants to be a journalist at a fashion magazine, ranked herself an 8. Meares, who's thinking about majoring in international business, is a 7.

And what advice do these two super shoppers have to offer?

"One, if you really love something, buy it. If you don't love it, don't buy it," Funk said. "And two, buy what looks good on you. Every trend doesn't look good on everyone so don't wear something just because it's a trend unless it is flattering." Meares agreed. "You have to be yourself when it comes to what you wear. You should wear what you want, what makes you feel good, as long as it looks good on you."

So will they wear their new outfits the first day of school? "No, we'll wear our senior T-shirts!" Funk said. "But we'll wear these the second day," Meares said.

___

(c) 2010, The Wichita Eagle (Wichita, Kan.).

Visit the Eagle on the World Wide Web at http://www.wichitaeagle.com/

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

_____

PHOTOS (from MCT Photo Service, 202-383-6099): 25dollars