FashBlog.com

by Christina VanGinkel

Though my daughter is no longer a teenager, and has not lived at home in several years other than the occasional visit, she still receives mail at our house on occasion. Two regular additions to our mailbox that are hers are the Cosmo Girl magazine and the Teen Vogue. All we can figure out is that the last time we renewed them we subscribed to them each for several years, not considering the fact that she would be outgrowing them by the time the subscriptions expired. I always ask her if she wants them and she does page through them, and then leaves them on my desk for me. As old as I am, she knows I will also page through them before I either toss them or pass them along to a friend's teen daughter, usually the latter.

With cover titles such as How to Look Hot in your Jeans and Fashion, Fashion, Fashion, how could I not at least page through them. The magazines offer stories on issues that teens go though in an average day and some not so average situations. They offer tips on makeup, stories about the stars, money, decorating bedrooms, and clothes! I actually read quite a few of the articles, and I read every available topic included on clothing. No, I do not wear clothes that would be better suited for teens, but my holiday and birthday shopping list includes several teen girls.

By reading the articles and viewing the photos of fashionable teen clothing, what works and what does not, I am much better equipped when I head out gift shopping, or happen upon a clearance rack. One thing that is necessary when shopping for teenage girls is knowledge of what is last year's style. While an article of clothing on that sale rack may be in perfect condition and the exact size, you know that special teen girl wears, if it is last year's hot item, it might as well stay right where it is. If you purchase it and gift it, you will surely receive a big thank you, but the item will most likely be hung at the back of the closet never to see the light of day again.

That does not mean that you cannot find bargains for gifts, because you can. Many items have a timeless style about them, and if you keep up to date on what is in and what is not, you will uncover bits and pieces that you can safely shop for all the time. Certain styles of jeans for example have been on the racks and being worn for several years in a row now. I have also spotted them on sale racks at dirt-cheap prices on and off through the same period. If a store gets in a new shipment, the 'old' must go, even if there is no distinguishable differences between the two styles save for the tags on them.

Even though nobody is at the targeted age of the magazines in our household, we have still managed to put them to good use. Now my problem is, do I renew the subscriptions now that they are about to expire?