FashBlog.com

By Christina VanGinkel

I was going to have to take my thirteen-year-old clothes shopping sometime in the next couple of weeks, to round out his wardrobe for the week he will be spending in Texas next month. He is a warm person to begin with (He wears shorts when the rest of us are bundled up), and my brother and sister-in-law have been relating temperatures already quite warm for this time of year. The one problem I encountered though, when I tried to sneak in some shopping this past weekend, was that the stores are just starting to stock spring wear, and summer clothes is not yet available except for some very limited selections of swimwear and such, for vacationers wanting to pack for spring break vacations in warmer climates. I was informed though, that in another week or two, shorts and tank tops should be readily available in a wide selection. My problem is that he will be leaving in just a few weeks. I could send money with and ask my sister-in-law to take him shopping once he arrives, but I really dislike the idea of having them waste time they could be out having fun, shopping for essentials. For this reason, I hope to have him all set before he boards the plane.

What surprised me when I ran into this difficulty, was that with air travel so common, and people taking advantage of it to vacation in warmer climates all throughout the year, that stores would recognize this small facet of how life is evolving, and start to stock at least a small section of clothing for whatever the opposite season currently is. This is especially so with traditional beachwear, what with indoor water parks so common too. Shorts, tanks, swimsuits, and sandals are worn even in the dead of winter by those who choose to travel to a warmer climate or to one of the many water parks nationwide.

Many Internet based stores have thought of this, and have clothing for various climates for sale year round, or at least for an extended period over our local stores. I was able to find him in just an hour of browsing, everything he could conceivable need to take with him, including shorts, a new pair of swim trunks, and a pair of sunglasses. The best part though, was that I found every single item at Amazon, so I did not have to waste time looking all over the Internet either.

He ended up with one pair of Adidas Men's Team V-Notch Shorts, in red with white trim, on sale for only $14.99, and a pair of Nike Florida Gators Royal Reversible Basketball Shorts. These were a bit more pricy than the Adidas shorts, but he had wanted a pair similar to these for some time, and they are reversible. We were also able to find a pair of board shorts that were right up his alley style wise, when we never were able to find a pair locally last year, when all the stores were fully stocked with their summer inventory.

The sunglasses were actually the most difficult, not because they did not have a big enough selection, but because they had several pair that he did like and want. The first pair he found I vetoed because of the price (they rivaled the cost of his airline ticket!). They were a pair of Oakley's, Oakley Fives 2.0 to be exact, and for the color he chose, the cost was $125.00. They also had them in alternate colors for eighty dollars, but I still thought that was a bit steep for a pair of sunglasses. He also fell in love with a pair of Nike Odeon Swift Sunglasses, and while they were made for active wearers, and cam with scratch and impact resistant protection, at a price rivaling the first pair's high end cost, I said no to those too. We ended up settling on a pair of Fossil brand glasses for less than twenty dollars, marked down from over thirty dollars. They have not arrived yet, but they look like everything he would want in a pair of sunglasses, along with

If you find yourself in need of clothes and items for a season that your local stores are not yet carrying, or at least not in a big enough selection to find what you are looking for, shop online for a big enough selection to almost always find whatever it is you are currently in need of or want.