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When you have a family, shopping for clothes often presents one of the bigger headaches you will face in terms of ordinary tasks. Either your family members all have different tastes in clothing or you have to go to several different stores in order to find clothes that not only fit everyone, but do so at a reasonable price. Department stores have traditionally been a good resource for family clothes shopping, but things have been changing in recent years. Many department stores, in an effort to keep up with independent competitors, have been adding more and more brand name clothing to their racks. This has significantly increased prices in those stores. Meanwhile, the department stores and discount stores that don't offer brand names usually have clothes that are, shall we say, not very stylish.

One great alternative for you to consider as you deal with back-to-school and fall clothing purchases for your family is Old Navy. I have done a lot of shopping at Old Navy in the past couple of years and I am very impressed by what I've found. Here are just some of the reasons that I keep going back to Old Navy.

Selection
The Old Navy stores in my area are usually very large, and the floor space is used very well. There are always racks and racks of clothes, which means that you will be able to find something that you want. They have everything from jeans and t-shirts to slacks, button-down oxfords, and dresses. Don't forget about accessories. Old Navy also has a great selection of socks, belts, baseball caps, and bags.

Another thing I like about the selection at Old Navy is that they have something for every member of your family. They carry infant, toddler, and children's clothing, as well as teen and adult fashions. The individual size range is excellent, as well. In women's clothing, for example, I've noticed pants sizes ranging from 2 to much larger sizes.

Style
Old Navy clothing is also noted for its style. They carry a lot of classic clothes, such as khaki pants and polo-style shirts, that look good no matter what year it is. But they also have a lot of modern clothes that keep up with the fashion trends of the day. So, for example, if flare-leg jeans and short blazers are in, you'll be able to find them at Old Navy right alongside all the classic stuff.

Price
No discussion of Old Navy would be complete without mentioning their great prices. Their basic prices are lower than many similar stores, plus they always seem to have a sale going on or at least a bin of specially-priced items. I don't know about you, but I don't think I've ever been to an Old Navy without seeing an entire bin of t-shirts on sale for $5 or less. We can always use another t-shirt, right?

So if you are looking for an all-in-one store for your family shopping, give Old Navy a try. Check out your nearest location or shop online through the link right here at ClothingStoreOnline.com. You will probably like their selection, styles, and prices as much as I do!

During my college years, I spent my summers in southeast Minnesota working in factories in order to earn money for tuition and books. The jobs paid poorly, as you might expect, but there was always something available and I was usually able to work as much overtime as I could handle, which really added up over the course of three months. The factories that I worked at of course had strict safety guidelines that had to be followed. One of the most common rules was that everyone had to wear steel-toed boots or shoes. Since the city of Red Wing was just a couple hours away from where I lived, I decided to try a pair of those famous Red Wing boots that I had heard so much about.

Almost every shoe store in the area carried huge selections of Red Wing gear, so I had no trouble finding a pair that I liked. Unlike a lot of safety boots on the market, the offerings from Red Wing were actually stylish and attractive. They didn't look big and clunky, and they also came in many more colors than just black. Overall, I was impressed with the boots right from the start. The only thing that had me a bit concerned was the hefty $125 price tag. That might not seem like much now, but I'm talking about nearly 15 years ago. At that time my Red Wings were definitely the most expensive clothing item I had ever bought.

The boots were hard to break in at first. It took at least 3 days before I could feel the stiff leather loosening up a bit. I won't lie: my feet were in agony during that time. It was all I could do to stand at my machine for the 8 hours of my shift. But once the boots were broken in, they became as comfortable as any other pair of shoes that I had. I could now see why everyone I worked with absolutely raved about Red Wings. And of course the steel plates in the toes and the non-slip soles worked exactly as they were supposed to. As I mentioned above, the boots I bought were very cool-looking. So once I had them broken in, I started wearing them even when I wasn't working. They looked great when paired with jeans.

The boots were very durable, as well. They held up for a good five years of both work and casual use, and probably could have been used for a couple more years. But I finally just got tired of them and wanted to change colors and styles. Overall, I would say that I got an excellent return on that initial investment, and am certainly glad that I took a chance on this brand that I had never tried before.

If you are looking for a pair of safety boots or shoes for work, then I whole-heartedly recommend Red Wings. They offer great protection in a comfortable, stylish, and durable package, which is everything you could ever ask for from a work boot.

While shirts are generally an all-inclusive term referring to any item worn on the trunk of the body, tops are often in a category of there own or at least they should be. Tops are a type of shirt that isn't quite the norm of what you would wear on your body. In some cases they are revealing and in other cases they are anything but revealing.

Common tops include tube tops, halter tops and diaper shirts. Tube tops, also known in the industry as boob tubes, are shoulderless, sleeveless tubes that wrap around a woman's breasts. Generally, they are held up by elasticity or a single strap that ties in the front of the top. They hold up a woman's breasts and come up slightly below the armpits to keep everything in place. Halter tops are a shoulderless, sleeveless and backless type of top a woman wears. It looks like something similar to an apron, except with much less fabric and little to leave to the imagination. A string around the back of the neck, just like an apron, holds the top in place along with a string around the back.

Diaper shirts are for infants. They are a long garment designed with a tail that is wrapped between the legs and buttoned to the front of the child's shirt. This allows easy access to the diaper to change it when the time arises. Diaper shirts come in all shapes, sizes and styles. You can often buy matching outfits that come with the bottoms to keep your child coordinated. Such characters from cartoons, movies and other medias can be worn as diaper shirts on your little infant.

Other types of tops include vests, sweaters, jackets and coats. Men are more inclined to wear these types of tops than women. Women typically go for my stylish forms of sweaters, jacket and coats leaving the men to tend to vests and other forms of the above. Vests are a type of undergarment usually worn in cold weather to help facilitate trapping heat close to the body. They are worn over the shirt and under the coat for maximum potential. Sweaters are a type of athletic garment worn to keep a man or woman warm during sport training, games or events. Jackets and coats are light and heavy ways to keep warm or dry during bad weather. Jackets are generally made of light-weight material and are easier to move in as opposed to coats which are heavier and made to keep you dry come hell or high-water outside.

Tops and shirts account for a vast majority of items in the clothing market. While tops are generally considered to be something only female wears, in many cases, males indulge in some form of the top when necessary. Usually, weather determines in many cases whether or not a male will wear a top "sweater, jacket or coat" whereas a woman may be motivated by personal reasons to wear a revealing tube top or halter top out to a party or a club. When it comes to tops, it's each to their very own.

Shirts are one of the most important articles of clothing in anybody's closet. They come in all shapes, sizes and styles. Shirts are generally considered a piece of clothing for the trunk of the body. They are made from a wide variety of fabrics and come in versions for men and women. Shirts can be worn at any time during the year no matter the weather conditions in your area.

Common types of shirts include the polo shirt, the dress shirt and the tank top. These can further be broken down into other categories. T-shirts are casual shirts without a collar or buttons. Typically, they are short-sleeved. Polo shirts are v-necks with a collar. They come with a zipper or buttons that are often left open exposing an undershirt or some sort. They can also be bought as short or long sleeves depending on your style. Dress shirts come with a collar and a full set of buttons. Both sides of the shirt meet in the middle in what is called a placket front. The placket front is the bit of fabric where the buttons and holes meet each other so you can button your shirt.

Tank tops come in a plethora of styles. Wife beaters, construction shirts, camisoles and tunics are all forms of the tank top. Wife beaters, more commonly known as A shirts, are typically a male tank top. They're typically worn during sports or even as undershirts by men. Construction shirts, referred to as muscle shirts, are a sleeveless t-shirt with large armholes. They are often worn by construction workers to give them greater mobility while working. However, men also wear them for sports and other physical activities. Camisoles are known to women as spaghetti strap tops. Generally, they're worn as undershirts. They have narrow straps that align with the bra to hide it if worn as a regular shirt as fashion dictates. Tunics are now primarily worn by women, even though they were designed as men's shirt. They're a primitive form of the short and often come in two pieces, though women typically only were the top portion.

Blouses are a woman's dress shirt often made of fancy fabric. The military, however, does call men's shirts blouses on occasion. Nightshirts are oversized or ruined undergarment shirts worn during sleep. Sweatshirts come with or without hoods and are a type of athletic shirt for sporting activities. Rugby shirts are a long-sleeved polo shirt made of thicker fabric to protect the wearer from harm. Golf shirts are the same as polo shirts but often come with an insignia or company logo. They are generally short-sleeved and are worn with a sweater vest during play.

Other types of shirts include Hawaiian, guayabera, half shirts, baseball shirts and fishnet shirts. Fishnet shirts are transparent and often associated with the punk or gothic culture. Baseball shirts have three-quarter sleeves and team insignias attached. Half shirts are just high-hemmed t-shirts worn generally females. Guayabera shirts are a type of dress shirt with four pockets. Two of those pockets are often not used, instead buttoned shirt permanently for decorative purposes. Hawaiian shirts are colorful short-sleeved dress shirts. They are often large and woven with very light fabric to make them both cool and light-weight.

Singer Gwen Stefani looked absolutely stunning at MTV's Video Music Awards show the other night. She was wearing a form fitting leopard print halter dress and viewers voted her the best dressed of the evening. When asked what designer she was wearing, she replied that it was a L.A.M.B. couture dress. The interesting part is that L.A.M.B. is Stefani's own clothing line.

These days, the biggest stars seem to have it all-- music and acting careers, a perfume named after them and most importantly, a hot clothing line.

Stefani's L.A.M.B. clothing line (the L.A.M.B. stands for Love, Angel, Music, Baby) is youthful and trendy-- just like her. Featuring mostly casual tops and pants (my personal favorites are the canvas high heel pants) the items are trendy without being over the top. If you admire Stefani's style, check out her l.A.M.B. clothing line.

Jennifer Lopez is really a jack of all trades-- and her JLO clothing line is one of her greatest ventures. Dubbed as designer urban wear, the JLO line gets back to Lopez' roots and the items are quite affordable. Oprah Winfrey is a big fan of JLO's comfortable velour pants and jackets. And, if you want to wear what Lopez herself wears, check out "Jennifer's Favorites" on the JLO website. Yes, you can dress like a diva!

Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, otherwise known as the Olsen twins have been famous since before they were out of diapers. After a successful stint on the hit TV show Full House, the twins went on to be the queens of straight to video movies for the younger set. To further capitalize on their popularity among the "tweens" set, the girls launched their very successful "Mary Kate and Ashley" clothing line, sold exclusively at Wal-Mart. The line features really cute items for young girl's-- everything from hair accessories to shoes-- and every design is personally approved by the girls themselves. Being busy college students hasn't slowed these girls down and their clothing continues to be one of Wal-Mart's most successful products lines.

Isaac Mizrahi has been a famous clothing designer for years-- the rich and famous often parade his fashions down red carpets. But these days, all of us can enjoy the fruit's of Mizrahi's labor at a fraction of the cost of his high-end duds. That's because this famous celebrity designer has teamed with Target to showcase his moderately priced clothing line. From designer purses to trendy pants and dresses, Mizrahi's stuff is all over the place at Target. The best part is the clothes fit well and are extremely well made. This is one celebrity designer who really gets it-- we can't all afford couture fashion, but we all deserve to dress well. Mizrahi's Target line makes that possible for everyone.

Rapper Sean Combs has undergone many name changes (from Sean Combs to Puff Daddy to P. Diddy ands now to plain old Diddy) but one thing that remains unchanged is his trendy clothing line. Combs' line "Sean by Sean Combs" is one of the most successful urban lines out there. Known for his white carpet style, Combs always looks good and now his faithful followers can too.

By Christina VanGinkel

Clothing styles for back to school and everyday wear for younger women seem to be following very simple trends this year, with one simple common goal, that being comfort. No matter what catalog I pick up, or magazine I browse through, or even whichever store I pass by, the fashions appear at first glance to be of various styles, that is until you take a closer look and realize that the fabrics and cuts all seem to have one common goal, that being comfortable.

Sweaters are loose, made of fabrics that both breathe and move when worn. Jeans seem to cover a wide range of fashionable styles, but again with the same goal, comfort. I have also noticed a lot of skirts this year, some loose, free flowing, some short, some mid length, even some ankle length, but if you take a closer look at them, the fabric selection and the cut of each length is again following the same code, comfort.

Even accessories have jumped on the bandwagon, with backpacks and totes that are big enough to carry whatever your needs may be, but with padded straps and wide enough handles that you can easily grip them without feeling as if they are going to cut through your hands.

Finally, designers are realizing that girls today lead very busy lives, from classroom to jobs, to activities that are what the name implies, i.e., active. To keep up with these busy lifestyles, they need to be able to dress in styles that make them feel good about what they are wearing, and also be able to participate in whatever goings-on they need to.

In recent times, fashions have covered a wide range of styles too, but often, these styles only looked pleasing to the eye, but were anything but comfortable. Jeans looked slimming, but they were hard to breathe in, let alone move. Sweaters would look loose and flowing, but constructed from such heavy yarns that even in cold temperatures, the wearer was often soon sweating and feeling as if they were toting along an extra person simply from the weight. Skirts were often made of fabrics that itched, rode up exposing more than the person wearing them ever intended, and may be loose and flowing but with a waistband that just did not fit right.

In addition, accessories were not even given consideration to comfort. If a tote bag had a stylish design, then who could complain. Thankfully, someone who designs all of these things realized that people actually use them, and if a bag's straps are cut so thin, they cut into the owner the first time they toss one book inside, what good is it when it is laying at the bottom of some closet or kicked beneath a bed.

So rejoice and shop, because you can finally buy clothing and accessories this year that look good on the rack, make you look good when you wear them, and are comfortable enough that you will want to keep wearing them!

By Christina VanGinkel

My son is entering seventh grade this fall, and last week he received a letter in the mail from his FACE (Family and Child Education) teacher. The letter was a short welcome followed by a list of items he would be required to have for the upcoming class. They were going to be making a scrapbook and sewing an apron in addition to learning about family issues and reasoning skills, so a selection of fabric was included in the list of considered necessary items.

Some parents may scoff at the idea of teaching kids today to sew, especially boys, but I think this is exactly the type of class that should be mandatory for all kids. In fact, my son, who is a self-appointed sports fanatic, tough guy, has known how to sew for many years already. He was barely five years old when he asked me to sew him a raccoon skin cap when he was going through his Davy Crocket phase. Instead of buying him one or making him one myself, I instead took him to the local bead and craft supply store and helped him pick out several rabbit skins, along with a pack of sturdy sewing needles that would sew through the soft leather, and a spool of sinew (artificial coated cotton thread in reality!). He never did make a Davy Crocket style cap, but he did sew a small rabbit skin throw that he toted around for several years.

Since that time he has sewn many items, including the knee of his brand new snowboard pants when he ripped them the very first day he wore them, going off of a rail in the terrain park, his hunter's safety patch on his hunting jacket after passing the test, and numerous other small mending jobs.

Will he ever be a fashion designer with these skills? I dare to think not! But then again, if he ends up as a major league football player (I am his mother and we can all dream!), and he rips his uniform right before game time, I can assure you he will at least have the knowledge of how to repair it if he so desired. Not to mention, anyone that has sewn at least one item of clothing, has a renewed respect for how clothing, of all types, is fitted. With him still going through a slightly 'loose, baggy, style' this can only be a benefit for when he next chooses an outfit to purchase.

Well, we headed to town to pick up the items on his list, which included a two-quart container to house his needed supplies, colored pencils, scrapbook scissors, and two yards of fabric. After walking up and down the fabric aisles of our local Wal-Mart, he ended up choosing a camouflage fabric with a waterproof backing. He also found a few other fabrics that he liked, one with the Orange County Choppers gang emblazoned all over, and another one sporting blue flames. When he is done sewing his apron, maybe I can talk him into sewing a pair of much needed curtains for his bedroom!

The other day I was shopping at my favorite discount store (the one with the red bulls eye in their logo). I was looking for a few casual clothing items like shorts and t-shirts to get me through the end of the summer.

Imagine my surprise when I came across all of the cool retro t-shirts they had on sale. A light blue t-shirt with "The Partridge Family" logo on it. A t-shirt featuring Bo Duke from the Dukes of Hazzard (not from the newly released movie, but John Schneider himself, from the old school Dukes of the early 1980's). A t-shirt with Oscar the Grouch on it. A t-shirt featuring the characters from my all time favorite childhood storybook, Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are". I loved looking through the racks of these tee-shirts-- they were great!

Later that day, at another discount store, I was amazed to see some glittery Led Zeppelin and Guns 'n Roses t-shirts. There was also a "Blood, Sweat and Tears" tee. Now this store is not normally known for their hip or trendy attire so I was impressed.

And during a recent trip to the mall, a sometimes-scary store usually aimed at teenagers featured such fare as Care Bears t-shirts, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles tees and Strawberry Shortcake tees. But hey, these shirts were not meant for kids-- they came in adult sizes only. More true to the store's form, there was a "scarier" t-shirt available, emblazoned with that ridiculous "Chucky" doll from those awful "Child's Play" movies from the 80's. Apparently some people are nostalgic for the guy.

So what is up with these blast from the past tees? Personally, I think nothing is funnier than seeing an old guy wearing a Fonzie "Sit On it" t-shirt. And even though I'm a mother of three, I'm not past wearing a Jim Morrison/Doors tee. My twenty-something year old sister recently bought a t-shirt during a trip to Philly's South Street that featured "Sesame Street's" Snuffolupogus. The shirt said "I'm Real" and people stopped her on the street to ask her where she got it.

At stores like Kohl's Department Store, I have seen tees with the "Cocoa Puffs" and "Wonder Bread" logos. I've also seen "Bazooka Bubblegum" tees and "Orange Crush" tees. My son bought a bright green tee-shirt with a "7" on the front and the word "Up" on the back.

There are many online outlets that sell retro tee-shirts as well as other retro attire. You can buy a shirt with David Hasselhoff as "Night Rider" on it, Sylvester Stallone as "Rambo", Starsky and Hutch (old style with Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul), Mr. T. from "The A-Team" or a shirt with that kid from "The Karate Kid" movies. Heck, I even came across a t-shirt with "Quincy" Jack Klugman on it.

It just goes to show that there is a market for anything. And with so many unique retro t-shirts to choose from, you can easily find one that will have people asking you, "Hey, where did you get that?"

In the past, the only time I ever saw genuine television memorabilia in person was when I went to restaurants such as Planet Hollywood or Hard Rock Cafe. Those two chains in particular are known for their displays of props and clothing items. If you wanted to actually get your hands on one of these items for your own use or to put in your collection, you pretty much had to know someone who worked in the TV industry in California or New York. These days, however, it's pretty easy to get authentic clothing props from current and past television shows. All you have to do head on over to the Internet's most famous auction site, eBay.

Once you are on the eBay site, you will soon see why it has the reputation of being a place where you can find nearly anything. At any given time there are literally millions of items up for auction in every conceivable category. The entertainment memorabilia industry is always represented very well on eBay. As of this writing, there are close to 26,000 television memorabilia pieces up for grabs. A good portion of those items happen to be actual wardrobe castoffs from both popular and obscure television shows. All you have to do is enter your favorite show's name in the search box and see what kind of results are returned.

This is a unique opportunity for fans to get an authentic piece of clothing from any TV show. For example, if you like the show "Joan of Arcadia" you'll love all the auctions going on right now. You can buy everything from sweaters worn by the character Kevin Girardi to jackets and shoes worn by the title character. If you are a fan of the hit show "ER," there is an auction going on right now for a white doctor's coat that was worn by former cast member George Clooney. The coat even has the name of Clooney's character embroidered on it. There are so many other auctions for genuine television show props and wardrobe items that you really have to check them out for yourself in order to appreciate them.

I am not big on collecting things. For some reason, I can't bring myself to spend perfectly good money on an item that will basically just sit in my house unused. So personally, I would actually want to wear a TV show wardrobe castoff if I bought it. Looking through the auction listings, you'll see that a lot of times these are just regular clothes that are pretty much indistinguishable from stuff that you can buy in any retail store. For example, one of the "Joan of Arcadia" sweaters that I mentioned above is just a men's sweater from Abercrombie & Fitch. The only real difference is that the "Joan" sweater has some writing on it from someone in the show's wardrobe department.

That being said, I can understand why someone would want a piece of their favorite television show. So, if you have been longing to own that fabulous top that you saw your favorite character wearing in last week's episode, just go and check eBay. There's a chance that you could own it soon!

By Christina VanGinkel

With the onset of fall in many parts of the country, comes the arrival of hunting season for animals such as grouse, deer, elk, and coyote. In order to give the hunter the best advantage possible, several companies have come up with scent blocking and scent eliminator products, including clothing. Manufactured to help stop your natural human scent from being winded by the animals, this allows the hunter to be as close to their game as possible, and if used correctly, along with other scent control products, they can be highly effective.

The best way to utilize scent control clothing is to make it part of a complete scent control routine. Shower with a scent control product, such as Xtreme Scents body wash and shampoo. Follow this up with washing your clothing that was not manufactured specifically with scent control in mind, such as your underclothing, in a scent control detergent similar to Extreme Scents Laundry soap. Then follow this whole routine up with a deodorant that is also unscented or manufactured to block scent while hunting.

Wearing scent control and scent eliminating clothing while participating in activities such as baiting, archery hunting, and gun hunting is believed by many to highly increase their rate of success. Other people who participate in additional outdoor activities, such as photographing wildlife, may also find benefit from these products and routines. Consider what activities you take part in out of doors that may require you to either get close to, or not be spotted by animals, and consider if some of these products may be of a benefit. Remember though that there are times when we want animals to know we are out, such as jogging. Do not wear or use any of these products under those conditions.

On the clothing front, you can now find clothing from socks and gloves, to boots, shirts, pants, bib overalls, long underwear, jackets, parkas, and more. The idea behind this revolution of new clothing and products is that an animal that smells human scent will either avoid the area completely, or at the least, be very cautious or wary of their surroundings. By utilizing these products and clothing, it is with the hope that you can get close enough to the game to bring about a successful hunt.

Some of the companies that now sell scent control clothing, besides Arctic Shield Extreme Scents, include the likes of the following well-known brands: Scent-Lok, ScentBlocker, and Cabela's WINDSTOPPER. Each of these companies carries a wide range of gear with their very own unique scent blocking technologies built right in.

As the interest in these products grow, so too is the likelihood that these companies and others will continue to manufacture more products along these lines. Even if they do not though, there are enough choices available, that one should be able to outfit himself, herself, or a fellow youth hunter in all the necessary gear. Take gloves as an example, each of the companies listed so far, Arctic Shield Extreme Scents, Scent-Lok,
ScentBlocker, and Cabela's, each have at least one if not several pairs of scent control or scent eliminator gloves available on the market right now, as they do jackets, pants, and socks.

In the past, there were all kinds of fashion "rules" for plus size women that everyone thought were set in stone, but they are just not applicable any longer. There were even times when certain stores didn't sell larger sizes and having to shop was a total nightmare. And just try all those years ago to find a designer label on anything over a size 12 or 14. Not very likely!

Luckily, times have changed and now fashionable clothing is available in all sizes and for all shapes of women. You will still need to keep in mind that just because a certain item of clothing is now being made in your size, it doesn't mean you will automatically feel comfortable wearing it. Many online stores currently sell such items in sizes that will fit any type of body, but there are some styles that modesty or good taste wouldn't allow the wearing of for any size of body.

In the not too distant past there wasn't much choice for those women sized 16 and over to buy nice clothing off the rack. There is no such problem any longer and most stores have an entire clothing section for plus sizes.

Before going shopping, however, you need to realize that everything that happens to be available in your size will not necessarily mean that buying and wearing it would be a good choice. "Clingy" material is one example (such as spandex) unless you have tried it and like the way it looks.

One of the blunders that women in past eras often made was thinking that they needed to cover up with a lot of extra fabric. Buying or making clothing that was a few sizes too large actually made them appear to be more plus sized than they were. New fashion rule number one is to buy clothing that fits. Extra fabric doesn't cover up; it gives the appearance of your body being larger.

By the same token, don't buy clothing that is too small just because you are able to fit into it. Clothing should fit well when you buy it. (Sometimes ordering from a catalog or online merchant can require an item to need modifying or alterations, however.)

Another very outdated "rule" is that plus sized people need to wear very dark colors such as black or navy blue. Buy the colors you enjoy and research which colors will best accentuate the skin tone you have. If you do in fact choose to stick with darker colors, then select accessories that have those important splashes of color.

A good fashion rule to remember is that often clothing doesn't have an "age limit" although people have thought for many years that it does. If you see a great dress or sweater in the junior section, try it on, it may turn out to be one of your favorites!

Remember that just because you need a larger size of blouse or dress it does not mean that you need to shop for clothing that your grandmother would wear. Enjoy the fashions that are available and when you feel good about yourself, others will notice how confident you are and that is always a good thing.

Over the years, I've amassed quite the collection of T-shirts. I'm just a jeans and T-shirt kind of girl. As I've been cleaning out some drawers of clothing lately, I've had some time to reflect on the fact that a large number of my T-shirts were acquired at no cost. That's right, they were free. I must say that the reason I have so many free T-shirts is one part community-mindedness and one part the college student's desire to gather free T-shirts.

One common source of free T-shirts is races and walks. Usually intended to raise money for charity, each race or walk will commission a T-shirt to give to participants. However, I've only ever taken part in one walk as a participant. But I've handed out registration packets, set-up tables or blocked intersections for more races than I can remember. Sometimes volunteers will receive the same T-shirt as race participants, but other time we were given a different shirt that helped to identify us as members of the volunteer staff. Either way, after each race morning, I walked away with a new shirt. I've also received T-shirts from volunteering at various fairs and booths. It was our perk for giving up our time.

When I was in college, another way that I accumulated a good number of T-shirts was through clubs. Now sometimes I did have to pay for these, but other times they were included in the cost of a conference registration or membership dues. I have an entire array of t-shirts from a community service group that I was a member of every year in college, but even a few shirts from clubs that I tried for a year and found not to my liking. You can track my extracurricular involvement through my shirt wardrobe.

And the final way that college students amass T-shirts is through giveaways. Bought your books for class? Have a T-shirt! Signed up for a credit card? Have a T-shirt! The possibilities are endless as long as you don't mind having the name of a pizza place on your chest, and back, and sleeve. Is a free shirt a bit too garish for you to actually wear in public? Never fear, for it can still be used as sleepwear. Unfortunately, free pants are nowhere to be found on college campuses, otherwise you wouldn't have to spend a dime on clothes.

But now as the years pass and I'm most definitely not a college student anymore, I feel that perhaps it's time to move on from these free shirts plastered with advertising and celebrating events that happened two or three years ago. I've tried to save a few shirts that were special to me, such as the shirt from a Relay for Life event where I led a team, but I grow increasingly self-conscious wearing shirts with slogans urging people to join a club I'm not even eligible for membership in. I think it's a sign of my maturity that I buy shirts from department stores, but I'll never give up the overall jeans and T-shirt look.

Well it's nearing that time of the year again. That's right, it is back to school time, and looking around you can see students every where looking for the latest fashions. From the elementary grade students to the freshmen in college, it seems like almost everybody who is going back to school is picking out new clothes while their parents, guardians, and other relatives are paying for the clothes.

While new school clothes are pretty much a given when it comes to a new school year, it is important to throw caution into the wind while shopping. Remember, all the clothes you are purchasing for your son(s) / daughter(s) may look great, but what happens if you spend too much money on school clothes? Without a dedicated budget towards new school clothes, many parents will overspend on clothes this year and not have money for other school essentials, such as an expensive graphing calculator or several pieces of computer software.

Going to school today is a lot different then it was even ten years ago. Today students do not only require pencils, pens and notebooks, but also expensive learning aides such as hundred dollar graphing calculators and fifty dollar computer software packages. While such things may not be required for elementary students, you can bet a small fortune that as soon as your child(ren) get to middle school you will be spending money on stuff not to give them an advantage, bit just get through the year.

Because of this, it is important not to spend all your money on clothing. Set a budget, and follow through with the budget. Be sure to include some money in your back to school budget that will be able to cover those unexpected surprises (such as your kids having to buy a science lab kit). You can also get the most bang out of your buck by shopping wisely. Below are some tips to help you out.

1. First off, just because a store says its having a sale doesn't always mean that its having the absolute greatest sale ever. A pair of jeans may be on sale for forty dollars, but really when was the last time those jeans were the normal price of sixty dollars? Use common sense when looking at sales.

2. Take a look at the clearance racks. At first your kids might complain about it, but once they see that most of the clearance stuff isn't that bad, you will see that you are saving a lot of cash by shopping through the clearance racks.

3. Remember, you are paying. If you don't like something one of your kids picked out, or think it costs too much, remember you are the one paying for it. If you don't like it, you do not have to pay for it. Sure, your kid will be mad for a little bit, but they will get over it. If they really make a stink about it, have them save their money up to purchase the particular item.

The above are just a few tips in saving money while school shopping. Remember that there are other things kids going to school need, and its important not to spend all your available cash on clothes. I mean, sure your kids might be the coolest, hippest kids in the classroom, but without a Texas Instrument graphing calculator, chances are they are not going to be the brightest.

With schools across the country starting up again this week, you know that fall can't be far behind. That means it will soon be time to put away the shorts and t-shirts in favor of some warmer clothing. If you have been to your local mall recently, I'm sure you've seen that the racks of clothes have already been changed to reflect the upcoming season. Let's take a quick look at some of the clothing items you should think about adding to your lineup of casual weekend wear.

A hooded sweatshirt (hoody)
Hooded sweatshirts have enjoyed a surge in popularity in the last few years, especially among the younger crowd. Take a walk through any college campus or peek into any high school classroom in the fall and you will see more hoodies than regular sweatshirts. They are versatile, comfortable, and functional. You might even find yourself using the hood if it gets particularly chilly outside. For guys, oversize hoodies are all the rage. Most guys look like they are wearing hoodies that are at least two sizes (probably more) too big. The girls seem to favor hoodies in softer colors that not only fit well but also flatter their figure. Hoodies are a great way to show school spirit, so if you are a freshman, pick one up with your school's logo and/or mascot on it and wear it to the next home football game.

Comfortable jeans
When the weekend comes, you know that you are going to want to slip into a great pair of jeans. Lounging around your house or dorm room is not the time to be constricted by slim-fit jeans. This is when you want a relaxed fit or somewhat baggy jeans in order for maximum comfort. Go for a soft pair with a slightly faded look -- they'll soon become your favorite! These jeans would also work well for a quick trip to the library for a study session, for running miscellaneous errands, or for lunch in the pub with your friends.

Nice sweater
Fall is a time to show off your taste in sweaters. Even for casual evenings out, you'll be glad to have at least one nice sweater. Avoid bulky and instead go for something that fits snugly. If you can afford it, go for the ultimate in comfort and style with a V-neck cashmere sweater that can be paired with slacks, a skirt, or jeans. For something a little less expensive, try a cotton cardigan. I've been seeing a lot of argyle cardigans in stores these days, so that look might also be worth a try. Having a nice sweater on hand means you will always be ready for an impromptu dinner or night out at a club.

There are obviously a lot of different wardrobe choices you can make, but I think you can't go wrong with these 3 basic pieces. Having these on hand will help you be better prepared for almost any kind of casual social (or solo) situation that crops up on the weekends.

There is no doubt that brand names have a very powerful allure, especially when it comes to clothing. Just think about all the brands that you can recognize from their logos alone. If you know which company uses a moose (Abercrombie & Fitch), which company uses a polo player on horseback (Ralph Lauren), which company has a double "G" logo (Gucci), and which companies use inverted triangles (Guess and Prada), then chances are you have a few items by these designers in your closet. But what drew you to the particular pieces of clothing that you chose to buy? Was it the name alone? Or was it the beautiful design of the item itself?

I have a couple of female friends who have been slaves to designer labels since high school. It seems that they are always talking about the latest pair of Tommy jeans that they bought, or the newest pantsuit from J. Crew. When I ask them why they insist on spending two or three times more money for designer clothes than they would spend for off-brand items, they give half-hearted answers. The clothes might be expensive, they say, but they are well-made and last a long time. This is true in some cases. I've had a few cheap shirts that didn't stand up to more than a few wash-and-dry cycles. But do you really think a pair of no-name jeans would wear out faster than a pair of Tommy or Calvin Klein jeans? Denim is pretty tough on its own, no matter which company sews it into jeans and slaps a label on it.

Another thing that happens all the time is that my friends will buy some hideously gaudy shirt or sweater, but will think it looks good just because of who the maker is. Since I have known these particular friends since we were all in kindergarten, I don't mind telling them exactly how their clothes look. For example, if you are familiar with J. Crew clothes, then you know that they often have shirts with very loud stripes or strange patterns. If one of my friends happens to wear one that I think is ugly, I will say so. She will invariably look at me, and reply, "Hey, this is J. Crew!" as if that's an answer to anything. It's amazing that people give clothes instant approval just because of the labels on them.

I have to admit that I was once a fashion snob, too. From my junior year of high school until my mid-twenties, I didn't want to wear anything considered "generic". I wouldn't be caught dead shopping in national discount chains, and even refused to go to those stores with my parents. I don't even want to think of all the money I have spent on designer clothes that I ended up wearing just a few times. But I can honestly say that I have outgrown that phase. I am now just as comfortable wearing a t-shirt from Wal-Mart as I am wearing a t-shirt with a funny Abercrombie slogan on it. And my bank account is a lot better off for this change, as well!

By Christina VanGinkel

Have you ever noticed how fashion sometimes follows television? Take for example all the new shows this past and current season that are about dance. Suddenly, swingy style, even bohemian inspired skirts are once again making a strong comeback. We watch these shows, and see all these lovely, trim women, out on the dance floor, looking elegant, very ladylike, and oftentimes they are dressed in skirts very similarly styled to what are now becoming must-haves for every woman's wardrobe. Well, who would not want to have at least a bit of the style many of these young women display? We may not be able to dance like them, but there are no rules saying we cannot wear some of the same fashions they are sporting about in.

Along with the skirts also come smart looking, strappy little sandals. The sort you would see some long legged beauty in, doing the Samba. And do not even think to forget the tops. How could you miss them, what little there is of them, that is, with spaghetti straps, or barely there shoulders, though often paired with a smart looking cover-up or blazer? Keep in mind I am not talking about summer clothing either, these are styles I am seeing hitting the stores for fall wear. Check out Old Navy's trendsetter pages for some examples. They show tanks, even lace camisoles, to be paired with your favorite jacket and jeans!

When I considered why these styles might be so popular, even though they are about as off the mark as one might think they would be, what with fall just around the corner, there were two messages that kept popping into my head, and the first one was comfort.
The busier we all become with our lives, we are smartly assigning one necessity to our clothing needs, and that is comfort where our essential clothing is concerned. Why should we struggle in bulky clothing, just because the temperatures outside say so, especially when layering is so much more fun? And if skirts seem to defy the cold also, many of us do not live where the temperatures are a factor, or we are willing to be chilled a bit between well-heated buildings, for the sake of comfort once we are at our desks or hitting the malls.

Secondly, television is a factor in our modern age that very much defines what we as a society consider fashion. Keep in mind that a lot of us are suddenly watching with envy the elegant steps of Ballroom dance and the fun of Hip Hop, or the sensuality of Samba, and the fun of all the other dances. Plus, we know our chances of ever stepping out like the contestants on these shows is nil to none, so we take the next best thing from the shows that we can copy, and that is the clothing. Let's just hope the majority of us stop at what we consider the comfort level achieved from many of the styles, before we have a run on rhinestones though!

By Christina VanGinkel

Dressing in fashionable, new clothes has many advantages beyond fashion aesthetics itself. Whether you are a student, a stay at home parent, a working class person, a retiree, or any other class that I may be missing, dressing fashionably can be a boost for your self-confidence. New clothes also most likely fit well, as you just purchased them, so you are not going through your day tugging and pulling at ill-fitting clothes. Fashionable, new clothes just make the wearer feel good. So what is one to do if they cannot afford fashionable clothing, fresh off the racks constantly? Shop outlets, shop Ebay, shop gently used clothing stores.

When I use the word new, take the thought out of your head that it has to be brand new, and instead think new to you. Also, check out magazines, pay attention to what others are wearing, and then find a level somewhere in between that is your own style. Never feel as if you must dress to match those around you. A person who is most likely considered fashionable, dresses well, but with a twist to their outfits that is all their own. A friend of mine always looks as if she just walked out of the store with a brand new outfit on, yet I know that she never, ever buys brand new, unless it is coming off a clearance rack.

Think accessories when you are thinking fashion. And keep in mind that a few new accessories can go a long ways towards reviving an old, tired wardrobe. If you have an outfit that is on the basic side, but you love it for its comfort, dress it up with a fresh pair of shoes, a new jacket, and a few pieces of jewelry that are fitting to the style you are trying to create. If you love an outfit you see for sale, but cannot afford it, no matter how you look at the scenario, consider what it is you do love about the outfit so much. Is it the color, the cut, the overall style? Try to recreate what it is with a few accessories and some items that are already in your closet, or by combining part of it new, part of from an outlet such as Ebay.

Ebay and other online stores have opened the door to many of us for finding new, used and clearance priced clothing that we may otherwise have had no way to find. I live outside of town, and it always seems by the time I get to a sale the best buys are gone. Now, I can shop at my leisure, from the comfort of my home, and nearly any day or night, no matter the day of the week, I can find a clothing bargain. Oftentimes you can find new or newly new clothing for a small fraction of what you would pay for brand new off a store's rack. Do not overlook that Ebay is a great way for you to sell through too. If you just had to have a pair of slacks, (or whatever item of clothing begged you to bring it home!) even though they were out of your budget, only to find out after you wore them once or twice, that they really are not your style, don't just let them hang in the back of your closet. Sell them on Ebay, and recoup at least part of you loss. Then, take your profits and buy something that is more to your liking.

By Christina VanGinkel

Now that my holiday shopping list is growing, I have added a few notations to it about whom I will crochet items for once again. Each year, several family members, and friends come to me with requests to make them (or their loved ones!) mittens and caps. Surprisingly, the requests come from the older kids, teenagers, and a few that, though now young adults have survived several of our long, cold Midwestern winters wearing my fun to make mittens and hats. What makes them so popular you might wonder, as I did several years back when once again the requests rolled in? When I asked, a few of the replies I received were along these lines: 'We can pick any color we want as long as we can find that color of yarn', 'they fit', 'their warm', and 'you write whatever saying we want across the front'.

All these answers bring me to the conclusion that they are so well liked because they let the kids who wear them be individuals, and they are warm, always a plus where temperatures often drop not only below freezing, but below zero. My own son, who is nearly thirteen, has been wearing my mittens and hats since he was a baby. Last snowboard season I told him he should pick out a set of gloves and a hat made for wear on the hills. He did, and he continued to wear his purchased gloves all year long. About the third week in of snowboard season though, he came to me and asked me if I could crochet him a bright green beanie (skullcap) style hat and write his name across the front of it. I made it without a second thought, figuring he wanted it for wearing around the yard, sledding, etc. The first weekend it was done, he wore it snowboarding. His quick reply was that all the kids were wearing crocheted or knitted beanies. They were cool!

After a quick search on Ebay, I discovered that indeed, crocheted beanie hats were all the rage. To help me determine whether they will be again or not, I decided to do a current quick search online and at Ebay, and even though it is the peak of summer, crocheted beanies (also referred to as skullcaps) are once again hitting store shelves in readiness for the upcoming winter. So, as I ready my list of who will be receiving crocheted hats and mittens once again, there are some old names on my list, such as my son, and a new one, my grandson. I will have the enjoyment of making them something handcrafted and save a few dollars at the same time, and they will both be heading into winter in cold weather gear that is all the rage, and created so that they can be as individual as the items themselves. Create some of these fun winter designs for a loved one to wear, or hit the stores or Ebay for one-of-a-kind caps you can purchase.

By Christina VanGinkel

Accessories have always been an important part of what is fashionable, and what is not. Things that are stylin' one season may be old news by the next, and with accessories often rivaling the price of clothing itself, making informed decisions on what accessories to purchase can be quite important, especially if shopping within a budget. Read fashion magazines, check what is selling at the mall, look online, and consider what your friends are wearing.

Wanting to send my son off to school in gear that will help him blend in with the crowd may not be of maximum importance, but it is something I like to do. As an adult, I myself also like to fit in, so I realize that it can be an important issue to a teenager. While not for everyone, accessories are a way to bridge the gap when making sure your outfit blends with the crowd. Whether shopping for a belt, purse, tote, cap, or a mini accessory such as an MP3 cover, try to be as sensible as you are when shopping for your wardrobe's essentials, as they can be making just as big a fashion statement as your clothes themselves.

A good thing to keep in mind though, is that the most popular accessories can often be found as giveaways! Consider the MP3 player cover fashioned from denim material that I recently discovered at Macy's online. It is a freebie with any $35 purchase from the juniors or young men's department. So fashionable is it, I am tempted to make a purchase just to receive the denim cover! I am sure my son would flip for one if he saw it, and his birthday is fast approaching. A perfect fit for an iPod Mini, it has both a use (to protect your MP3 player from scratches and dirt), and it is cool looking. In addition, with nearly everybody I know near that junior age range, carrying an MP3 player around, I am sure it is something my son would be more than happy to use. That it is a freebie, made it even more appealing, at least to me, his mother, who will be paying for all accessories he heads off to school with this fall.

Caps are another accessory that I know he deems important, though I doubt I will be finding any under the category of free, at least not any that he will deem fashionable. This is also an area that I may foot the bill for, but I let him choose his own, as each cap can have a difference that means little to me, but can be significant to him. The design is as important here as any other accessory, but so is the fabric and the fabric weight. Caps must fit the wearer in a way that only the person wearing it can explain. In my son's words, 'some caps sit too low on the head, no matter how you adjust them'. Showing me what he meant, I realized a cap that I liked and tried to talk him into buying, would just flop on the top when he placed it on his head. Another one that he picked out held its shape when he wore it, so to each wearer his own preference must take priority, as accessories can make or break an outfit.

I have small feet. For much of my childhood, I had average-sized feet, but somewhere along the line, they just stopped growing. It probably has a lot to do with my relatively short stature (I stand five foot, two inches tall), but that doesn't stop my husband from making the occasional foot binding comment. As I've grown older, my small feet have proven both a constant struggle and a surprising advantage when shopping for shoes.

I wear a size five and a half shoe. Sometimes I can manage an especially wide five or certain styles of six, but the sixes I can wear are really few and far between. Which can be a problem when some department stores don't stock women's shoes below a size six. And even in stores that have pity on the small-footed woman and stock five and five and a half's, the selection of shoes in those sizes is usually much smaller, so you have to constantly hope that the shoe that catches your eye is available in your size. In stores that put out all of their boxes along with the shoes on display, I've actually started to look at the boxes first and only consider what the shoe looks like once I've found a box that says five and a half.

I've considered turning to catalogs and online shoe stores, but I really feel the need to try shoes on before I buy them. No matter how good the return policies of a store, I'm just not ready for that kind of hassle. However, mail order is certainly a viable option and I would do it if I were on the lookout for something very specific

But the saving grace of my small feet comes from a little trick I learned about children's shoes. The largest kids' sizes are equal to the smallest adult sizes. You simply take the kids' shoe size and add two to it. So girls' sizes three, three and a half, four, and four and a half are the rough equivalent of women's sizes five, five and a half, six and six and a half. I say rough equivalent because I've never fit into a size three girls' shoe and I've found many more size fours that worked for me than I've ever found size sixes. But it's certainly close enough to give you a range to work with when you hit the shoe department. I've also found that boys' tennis shoes follow much the same scale, and I'll usually start with a size four when trying them on.

Now the first advantage of kids' shoes is that they are usually cheaper. I recently compared some adult and kid-sized tennis shoes, and kids' shoes are usually ten or fifteen dollars cheaper for the same brand. I've also enjoyed some of the fun styles that are available in kids' shoes. I own a pair of tennis shoes with the Powerpuff Girls on them. Now cartoon-themed shoes aren't for everyone, but you can find a little of everything for all styles in the kids' department. You're not going to find stiletto heels, but you can find some nice wedges and platforms. I prefer boys' tennis shoes to girls tennis shoes for everyday wear because I don't like all-white shoes because they get dingy too easily, and I'm much more likely to find a black or dark blue pair of tennis shoes in boys' styles. Kids' shoes aren't going to fulfill all of your needs, but they're definitely worth a try.

By Christina VanGinkel

Fall is creeping closer everyday, and with it the hope of cooler weather. Living a very active lifestyle, my husband is the sort that actually wears out clothing. With fall being a very busy time of year for him, fall clothing that is comfortable, well fitting, and not so expensive as to send us to the poorhouse, are always on our list to buy. From footwear to headgear and everything in between, we shop for at least a few items every year.

Some of his favorite places to find fall gear are actually online. Not a big fan of shopping in the traditional sense, he is usually more than willing to shop online. In the recent past, some online shops he has found to carry gear he deems worthy of paying for include L.L.Bean. L.L. Bean carries a wide variety of outdoor clothing at good prices, and they even have a Fall Outerwear section, making it easy to shop their store when you are in the market for a new fall time, or Winter jacket or coat. Along with a nice selection of flannel, chamois, wool, and lined clothing, it is not hard to find something he wants each time he visits their site.

Another favorite online store of his is Bargain Outfitters, which is listed as a member of the Guides Outdoor Network. They have such a wide variety of apparel and gear that appeal to him, I should cringe when he heads there to shop, because I know he will surely find something that he just has to have. Even if it was not on his list of necessities for the upcoming fall season, he still manages to find something to buy there, but I never even bat an eye, because their prices are absolutely some of the lowest I have ever come across! In their footwear section, they carry brands such as Wellington, Rocky, Wolverine, Browning, Itasca, Georgia, and Guide Gear. Their prices are nearly unbelievable at times, for example, on a recent browse through their online storefront, we found a hooded, full zipper, Wrangler Pro Gear Jacket, in Advantage Timber camouflage that retails elsewhere for over $85.00, available for less than $26.00. Another deal we discovered at Bargain Outfitters was Guide Gear Jeans, in the Superflauge pattern, for a mere $20.00 a pair. Anyone who has shopped for camouflage clothing knows how big of bargains these are!

If you have a husband, wife, or even a child, who is not fond of traditional shopping, but you never seem to buy them the right size, style, or even anything close to what they were looking for, give online shopping a try. Prices are not only comparable to traditional store prices; they are often a whole lot cheaper, even with shipping charges. Park the reluctant shopper in front of the computer, point them to ClothingStoreOnline.com, and let them discover a brand new way to shop for clothes. Your only problem will be if they like it so much, you may never get them off the computer!

If you think that hospital scrubs are just for doctors, nurses, or other people that work in health care, think again. Scrubs are used by hospital staff because they are comfortable, durable, easy to move around in, and easy to clean. All of these characteristics also make scrubs a great clothing choice for non-medical people to wear around the house or on weekends.

I distinctly remember that scrub-style shirts were a hot fashion statement back when I was in eighth grade, which was a little more than 15 years ago. All the cool kids at my school wore them, and I remember wanting one of those shirts very badly. But my parents couldn't understand why in the world I would need one, so they refused to buy it for me. Scrubs didn't make the fashion cut at my high school just a year later, which of course means that I finally was able to get a set for myself. To this day, I think those were some of the most comfortable clothes that I have ever worn! I loved them. In fact, scrubs were my sleepwear of choice for several years.

Scrubs are making something of a comeback as casual wear these days. I have seen at least a couple of people jogging near Lake Michigan in scrub pants. I have also seen a few people pairing scrub tops with baggy shorts (though I think they might have been medical students, as I was near a famous teaching hospital at the time). It goes without saying that if you are going to wear scrubs in a casual setting outside of your home and you aren't a doctor, you do not wear the full set. You either wear the shirt with jeans or shorts, or you wear the pants with a regular t-shirt.

It's very easy to purchase a set of scrubs these days. You can of course get them from any medical supply store or uniform store in your area. You can also get them from some regular retail stores, such as Target. I personally think that your best bet is to purchase scrubs online. There are hundreds of websites that offer scrubs to average consumers and the variety of prints, colors, and styles is unbelievable. Along with all the standard solid colors, you can get scrubs with sports team logos, Disney characters, floral prints, or just about any other design on them.

An important thing to consider prior to purchasing scrubs is the material they are made from. If you are going to sleep in your scrubs, then the material is going to be against your skin for approximately 8 hours per day, so you want to get something that is not going to irritate you. I love cotton scrubs because they are so soft and comfortable, but they do tend to fade more quickly than the synthetic materials. So if you want something that's going to last a good, long time, go with a polyester/cotton blend.

You can easily find a set of scrubs for less than $20, so try some for yourself. You might be surprised at how cozy they are!

By Christina VanGinkel

I was watching television the other night, waiting for my husband and son to get home from football practice, when a commercial came on. It showed the wearer skipping and jumping over a curb, in a pair of jeans that had obviously seen better days. Wait, the commercial was for the jeans! Ripped, faded, holes completely down the front of the pants, they looked as if they had been new possibly when the Beatles were making their US debut.

Jump to me in the mall with my twenty-one year old daughter. She asked me to go to town with her, as she needed some new jeans. Upon arriving at the store, she immediately heads for a rack of jeans that look as if they belong in the work wear section of St. Vincent DePaul. You know which section I mean, where jeans that have been donated are technically still jeans, but only barely, because they have a waistband and a zipper that works. The fabric that is the jeans themselves though, is often worn away, ripped, full of holes, even stains. Not good enough to hang on the racks with the regular donated clothes, they are piled in a bin, marked fifty cents, and sold to people who need to wear a pair of jeans to a job where they are going to only ruin them, so why wear a good pair there.

Suddenly, everywhere I look, people are wearing jeans that I had at first glance thought were pairs they had owned for a while. Favorite pairs that they had refused to give up over the years because they were so comfortable. Now I realize that most of these are brand new pairs of jeans. Purchased new, but looking old and worn. People are not only buying and wearing these fabrications, they are paying good money for them. The jeans that my daughter looked at had price tags ranging from $20 to $70. She told me that it is usual to see price tags upwards of $200 for a pair of these jeans. Manufacturers vary, so it is not even one niche market that is raking in the dollars, but a wide majority of the producers of jeans.

If I had known that this style would be such a huge draw, I could have been saving all my jeans through the years in readiness for a day such as this. I have tossed jeans missing pockets, holes through the knees, worn fronts so thin that the fabric even held together was a miracle in itself. If you want to try a pair of these jeans on, to see if they are as comfortable as everybody says they are, head to your local mall and look for the racks of jeans that appear to have been misplaced from any second hand shop's work wear section. Brands to consider include Abercrombie, Lee, Wrangler, Bigstar, Levi Strauss and many more. From just a slightly worn, faded look, to a near shredding, you are sure to find a pair of jeans that are as comfortable as your old bathrobe you have held onto for the last few decades!

By Christina VanGinkel

It has happened. In talking with my son about what he needs clothes wise for the upcoming school year, I do not even recognize half the names he is bandying about. I have always considered myself pretty in tune with what is stylish and what is not. I may not always be precisely right, but close. So, when he said he would like an Element bag, along with a pair of Bam shoes, I know I must have just looked a bit weird. My brain was running through the lists it has stored of brand names, and while I think I recognized the Element part, the only thing I could come up with for a comparison to the Bam part was a vision of the old favorite Flintstones kid, Bam Bam. Thing is, I was almost as sure that was not what or who he was talking about!

The Element bag ended up being easy. We found one locally at a store we frequent for his clothes regularly. A backpack, it has a nice assortment of pockets, and is made to hold a skateboard. While he will most likely not use the skateboard feature, it is perfect sized for jamming in a locker, and I really liked how well it was padded.

As to the Bam shoes, a search online did point me in the direction I needed. I found a pair of Bam Margera shoes by Adio, decorated in a mock snakeskin. That they were a skateboard shoe was the only thing not a surprise. Even though my son is not big into skateboarding, he loves all the clothes and accessories that go with the sport, that is why the Element bag. When I asked him why, his answer was simple. They are comfortable. When he tried on a pair of Van shoes this past week, which we bought (He needs two pairs of shoes for school, hence our continued shopping!), I told him he should tie the laces to make sure they fit. The look he gave me said it all, but he did explain. You do not tie skateboard shoes. The tongues are so thick that they stay on. You just ties knots on the end of each lace so that they do not pull through.

If some of you parents are wondering why I give in to my son about clothes, and do not just buy what I want, the answer is quite simple. I have learned through my two older children to pick my battles. Clothing and hair are two factors I do not deem worthy of a battle. If my child wants to dress in oversized clothes, and paint his hair blue (While not blue now, it has been blue, green, even rainbow colored at times in the past!), who am I to worry about it. His grades average at an A consistently; he is polite 99.9% of the time, (with the other 0.1% of the time being sent to his room because he is overtired), and he is respectful to both his father and myself. A good kid is what I am getting at. Hair and clothes are just a way for him to express his individuality from us old folks at home.

So when he suggested that his second pair of shoes be a pair of Bam Margera shoes, I just nodded and started to hum the tune to the Flintstones.

When it comes time to head off to school, a backpack is a necessity for any student. Backpacks are an old classic, but they're available in enough styles to fit anyone's taste. You can buy a Bratz backpack for your youngest child while your soon-to-be college student picks out a camping-worthy backpack with padded shoulders and a water bottle. Even the cheapest backpack seems capable of standing up to at least a year of abuse from young students. A more expensive backpack can be an investment, usable even after your school days are over.

While most teens use some sort of bag to carry their books to and from school, in many middle schools and high schools, students aren't allowed to carry backpacks to class, so make sure you're aware of school rules before you buy a cool new bag for the year. In some cases, it's because of a climate of fear brought about by drugs, weapons and bomb threats. However, there are also more innocent reasons why schools have had to outlaw bags in class. Some students have graduated from a simple backpack to a full-fledged athletic duffel bag. In some cases, the students are actually athletes and need a way to carry all of their sportswear along with their schoolwork. In other cases, the students just don't feel like using their lockers or don't trust them, and so they want to keep their books and other possessions with them at all times. While these large duffel bags are handy for students, they're a nightmare in hallways and in the classroom. While passing between classes, one of these large bags could practically knock you down if you got in its way. And don't even think about trying to fit these huge bags under a desk. They usually have to stay in the aisle beside the student's desk, making for a general safety hazard.

A new twist on the traditional backpack is the messenger bag. As I understand it, they're called messenger bags because they were first used by bike messengers and other couriers. They're a more rectangular bag with a large flap that folds over to close the bag rather than a zippered top. They hang from a long, thick strap that people will usually wear slung diagonally across their bodies. Their design makes them ideal for documents, which means they're also the perfect shape for binders, books and even laptops. Messenger bags are designed for a more mature clientele, so you're not likely to find smaller versions for the elementary school set, although bags that feature cartoon and comic characters are popular with the young at heart. If you're a student, though, you need to be careful about how you carry a messenger bag. If you load them up with too many books you can hurt your back from carrying that much weight on one side of your body.

Whatever bag option you choose for yourself or your children, know that no matter how plain or glitzy, the most important thing is the knowledge you gain from what you hold inside the bag.

Anyone who has spent a decent amount of time shopping knows that, according to conventional wisdom, you should never buy anything in season or pay full retail price. In other words, don't buy a swimming suit at the beginning of summer when they are in high demand and are not on sale. That sounds like common sense, but it can be difficult to pull off at times. For example, retailers are blurring the line between seasons more and more. It's not unusual to find swimwear already on the racks in March, even in places that still have snow on the ground. Right now, I can already find long-sleeved shirts, hooded sweatshirts, and sweaters in the malls even though the temperatures are still pushing into the 90s every day. I don't know about you, but I can't even think about buying sweaters now, much less get myself to try one on!

One major problem that I have with off-season buying is the fact that I rarely get around to actually wearing something that I bought a year or so ago. Going back to the bathing suit example, right now would be a perfect time to buy one for next summer. They are on clearance at most stores, and I've seen prices marked up to 70% off. Sounds like a great deal, right? Maybe so. But what if I gain a bit of weight over the winter? Or more optimistically, what if I lose weight over the winter? Then my $30 bikini bargain turns into a complete waste.

On that same note, unless you are buying timeless pieces such as Oxford shirts or a classic-cut black pantsuit, who's to say that today's hot fashions will still be in style next season? Flare-legged jeans and pants have been in for a few years now, but that doesn't mean they could suddenly disappear. Then what would you be able to do with your closet full of never-worn flares that you bought at deep discounts last season?

These perils extend to baby and toddler clothes shopping as well. My mother is constantly buying things for my son, who is two. She is a firm believer in the discount shopping credo, so she always buys him things that are several sizes too big, rationalizing her purchases by saying that he can "grow into" them. She was even buying my son 3T clothes when he was still a newborn! So now my problem becomes twofold. First, I have to worry about storing these oversized clothes until they can actually be used. This means I have to pack them away in sealed, airtight bags so that the humidity doesn't go to work on discoloring the clothes. Then, I also have to remember that I have all of these items in the first place! Since these things aren't kept in plain sight and since they were bought a year or more ago, I tend to forget that my son already has, for example, a fall jacket that can fit him. So I might go out and buy another one by mistake.

There's no question that buying clothes out of season and at a discount can save you big bucks. But there is a downside to keep in mind. So before you go out and stock up for next summer, think about the points I made!

by Christina VanGinkel

Crochet has been a favorite hobby of mine for as far back as I can recall. I was taught how to create a simple chain by one of my older brother's wives. I was probably about eight or nine years old. Through the years, I have crocheted everything from doilies to dolls. Last fall, I ended up crocheting approximately two dozen ponchos in various sizes for friends and family. Most of them were for younger girls, but a few were for older teenagers. I made most of them out of a 4-ply yarn, though a few were made of specialty yarns in various weights and finishes.

The pattern I used for each one though was simply a variation of one a friend borrowed to me. I simply altered the size of the finished poncho by either increasing or decreasing the first round, and alternating the number of rows depending on the girl that was going to be wearing it. Colors also varied from single colored ones, to variations including solids mixed with variegated yarns. The single colored ones were obviously the easiest ones to make, and surprisingly, the most sophisticated looking ones. One of the teenage girls who I ended up making two for, after seeing her younger sister's, goes to a private school, where a dress code is in effect. All tops worn during class must be of a solid color. She chose a black and a pink one. The school is in an older building and the classrooms can be a bit cold in the middle of winter. The ponchos were the perfect cover-up for her to wear.

With fall approaching again, I had assumed that last year's requests would be a one-time thing. Styles come and go, and as popular as ponchos were last year, I never thought they would once again be on the popular list. Well, I was wrong. Requests have started coming in, and several of them are even from the girls themselves who received the ponchos last year as gifts. Why, I wondered, are they such a popular clothing item? One reason being, I think, is that they were popular across a wide age range, from the littlest toddlers to young adults. Oftentimes, a fad is appropriate only for a very specific age group, while ponchos transcend themselves over a huge age ratio. In addition, the styles of them are almost as varied as the age range. With ponchos available in a wide range of fabrics and yarns, even threads, each girl in a classroom could be wearing a poncho, and not two would be alike, so varied are the actual designs.

If you are headed out to do some school shopping for a girl heading back to school this fall, whether they be in early elementary, middle school, high school, or even packing up and heading off to college, a poncho or two would be the ideal fall cover up to send them off with. Grab a few in different colors and fabrics, even get a friend to make a one-of-a-kind poncho, and your student will be forever grateful for recognizing what a cool, fun accessory a poncho can be!

It is always fun to pack clothes for a vacation, getting out the luggage, choosing what we'll wear, and imagining how we'll look in a different city or country. While it can often be difficult to pack clothing for a vacation to a cold climate, due to all the thick, warm clothing we must bring along, it can be a delight to pack clothing for a beach resort vacation. Warm weather clothing is lighter, thinner, and takes up much less space in our suitcases. If you and your family are planning a beach resort vacation this summer or if you are planning to get away to a tropical location once the winter winds arrive, following are some tips on how to pack, what to pack, and how much to pack.

The first and most obvious piece of apparel to bring on a beach resort vacation is a swimsuit; but you will want more than one swimsuit for each person. Imagine spending several hours at the beach; when you get back to your hotel room, you will likely rinse the sand and salt out of your swimsuit and hang it up to dry. But if later that evening you would like to take a dip in the hotel Jacuzzi, you'll only have a cold, wet swimsuit to try and put on your body. That's no fun at all, so take the plunge, so to speak, and brink at least two swimsuits.

When walking to and from the beach or the pool, you won't want to parade through your beautiful beach resort wearing nothing but a bikini, so be sure to bring a robe, a dress, or some type of clothing you plan to wear over your swimsuit. Also, don't forget to bring flip-flops or some other type of sandals to wear to and from the beach and pool.

On days when you aren't lounging on the beach or playing in the waves, you may decide to walk around the local town or take a hike in the nearby hills. Plan to bring comfortable clothing that will be appropriate for these types of outings. Hiking boots or shoes, sneakers, or sports sandals are good shoes for shopping or hiking. Bring layered clothing as well: tank tops or t-shirts, light weight long-sleeved shirts, comfortable shorts, and a hat. Also consider bringing a small back pack for carrying a camera, money, sunscreen and other personal items; a back pack can also be used to carry souvenirs picked up in town.

Evenings in beach resort towns are often the time when everything really comes alive. You'll want to do your homework ahead of time and find out if the typical restaurants, bars and nightclubs are casual or dressy. Even if the attire is generally casual, you might want to bring along some special clothing that is a step above your touristy shopping and hiking clothes. Collared shirts and khakis for the men and a sleek sundress for the women will make you feel elegant as the clothes compliment your new tan. Don't forget to bring shoes for these outfits as well.

When you go to college, clothing is one of the most important ways to stay comfortable. Depending on where you go to school, you might find yourself in extreme hot or cold weather. This can change at the flip