Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, September 12, 1993 TAG: 9312020258
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: WENDI GIBSON RICHERT STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
No way.
Even your pantyhose came from a fancy department store. Never from an egg.
Now, however, in the it's-cool-to-live-within-your-means '90s, owning a wardrobe of Made-in-America clothes from a discount store is a pretty savvy craze.
Let's face it, not all of us can afford to shop the exclusive high-fashion boutiques. And another thing, not all of us need - or even want - to.
So, for those of us who put value in pennies found on the sidewalk, discount stores are a wardrobe builder to boast about. Saving money is, after all, ``in.''
We shopped the Roanoke Wal-Mart for two outfits for this section. And what we found blew our minds.
``This looks expensive,'' gasped fashion section coordinator Kathy Wilson, as we angled around the racks in search of clothes that, indeed, looked costly.
What we found did. Especially the knockdown version of an Hermes signature scarf, which, even when copied by other designers is a cost-prohibitive item. At Wal-Mart this baby cost $6.96. And it felt like it cost more.
Our shopping trip turned up the two great outfits you see here. Together - including jewelry and shoes - totalled $168.27. An amount you could easily spend on a single outfit - no jewelry, no shoes - at pricier stores.
A serious perk of working at this newspaper is a lenient dress code that, mercifully, shuns business suits and high heels. Wearing such a get-up here prompts questions along the line of ``Do you have a job interview today?''
So I can get away with wearing casual skirts and simple blouses, easy slacks and big sweaters, simple dresses and always flat shoes.
I shop the Wal-Mart clothing department, I'm proud to say. Why, no one could believe my blue silk blouse came from the flagship of Sam Walton's discount dynasty. But it did. And so did my wine-colored one. Only $14.97 each. I figure, why pay designer prices for these items when they're available for a generic amount? All I lose is the label. And I don't need that.
Price isn't the only reason that makes discount clothes shopping smart and easy. My favorite reason is no pesky sales attendants to talk me into trying on clothes I don't want.
When it comes to picking out what I do want, I don't feel pushed to make my decision quickly. In fact, Kathy and I spent nearly two hours shopping for these two outfits.
Another discount-store advantage is the dressing room set-up. While they aren't arranged with cushioned chairs or decorated in the latest color schemes, they do offer a privacy you can't get in many other places. Namely, you never have to answer the dressing room standard, ``Can I get you anything else? How about those pink platforms?''
Personally, I'd model for a mirror any day before I'd ask an opinion from somebody working on commission.
The discount edge that pleased Kathy and me most, though, was having a buggy to tote our choices around in. There's nothing like wheeling around the store with all the clothes you could want spilling over the tops of your wire buggy.
Except, of course, wheeling to the cashier and paying discount prices. Jewelry and pantyhose included, along with that tube of toothpaste and bag of dog food you had to pick up anyway.
Not everything in discount stores is of the highest quality fabrics and craftsmanship, though. It's always a good idea to check the clothes for loose seams and threads, missing buttons and tattered fabrics. And, if an expert opinion is needed, a high schooler working on weekends probably won't tell you what you need to know.
However, when you do find that perfect blouse, great-fitting dress, or even the scarf that matches your expensive dress better than the pricey scarf you bought with it, buy it!
In the end, all that really counts is how it looks on you. And if you can make it look expensive, fooling folks will just make it fun.
Wendi Gibson Richert has always cracked her pantyhose out of an egg and still manages to look great on a journalist's salary.
by CNB