Wednesday, March 01, 2006

What Not To Wear

Quote from the National Young Leaders Conference pamphlet:

Dress:
Dress standards are professional throughout the day. Women must wear dresses, blouses with skirts (no mini skirts) or dress pants (no denim or capri pants).

Now, National Young Leaders Conference Nominee Daughter (sorry, I just love saying that) currently has a wardrobe that consists of:

5 pairs of jeans, frayed at the bottom (only three of which she'll actually wear),
16 band tee-shirts, mostly black,
3 zip-up hoodies, including one with the word "REVENGE" in big red letters across the chest,
2 pull-over hoodies,
1 pair black skater-shoes

Something tells me we should probably think about some new clothes. The big problem with buying fancy duds for a teenager is that they tend to like stylish clothes, which inevitably go out of style before the next formal event. This means each outfit gets worn exactly once before ending up in the Goodwill pile. Now, I have nothing against Goodwill, but I'd prefer in the future they get their supply of nearly-new clothing from someone else, especially since Dress-Clothes-Challenged Daughter will be in D.C. for ten days. I have no intention of buying her ten outfits; most hotels offer laundry services, and we will be using them. But, I should probably buy her more than one.

Since my own wardrobe for the past six years has consisted of jeans, tee-shirts and workboots, my where-to-shop-knowledge is a little rusty. So, Internet Friends, anyone have any advice on places to get reasonably priced, stylish dress-clothes that my fourteen-year-old will still be willing to be seen in a few years from now? Preferably catalogs, or stores that have branches in New England? I was thinking maybe Chadwicks. I used to buy from them when I worked in an office, and if I'm remembering correctly the quality was so-so but the prices were pretty good. Whatever we buy will likely be worn only a few times this summer, then hung in the closet to collect dust until college-admissions interviews two years from now. Aack! Only two years...Now that's scary!

Suggestions, anyone?

Posted by The Gradual Gardener :: 7:25 AM :: 13 Comments:

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