But my first memory of shopping that pertained to style was in elementary school when I got a pair of purple and neon green high-top Reebok Pump sneakers.
They were the latest thing. Real deal brand name sneakers that were made in limited quantities and only sold at fancy department stores for full price plus tax - a generous birthday gift from my big sis who was in high school at the time and only worked part-time. Made even more thrilling for me because she took me shopping for them and picked them out with me - now what cool high schooler wants to spend any of their free time with their geeky elementary school sister who had a bad perm and no style?
I remember being the only kid in my class with such cool kicks back then, and I loved nothing better than to press on the little pump button on the tongue of the shoe and listen to the hiss, hiss, hiss of air as the sneakers conformed to my feet. Now I was ready to kick some butt on the dodge ball courts.
Granted it still took over 10 years before I even started an inkling of personal style, I consider little me rockin' those kicks as my sartorial debut - I was way ahead of my time. Think how urban cool I'd be now with some skinny jeans and those flashy purple and neon high-tops?
What's your first shopping memory? What was the first significant purchase made for you (or that you made) that you remember?
Blazer: J.Crew Robert Noble herringbone (worn here - sim, velvet, cotton)
Top: J.Crew factory metallic (worn here - sim, pricey, v-neck, short-sleeve)
Jeans: J.Crew vintage destroyed matchstick (worn here - deal, sim, sim)
Earrings: Amrita Singha bridgehampton (sim, sim)
Bracelet: Ann Taylor pearl & pave cluster (worn here - sim, sim, sim)
Scarf: c/o The Posh'mina lea'pard (worn here)
Shoes: Etienne Aigner ethel (worn here - sim, taller, pointy)
Those jeans look fabulous on you. My earliest shopping memories are just saving all of my money for back to school shopping. I really don't remember anything specific :)
ReplyDeleteMy mom always told me when I was little that I better marry rich because I had very expensive taste in clothes! For my nursery school photos I HAD to have this pink dress with ballet slippers on it.
ReplyDelete-Sharon
The Tiny Heart
Necklace Giveaway!
I always remember that when I was little I cleaned by grandma's house and I got $20 and with that I go to to go to garage sale and Godwill and spend it on whatever I wanted. I found so many great items during my childhood.
ReplyDeleteI think my youngest style memory was when I was in kindergarten or first grade. My grandmother had sewn me several pairs of shorts and made matching scrunchies. She created a monster because after that I would never leave the house without a coordinating hair accessory!
ReplyDeleteFizz and Frosting
Aw scrunchies - they were THE thing!
DeleteLisa, quick question for you -- after seeing today's outfit I notice that you have a few pair of leopard heels. I've decided I'd like to add apair to my repertoire, seeing how neutral they can be made. Are any of the pair you have fairly comfortable? I usually wear 3-3.5" heels and sit at a desk all day so I have a relatively high tolerance for heels but the cute Jessica Simpson Calie pumps I got are definitely less comfortable than comparable Nine West or Seychelles. Do you have any leopard pump recommendations? Thanks very much! (also, I've been reading along here for a bit and quite enjoy your blog).
ReplyDeleteHi Michelle - out of the leopard heels I've got, the comfiest pair are Kenneth Cole Reaction's swim n fool pumps. I unfortunately got them a few years ago so they are no longer available, but the rubber outsoles and round toe have saved my toes. Next comfiest pair for me are the Jessica Simpson jaides. They are super-padded in the insole and their pointed toe is wide enough that my feet aren't squished, plus I think you can still find these around for sale prices. The pump is kind of hard overall though, but I've survived wearing them for my desk top with no issues. Hope this helps!
DeleteSuper, thanks!
DeleteI love this look, that scarf and theses shoes are fabulous together! My first memory is a jean jacket with leather fringe. I bought myself and rocked that thing like crazy in 4th grade.
ReplyDeleteGinny
mynewfavoriteoutfit.blogspot.com
I got my first pair of branded trainers for my 8th birthday, they were Nike, white with mint green stitching, ticks, words etc. I loved them. I wanted a pair of branded trainers for a long time so I was really excited. Definitely my earliest shopping memory unless you include trips to the garden centre at the weekend with my sister and I trailing along behind moaning about being bored!
ReplyDeleteBlazers + boyfriend jeans is one of my fave combos - you look so cute! And your neon sneakers sound kind of awesome :)
ReplyDeleteAnnie
The Other Side of Gray
hahah i love this. you are so cute.
ReplyDeletewhat a great combo.
and hmmm first shopping memory.
i remember being made fun of because i was buy shoes and had the narrowest feet, i ended up with some vans that made my feet look like skis. haha
K
That scarf is fabulous, and I love the way you styled it!
ReplyDeletethose do sound like the most awesome sneakers in the world.
ReplyDeleteit's always interesting to think about how our style evolves, and how much it factors in to our feelings of belonging.
Chic on the Cheap
When I was 16 my oldest brother (who was 26 at the time) took me shopping to buy some shoes for Prom. My twin sister had been asked months in advance by her boyfriend in this insanely creative fashion (it's a tradition here, a weird tradition), and my Mom had spent hundreds of hours making her a gorgeous lavender prom dress that rivaled a wedding dress in complicatedness and beauty. Prom was all my sis could talk about for about 6 weeks.
ReplyDeleteI was asked about a week before the dance, by a guy I barely knew, going in a group where I knew no one. I had a clearance rack dress I'd bought on a whim months before because it was sparkly and $40 dollars. Basically, I was feeling really quite second-rate and second-class about the whole thing.
So, my brother decided to take me shopping for a proper pair of shoes. They were black strappy sandals with about a 2.5" heel, nothing super sexypot-y, but they were beautiful. AND, the best part was that my brother with his infinite knowledge of sexy shoes and high school prom drama (?) kept telling me that my dark, sparkly dress and sassy shoes made me look MUCH better than my sister's puffy lavender dress.
I still have those shoes, tucked away in my closet. They aren't super expensive, or of terribly high quality, and they are definitely well worn, but I absolutely cannot imagine getting rid of them.
xox
PS Thank you for this memory this morning. :)
Aw, what a sweet memory!
Deletelol - my DH bought a pair of pumps off gilt a few years ago and he loves them.
ReplyDeletei worked retail in HS but never really bought anything with my discount. except for hoodies. i lived in them during my goth i hate the world stage.
I remember wanting Reebok pumps so badly, but my mom wouldn't buy them for me. They were the shoes all the cool kids at my elementary school had!
ReplyDeletefirst I love your scarf so much and those earrings! mine was probably my first windsuit! It was purple and neon blue and nike! i thought I was killin the game back then hahah!
ReplyDeleteChioma
C's Evolution of Style
I love this look and love the story even more! How cute you must have been in your neon pumps. :)
ReplyDeletexo
See Mo Go.
Loving the scarf today! I remember longing after a purple leather (I know) purse in 3rd or 4th grade...saved my allowance for it, and carried that thing everywhere. I told my mom then that I was gonna use it all the way to college. Haha!! My other obsessions were LA Gear high tops and Keds with neon laces.
ReplyDeleteLA Gear and British Knights were IT when I was a kid!
DeleteLove the whole outfit, you look fab! I remember my 1st pair of trendy $$$ jeans. I think I was in 6th grade and I wore them to a party. Mom picked me up and I tore the back pocket getting out of our van. Was such a sad day...
ReplyDeleteawww, lisa! what a cute memory! and i was totally into nkotb too~ lol! i honestly can not remember my first shopping experience.... my memory is fading with age! =)
ReplyDeleteJonathan was my fave!
DeleteI totalllllyyy know which shoes you are talking about! It's so funny the things that make us so confident as kids. I always had rainbow shoe lacesss...haha! Anyhow - love the pretty leopard pumps here and that scarf - a perfect wintry outfit.
ReplyDelete<3 katherine / of corgis & cocktails
Lisa, you look like you were born with personal style. You could be a personal stylist. You always look perfect to me.
ReplyDeleteYe gads, I was the high school geek with acne, fuzzy hair, and acne. My parents weren't big on shopping at all - my clothes typically came from the Sears Budget Store. I was wearing polyester pants with elastic waistbands when everyone else had jeans. That first pair of jeans I bought with babysitting money in the 7th grade seemed like to most miraculous purchase ever. I finally looked, er, sorta normal...lol.
I had a poodle perm for the 4th grade class pics - I think my hair is still traumatized, thus the frizz!
DeleteLove the scarf!
ReplyDeleteFor me, it was black patent shoes when I was 5. They were THE thing! :)
Great styling! Your taste is impeccable.
ReplyDeleteProbably one of my earliest fashion memories was when my parents ordered a pair of light stonewashed jeans from the JCPenny catalog and they came in the mail. Best day ever. I think it was the only time I got anything ordered through a mail catalog...but I wore those jeans out!
ReplyDeleteReally love the blazer and bf jeans! Will have to re-create that one...
Remember when we were all kids and we naturally distressed our own jeans by just wearing the life out of them and doing all sorts of stuff with them on?!
DeleteI love the distressed boyfriend jeans! They look awesome with the blazer and scarf!
ReplyDeleteMeredith
createthatoutfit.com
i love this!! the bf jeans w/ the classic blazer and scarf.. effortlessly chic! love it you look fabulous hon!
ReplyDeleteCutest story ever!!! I still wish you had those sneakers, so that they could make an appearance on the blog:) I remember getting a pair of Girbaud jeans in 8th grade!! I felt like such a cool kid! Love this look with the blazer and the jeans! (even if they aren't Girbaud, it's okay we can still be friends:):))
ReplyDeletexoAmy
www.dreamingincashmere.com
I know, I wish I still had those sneaks today - not that they would have fit, but oh well, I'd make them work!
DeleteWhat a sweet story! I have always loved shopping but I think I really started shopping once I got my 1st job (freshmen year in college). I worked at the mall and it was so convenient for me to head over the Contempo Casuals & Wet Seal for the latest fashion finds.
ReplyDeleteLove our distressed jeans with the blazer!
Alice
www.happinessatmidlife.com
Oh my thing back in the day was Strawberries - place of my first personal ill-advised shopping purchases!
DeleteHhaha I remember those kicks! Love those patterned heels
ReplyDeletekatattack2000.wordpress.com
great outfit! love the scarf and the shoes!
ReplyDeletexx
Erin @ http://www.truffles-ruffles.com/
Weirdly, for me I think the most significant moment was when I went to an Anthro sale after first discovering style blogs and picking up a flowy mustard top and a belt for ridiculously cheap, with the intention of wearing the belt around my natural waist on top of the shirt - it was like, suddenly I was thinking about what I was buying based on how I would wear it, and what with, instead of just going, "Oh, that's green. I like green. It fits me, yay!" and not thinking about how I would style it with what I already owned. The top is shrunken, full of holes and practically destroyed by now, but I still can't bear to throw it out. Probably because it symbolises one of the first times I used my brain properly while shopping, hah.
ReplyDeleteOh! And your outfit is super, super cute by the way! I am already cooking up my "tribute outfit"/not-quite blatant copy outfit in my head, hehe.
That's pretty good - and yes, pretty significant. I'm not sure I've gotten there yet myself!
DeleteAww, what a sweet big sister! I love the little pop of turquoise in your earrings, they suit the blazer so well. Great outfit and gorgeous shoes!
ReplyDeleteI love the blazer and scarf together and those earrings are so gorgeous. i can't remember my first purchase but I do remember buying my first (and only) pair of skater shoes in junior high when they were the coolest thing. They were blue and yellow vans and I loved them
ReplyDelete-Jessi
haircutandgeneralattitude.blogspot.com
Oh skater shoes! I probably should have gotten those back in the day instead of roller blades - it is not easy stopping in those things!
Deletethis blazer looks so fabulous on you! love it with the distressed jeans and scarf. glad to be back in the blogosphere... need to catch up on your looks! =)
ReplyDeleteMichelle, your outfit is perfect for each day! Stylish casual!)
ReplyDeleteMy first "serious" shopping memory is skinny pinky pants!) Loved it so much)
kisses)
Love the textures of that scarf with the wonderful green of the earings - you always get it so right. I have not been able to do the scarf thing successfully, think I have too short a neck. My first shopping memories was getting 50's dresses from the Opshop (Opportunity shops, Sal Army) in Wellington NZ and thinking I was the bees knees wearing them with black sneakers. (Probably I looked hideous)
ReplyDeleteYes! My boots are so comfy. They feel like I am walking in ballet slippers, but a bunch warmer. hahaha. Thanks for your visit to see me and my site. Yay!
ReplyDeleteloved reading how your shopping has evolved
ReplyDeletemy grandmother got me hooked early on
i am so loving this outfit
all the details are perfect
brett
What a wonderful sister you have! I have always been obsessed with dresses. I was a tomboy in junior high, but I would be skateboarding with a dress on :).
ReplyDeletexo
Ashley
Southern (California) Belle
I tried skateboarding once during junior high. It didn't end well for me or the skateboard!
DeleteOMG those reebok pump sneakers were the coolest thing IN THE WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD. Major cool points for you.
ReplyDeleteIf only I had really known it then!
DeleteNKOTB!!! whee! they were the best! i was never cool in high school though. the shopping thing kicked in later on in university. :P
ReplyDeletei simply adore this outfit - it's relaxed, cute and chic - love the scarf too!
xox P
The biggest purchase I made (that I can remember) were dr. marten boots in the second grade:)! I also loved a pair of these heeled tennis shoes called rebels! I love how you always write such well thought out posts that engage your readers! Love your distressed denim jeans with the schoolboy blazer!
ReplyDeleteHilarious. The pumps on sneakers. That's right! Definitely en vogue now. What a sweet sister you have. More important than the sneaks is the memory she created with you.
ReplyDeleteI love the scarf and the whole smart casual look! The most significant purchase that my Mom bought for me was a pearl ring. I love fine jewelry and so I was ecstatic when I received it.:)
ReplyDeleteI absolutely adore this look! Love the scarf! It is so chic! Very nicely styled!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by the blog!
xo, Kenya
www.kenyaldesigns.com
Kenya L Fashion Blog
I don't know if I've said this before but I swear we are like twins in so many ways! You write stuff and I'm like "meee too!" Although my style didn't really start until I was almost out of my 20s but still.. I don't remember a first great purchase but I do remember being in elementary school and falling in love with the most beautiful pair of mary janes at Nordstrom. I hadn't seen anyone else wearing shoes like that before and I begged my mom to buy them for me. She didn't as they were way too expensive for an elementary school tomboy to be kicking around in. Over the next couple weeks all these girls started showing up at school in their lovely mary janes and I was SO pissed that I couldn't have them. But good for my mom for teaching me something about smart spending.
ReplyDeleteLove those earrings! What a great pop :)
ReplyDelete