Fashion Statement

I love how I take a month off from updating you with our family, yet I find time today to sit and write about something quite odd. But even though odd, I think I'll cause a lot of smiles with my reversal in time...
As I was driving to the Y this morning, I heard an ad on the radio mention the name "Gigi". That got me to thinking about a store I used to shop in junior high, called "Gigi". It was in the Oakwood Mall in Eau Claire, the "big" mall for us small town people to shop at (since we didn't have a variety in the twin cities area to choose from). Do any of you remember a store by that name?

Then my brain starting working REALLY hard, and I started to think about all the clothes stores that I used to shop at that no longer exist. Then I started to wonder, "Did they EVER exist?" or had I just made them up! So here is a blast from the past...or at least MY past.

• County Seat: All I remember is light faded denim with lots and lots of pale blue and pale pink. I LOVED this store...I thought it was such cool stuff. Especially when you bought the sweatshirt or a t-shirt with the "County Seat" label on the front.
• The "Id". Now this is one I wonder if anyone else will remember. If you lived where I did, you may remember the "Id" store in the Marshfield mall, right next to Younkers (which used to be PRANGE'S!!!! (That is another one that I just remembered!!!) My mom used to shop at the "Id" when I was a pre-teen (and screw calling me a "Tween". That is just a cute modern name for the pre-pubescent, pimple-faced, budding boobies, attitude-wearing sass-pants that we were when we were PRE-teens) and I thought I was SO COOL when I could shop there with my mom. Sadly, I was probably wearing adult-sized clothing when I was like 10 due to a summer of chocolate malts, pizza, and puberty.
• Maurices--Now this is the one that is still around, and I have to admit I still shop at. I have very good luck there! I actually took about a 15 year break but went back a couple of years ago and actually get compliments on my stylin' clothes from there. But I'm talking in the day when you wore "Paris Sport Club". ROCK!
• Remember when you actually went to a shoe store, such as Tradehome, and they measured your foot, knelt down and helped you put your shoe on, tied your shoe, and watched you walk around? And when they would push on your toes to see how close they were to the edge? Now, you are lucky to find your damn size at Famous Footwear, and when someone says, "Can I help you?" and you say, "Yeah, do you happen to have this in a 9?" the response you get is, "Whatever is on the shelf is what we have...but we can call another store for you". Yeah. Shoe Customer Service was great.
• The Buckle, although still around...I have a fond memory of taking about 8 weekend nights' babysitting cash to buy my first pair of "Z. Cavvaricci" jeans. They were too "flare" at the bottom, so the store sent them out for a "customary" tailoring to make them tighter around the ankle. (I think this was last year??) Just kidding.
  

That is all my brain could remember. But a few other childhood memories that someone may be able to relate to...

• We would always get an "Icee" at the Kmart snack shop (what?!) if we were good while in the mall. Yeah, funny that a K-Mart was an anchor store in a MALL!
• My favorite pair of gym shorts in 7th grade were a pair of black spandex biker shorts with yellow and black checkers down the outer sides of the legs. HOT.
• I wore a pair of white loafers to their death in 9th grade. I think I even shared them with a friend once. I remember a ton of clothes-trading. I wish I had more friends my size (and that I saw every day). It could maybe save me on my current clothes budget.

Sigh. That was fun. I can't wait to read the comments from this post from all my friends out there that can relate, and have many more stores/namebrands/geeky clothes stories to share with me! (And for the record, my 9th and 10th grade prom pictures should not be mentioned in this post. We're moving on from that!)