posted by lauren

Jun 13, 2007 10:42AM

I agree. I own the purple dress and while I love it, the navy looks better in the picture.

posted by anonymous

Jun 13, 2007 10:47AM

is this on the F21 site? i can't seem to find it and would like a better look!

posted by Kristen

Jun 13, 2007 10:51AM

I have the brown dress and I also like this navy better! Also the Proenza for Target fits me better in the boobs than my regular Proenza does. Random and disturbing!

By the way, there is also a flat out rip off of a fall Marc pattern at the Forever 21 on Union Square right now. It's this print:

http://www.style.com/slideshows/fashionshows/F2007RTW/MJACOBS/RUNWAY/00120m.jpg

posted by lulu belle

Jun 13, 2007 11:02AM

they also ripped off the black and white crocheted schultz dress from christopher deane. the f21 dress doesn't have the flutter sleeves but close enough for 1/10 the price. even though i have the christopher deane version of the dress...i still love this store!!!

http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?itemId=prod39650109&parentId=cat13200732&masterId=cat000059&index=9&cmCat=cat000000cat000730cat000009cat000059cat13200732

posted by Laur

Jun 13, 2007 11:34AM

yay. I was hoping you would use this sometime!

posted by a

Jun 13, 2007 11:50AM

Am I the only person to find that F21's clothes (a) are made horribly and of really nasty fabrics and (b) only fit you if you are short/not tall?

It may be that the stores I've been to (NYC) are picked over but the proportions of everything I've seen wouldn't work on someone ver 5'5 (not surprising given that they are primarily a tween retailer).

posted by sll

Jun 13, 2007 11:52AM

amen re: nasty fabrics

posted by guest

Jun 13, 2007 12:05PM

a - i'm 5'8 and i love f21. things fit me great. i'm also rather thin (xsmalls usually a little too big) so idk if that has anything to do with the way they size. and, they're disposable clothes, not excellent made pieces to keep and cherish for the rest of your life.

posted by Heather

Jun 13, 2007 12:06PM

Ah, yes. Somebody on the Fashion Spot discovered this, too. I love this style of dress but really it isn't anonymous enough for me to purchase it. It just screams "I got this from Proenza/Proenza for Target/F21!"

Regarding the issue of F21 fabric quality,
I have a couple of their dresses, but they're rare finds since they're lined -- most of the cute dresses in the store are unlined and made of really flimsy sheerish woven cotton, which is fine if you want the world to see your underwear, I suppose.

As for their synthetic jersey dresses (which this one probably is), I've found they pill like mad after one washing and also develop holes quickly. And not even fixable holes on the seam. Just random holes, like, in the middle of the back.

posted by a

Jun 13, 2007 12:09PM

Anonymous--I'm a 4- 6 and 5'10 so I'm skinny and usually a small. F21's proportions look insane on me--the clothes run horribly short (waists, sleeves, lengths are all off) so I don't know if we've tried different things but nothing in there remotely fits me--it's not the widths, but the height/length.

posted by a

Jun 13, 2007 12:11PM

And while I understand the logic of disposable clothing, if it looks terribly cheap and feels bad, there's no reason to wear it. I've gotten cheap stuff from Uniqlo and H&M that looks and feels great.

posted by katie

Jun 13, 2007 12:26PM

I'm 5'6", and I LOVE F21 because I have fashion ADD and just can't afford to spend a ton of money on something that I'll only wear once. I will say, though, that I tend to like wearing short dresses, so that could be part of F21's appeal--if I hated my legs, it would not be the place for me.

posted by chiara

Jun 13, 2007 12:28PM

I agree 'a' - there's a reason we call it "forever 12", I have boobs (full C) and none of their tops fit me! I am loving the navy though... but their fabrics do turn me off usually.

posted by katie

Jun 13, 2007 12:30PM

Oh! and on the dress--I have the brown Proenza for Target one (in a size 0, by the way, and I'm usually a 4, which I thought was odd), and get insane amounts of compliments every time I wear it. The F21 one looks like it won't fit well, though--they're much better for loose or mod looks; whenever they try to do molded cups or something it looks just ghastly.

posted by a

Jun 13, 2007 12:36PM

It's not that I don't realize that f21 is really for teens, but what I don't get is the adulation here and elsewhere when I find shoddy, tiny and often torn items in the store, many of them things I would never want to wear. Then I'll read stuff here and elsewhere raving about f21, go back and realize that there's nothing there for me.

And, katie, I have great legs and wear minis all the time, but the proportions can still be wrong--hips in the wrong place, darts off--if the fit is for a shorter body--and it makes you look off, like you are wearign something for a child or something that plain doesn't fit right. Ironically, the one piece in there that fit me recently was a maxi dress, a trend that I don't like--I just tried it because it seemed long and it fit. Go figure.

It's just that H&M has stuff nearly as cheap, better made and as on trend. Same for Uniqlo, and neither store gets the raves that f21 has been getting of late. I'm just curious to see if others think the same way or if it's just me.

posted by guest

Jun 13, 2007 12:41PM

a - hm, weird! i think i'm built a lot like a 14 year old girl :( which could be why things fit me there! i agree that some of f21 items are ridiculous looking but if you hunt around i've found some really great/expensive looking/compliment receiving pieces. when you first walk in its like a wall of colorful discount fabric but i think the same thing goes with any of the other totally cheap stores - you have to be in the mood to hunt or you leave empty handed.

posted by a

Jun 13, 2007 12:48PM

That's just it--I realize that I have to hunt and I do and I find nothing (and I'm the queen of getting great finds). I went in there last week for the first time in months and spend an hour searching and found nothing--as usual.

That's why I'm asking--why f21 and no raves for other cut-price fashion stores like H&M?

posted by guest

Jun 13, 2007 12:55PM

maybe because they can link to f21 online but hm/uniq don't have websites?

posted by a

Jun 13, 2007 1:02PM

Good point--although they have websites, they have no ecommerce and so most stock isn't shown online.

posted by guest

Jun 13, 2007 1:09PM

yeah - which would make for a boring blog post! or thats my best guess because i love h/m more the f21 as well

posted by e.

Jun 13, 2007 1:23PM

Ahem. http://www.fashionista.com/2007/06/post_183.php#comment-53317

posted by hm

Jun 13, 2007 1:43PM

love that dress

Faran:
where did you find the picture? it's not on the f21 website

posted by katie

Jun 13, 2007 2:12PM

I have really small boobs, so the clothes fit me pretty well. That said, I very rarely find more than one item I like per visit, and since the turnover rate there is so hig you really need to get on that shit. I can't wear anything they make that is strapless, but now that I've figured out how their cuts fit me, I can usually shop there without even having to try the shit on.

posted by katie

Jun 13, 2007 2:20PM

I'm sure the fact that I have small breasts factors into the fit for me.

I rarely find more than one dress I like per visit (if that), but I've gotten some cute things there. Some of their stuff fits hilariously horribly, but I buy, like, 3 dresses there per month.

posted by former f21 employee

Jun 13, 2007 2:23PM

As a former employee, I just wanted to add that most of the people who shop at F21 are not tweens; they're women in their late 20s, early 30s. Or at least that was definitely the case for the location that I worked at.

Also, I think anonymous brings up a great point about Uniqlo & H&M not having e-commerce on their site. That alone makes F21 an easy target. Also, I find that some of the items at H&M can be hit and miss too. Some look amazing and fit well while others are absolutely horrid. Then again that could be the case for any store.

Right now I'm partial to Uniqlo.

posted by guest

Jun 13, 2007 2:31PM

i have not found anything at uniqlo since it opened! i go there once a week or so with such high hopes but i just don't get that store. too many graphic tees for me maybe

posted by a

Jun 13, 2007 2:46PM

I'm totally flat-chested too--less than a AA and as I said, nothing fits at F21. I have no problems anywhere else with sizing...

posted by hmph

Jun 13, 2007 2:47PM

Uniqlo is too bland (with the exception of the designer line) , H&M is too homogenous (and their price point keeps rising). Forever 21 is perfect for cheap, trendy fashion that I would never pay more than $30 for because it won't last more than one season. Sure, the clothes are made for everyone and it's not well made, but you get what you pay for. I'm 30 and I'm embarrased to admit how much I shop there, but I always get complements on my outfits.

posted by anglo feel ya

Jun 13, 2007 3:02PM

random, but UK shoppers can now buy Uniqlo online... no US shipping yet, but maybe we're next?

http://www.uniqlo.co.uk/

posted by Geneva

Jun 13, 2007 9:07PM

Totes, the whole point of F21 is that it's insanely cheap and almost disposable -- perfect for stuff that's too trendy to invest in.

Though I actually still have stuff from there from a while ago -- I have a pair of pants that literally three people have thought were Marc Jacobs. You do have to seriously dig, though, esp. through all their synthetic fabrics.

posted by j

Jun 14, 2007 9:05AM

if anyone's interested, i have an extra purple proenza-for-target bustier in an xs...plus one of each bustier dress (both brown and purple) in a size 1! i bought too many items and forgot to return them, so email me if you'd like to buy them at retail value - thanks!

posted by michope

Jun 14, 2007 9:53AM

i have boobs. plenty of boobs. and whereas i have no chance on earth of squeezing them into nanette lepore or anything dvf under a size 12, i can wear forever 21 mediums. you just have to try everything on

posted by bridget

Jun 14, 2007 1:59PM

j - i may be interested in your offer. do you think i could get a picture of the dressess? what was the retail price?

i not sure of how to get access of your email add

posted by Aruek

Jun 14, 2007 6:32PM

Here's another view of the dress:
http://www.forever21.com/images/category/Sweaters_image.jpg?6142007

posted by Fashionable

Jun 14, 2007 8:29PM

It's important to remember that while it is not currently possible to pursue legal claims against shops that rip-off the outside design (or silhouette) of a garment, it is possible to prosecute those companies that steal the two-dimensional printed design (e.g. the artwork actually printed on the textile) for copyright infringement.

So, if someone creates a radish print/floral print/dinosaur print and that print is used by someone else without permission, action can be taken.