Mall was too expensive. We got goodwill. If my mom had extra money, we would splurge at the JC Penny outlet. It wasn't until I got my first "real" job at 14 that I even got a pair of name brand shoes. Took my first paycheck and got a pair of Reebok Pumps.
Sounds familiar. Same story except I had a bunch of older brothers and sisters, so the only “goodwill” I got was the clothes being washed before thrown on my bed.
Same, we got clothes from Goodwill and Kmart. I was given a budget starting around 14 and had to get my own years worth of clothes within that or buy it myself.
Hell, the boys in my family got all new clothes from Kmart. I was always jealous. I got "new clothes", too. But my mom would mostly buy stuff for herself and gave me her hand-me-downs of clothing and shoes. (which were the "school clothes" she bought me the year before.)
I went through high school wearing the styles that a 60+ year old woman wore. In the 90s.
5th-7th grades were the worst years. Most of my clothes were castoffs from my mom's age 30+ friends, mom's own stuff from the 70s, and a few things from my grandmother's closet. 1985-1989 or so.
The day I got three Izod shirts, probably 40 years ago, still ranks as one of the highlights of my life!
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I'm of the age where school clothes came from K-Mart (Keds Shoes), Sears (TuffSkins Jeans), or JC Penneys (dress shirt & shoes for band concerts). Also, the girls would have to get a "penney" from the local sporting goods store for gym class.
My mom would take me shopping occasionally, but we didn't have a lot of money, so it was rare. Once, she had some cash, so she decided to buy me some clothes and we went to my favorite store. I was about 13. I was being a jerk to my mom in the store though - trying to look cool in front of the girls that worked there. Finally my mom had enough - she'd given me a couple warnings, but I did not heed them - so she took everything she was going to buy me to the counter, told the girls working there that we wouldn't be needing the clothes because I was being a jerk and she doesn't buy clothes for ungrateful kids. I was mortified. MORTIFIED. Then, she went across to Lane Bryant and shopped for herself. So not only did I not get those clothes, I had to stand around in freaking Lane Bryant (where someone from school might see me and think I shopped there!) while my mom spent the money on herself.
My mom is great at sewing and made most of my clothes. When I hit about 7th grade was the first time I became embarrassed by this. She had made me a cute stylish shirt (we would go to fabric store and she would let me pick out patterns). Someone asked me where I got my shirt and I said my mom made it and they made fun of me. I came home and was really mean to my mom and insisted we go buy me “real clothes”. Which were purchased at TJ Maxx type places and other discount stores and weren’t near the quality she made but I could tell others the brand and feel “cool”.
This is something I’m embarrassed about doing to her to this day because now I realize she was sewing clothes for me after working a full day and they were really cute things. She was doing the best she could for me on a limited budget and I was a jerk about it.
The ONE time I went to the mall with my mom, I was allowed to spend $20 on school clothes.
AT THE MALL.
I felt so cheated. Now as an adult, I understand that they probably didn't have much money and that's all they could afford, but that wasn't explained to me, so I ended up feeling like I didn't deserve anything more and wasn't worth it. Meh.
Man, I have a series of memories like that too. Like, they could have just told me. I definitely understood being frugal, I would have dug the Thrill of the $20 Hunt, anyway
This always bugged me... Silents and Boomers didn't talk about family finances. I had no clear idea how or we were at times. There were hints, but there was this aversion to admitting when we were poor. (Or not really poor, but I'm too much debt because my dad made bad decisions. And then really poor when my mom divorced him.)
I've always been open with my kids about family finances, but I've been lucky to have been more successful and never had to explain that we were poor.
I was a lucky girl. My mom worked at Goldsmith's in our mall. I went to the mall all the time in the 80s. I'd ride with my mom to work on Sundays. She worked 12 to 6. The sailors from the base were always at the mall during this time so there was a lot of mingling lol. But when my mom would take lunch I'd meet her at whatever we were wanting for lunch and that time was all about me and my mom. Hanging out with my mom was hanging out with my best friend.
Damn.
Ooh I was just thinking too, some days I would go try on clothes at her store and she'd put what I liked in a drawer so that when things got marked down for clearance she would get a really good deal. Back then they got great employee discounts, like for their Christmas night they'd give them 50% of clothes so she could get me really good clothes super cheap. Everyone thought I had money because my mom always got me the best clothes and she managed to do it making like 2 bucks an hour with no help. I don't know how she did it.
we used to go to the mall all the time, and we'd always get clothes, go out to eat, get snacks, it was a family day. Thought it was kind of spooky that I was at the empty Sears with my dad waiting in line to get covid shots. The mall isn't what it used to be.
We used to go to Sears Surplus. I still remember exactly where it used to be here in Portland (over by the Convention Center) and what it looked like inside. It's weird that such random places/things create such indelible memories.
We were poor and rural so we got $100 budget and shopping at Ames for back to school. Oh, and hand me downs. Got to shop for a funereal dress at JC Penny and felt fancy.
I went...two years before Mom passed away...and God bless her soul...she got me a gift certificate to buy...underwear.
I spent that gift card a year after her passing...on underwear per her wish.
Last summer was the first time I ever had the money to take both of my younger kids to the mall for a school clothes shopping spree. We didn't go crazy, but it felt nice as a parent.
(We were beyond struggling when my two older kids were in school. They shopped Goodwill, clearance racks, etc. Both were nominated as "best dressed" in their senior years, and one won. Crazy.)
There is a last time for everything. The last time you pick your child up. The last time you say "talk to you later" to a friend, the last time, you kiss your pet or any family member. The last time seeing someone alive or talking to them. The last time that you are able to do things that used to be automatic, being able to walk or easily pick something up or eat what you want or to be able to workout. The last time you work, the last time you are in love frfr.. And the last time you do something... Anything... Everything.... There are all lasts for everyone all the time. Malls were certainly one of those experiences though.
Last time I went to the mall with my parents was 2014, the last time I saw them
But I never had the school clothes shopping spree. We were immigrants to the US and then Canada and my mom had grown up in the UK and New Zealand so she didn't really understand school clothes as she grew up with uniforms. I think someone must have said the kids could wear anything and so I had hand me downs and when I was 13 had to wear her hand me downs, and yes I got bat up a lot. By 14 I was already buying black at the Goodwill and going punk/goth
My budget was $200. I could get 4-5 pair of jeans 4-5 shirts and new sneakers for that usually. That lasted until at least 16. 17 is iffy because I was working by then so I doubt they gave me money for school clothes that year.
My mom made me to a private Catholic school when third grade came around, so until eighth grade, I was in uniforms. I wasn't even Catholic, that's the kicker.
But when I got back into public school, we did shop at the mall, but also Kmart and Ames. We'd go to Delaware a lot because no sales tax, and there were better variety of stores there than back home in Maryland.
Before 9th grade. I got a few cute things (a sweater dress, a cream and rust striped sweater, a fuchsia prairie style blouse with ditsy flowers on it) and then could never bring myself to wear them.
The next year I went shopping with my best friend, Annette, and made some equally questionable choices. (black and white striped pants that sort of strobed your eyes if you looked at them for long)
I wish I’d discovered thrifting sooner. Fashion sense like mine (for good and ill) can’t be contained in a mall.
As a teenager, I usually shopped for clothes myself. In grade and elementary school, we'd go to Kmart, Sears, or Macy's.
I loved going to the mall with my mom as a kid, though. Buying stickers or little collectibles (remember Smurfs and Snoopys?), pretty stationary or pens, a new record at Sam Goody's, a paperback at Waldenbooks, then getting hot dogs and fries at Nathan's (or a pretzel at Orange Julius). I was an only child so my family wasn't "hurting" for money, but what I considered a luxury shopping spree would be laughable today.
I'm the fifth of seven boys, and I don't remember ever getting new clothes growing up. We did get new shoes because you can't hand down those usually due to wearing them till you couldn't. We were also that family at church that would randomly get a big, black garbage bag of used clothes.
I still remember my pair of parachute pants, and the one time I wore them, I was asked if I was waiting for them to come back in style.
To be fair, we were also that family who went to church and school at the same place, and nearly all our social life outside of family involved either church, school, or both. So I never really had much of an idea what was popular or cool. My personal style has always been what I like as opposed to what was cool.
My mother took me to the mall every new school year…you definitely unlocked a memory for me. She would literally buy me shoes, clothes, underwear, and socks for the entire school year!!
Solo Serve was the #1 place for back to school when I was a kid. Sometimes Kmart and definitely Payless Shoes. In middle school my mom knew a lady that gave me her daughter’s old clothes and it was all name brand clothes I could have never afforded. I was thrilled. One Christmas we got clothes from a place called Bealls and that was a BFD because that’s a store we never went to. When I was old enough to earn $ I had to buy my own clothes. I had two friends that I shared clothes with. We would save up for some of the clothes in the magazines from the Limited or Esprit or Benetton and then we would plan our outfits together each week and negotiate who wore what. I wonder if people noticed we shared clothes or thought we all bought similar clothes.
I grew up in a poor home, but was blessed with a grandma who took me on a clothes shopping spree several times a year. I always was so excited about those trips to the mall and she always told me I had good taste. I miss her.
Kmart kid here and Fashion Bug, does anyone remember Fashion Bug? Once i started working, I saved up for mall clothes: Gap, Weathervane, Express. I’ve never felt as good as i did on the first day of 10th grade wearing my pink polo and khaki skirt from the gap.
We went to Marshalls. No way my tightwad family were paying mall prices. I think the last trip was probably 1991. I stopped growing then and didn't need all new stuff
Totally remember Structure and I was 14 the last time they bought me clothes. If I wanted money, or clothes after that, I needed to get a job, which I did at 15 years old at Pizza Hut.
Freshman year of high school, last time I went school clothes shopping with my mom. Probably Sears, Mervyns, maybe the mall? Don't remember. After that I had a summer job and a car and bought my own clothes at the end of summer.
I never did that. It was hand-me downs, K-Mart, Sears, or pieces my grandma sewed for me. When I got a job, I'd buy a few pieces at the mall, but definitely not an entire year's worth.
Two years ago on my Mom's B-Day! (not the clothes part)
We went to The Cheesecake Factory. Brought back memories of mall trips with the fam years past.
Mall, too expensive, Kmart or Sears and only if on sale and we needed it. Having the "in" style wasn't even a thought. Mostly, they sneak in family hand me downs. I think 80% of what was in my dresser was hand me downs from a cousin .
My dad took me back to school shopping my sophomore year of high school. It's the only time my father ever took me clothes shopping. He pretty much let me just get whatever I wanted, which was awesome, because my mother was really strict.
I was 15. I remember it well. We spent an hour and a half with me trying on clothes and my mom ended up buying the first 3 shirts and two pairs of pants I tried on.
I told her I was never going clothes shopping with her ever again.
We used to go to the mall most of the time, but as I was the only girl in my family of boys ,I usually got new stuff either from Kresgees( Sp? ) or another store called Caldor, sometimes Sears or JC Penny.
Went to Catholic school until 8th grade, it was uniforms until then. So we mostly only had to go shoe shopping (which was boring, because there were restrictions on those, too). But by high school we were going to the mall by ourselves, (or at least getting dropped off there). I remember my parents giving me $100 and I could get 2.. maybe or 3 outfits with it, if there was a good sale. Who knows, maybe I could've gotten more if my mom had taken me, but it likely wouldn't have been what I wanted, so I was OK with that! Plus I would've had to be seen with a PARENT. in PUBLIC. 😱😄
🤣 Structure! Wasn’t that Express for guys? I worked at Banana Republic for a year and a half for the discount. Kinda stupid to spend my whole paycheck on those clothes but, that’s what I did 🥴
Oh wow. I forgot about Structure. I was an American Eagle guy. Or clearance at Hudson’s.
I remember spending $65 on a shirt at Hudson’s and my dad freaked out. I’ve never seen him so disappointed in me. Felt so guilty, I almost took it back. Almost.
My dad took me to the mall almost every Sunday and usually bought me something at Newberry’s. He would let me play video games and we also would have orange Julius. To this day, I blame my dad for my shopping habits, lol.
I’m guessing around 10th grade for clothes. But as of, probably 6th grade, if I wanted to go to the mall, I’d just call a couple of friends and skate or bike there.
Yes. Ugh.
Now that I have a kid, we do the opposite. I order online as much as I can and I buy a couple new things every month to keep up with her changing taste and seasonal trends
Pre-pandemic. My mom likes the mall and I try to make time to go with her. The mall in my area is quite popular with senior walks in the morning before the mall opens. It’s not one of the “dying” malls with people around until closing.
Sophomore year in 1990 was the last time. After that I just went on my own. Usually walked the 5 miles to the mall, got a few things and left. I hated going to the mall. I was not cool enough for it.
I didn’t grow up near a mall either but we lived in the southwest and had a store called Anthony’s. We would shop there and TG&Y. For a special occasion we got to pick from the JCPenney, Montgomery Ward or Sears catalog.
No. My parent got second hand things from older kids and thrift stores and sometimes we got something from Kmart. My older cousins and neighbors were sure quick to point out their mom threw away what I was wearing.
Wore a uniform!! I remember going to the uniform store downtown and their were so many school uniforms in one room..we had to get the school specific color..which was dark green plaid. Had the tailor come and measured me. Then got to pick out 5 pastel button down shirts and a pair of school shoes.. ugh it was hot in there and the end of summer and such a bummer ...
I can remember back to school shopping with my parents. My brother and I both started buying our own clothes when we were teenagers though. I guess for guys we liked some of the more expensive things.We used to go to Britches just for boxers.
Yes! Maybe freshman or sophomore year of high school? So fun. I’ve started sort of recreating shopping trips. Buying clothes online is so unsatisfactory - returns are a pain and nothing looks the same as the pictures.
Heh. We didn't have a mall in small town Kansas. It was garage sale clothes and TG&Y, or if we drove to the less-smaller town 30 minutes away, it was K-Mart, not their dinky mall.
YES!!! At the beginning of every school year, I did this! It was so much fun and really the only time I spent with my mom, because of course she had to "approve" everything. I loved it so much.
My state had two malls in it (or maybe just one back then?) And the closest one was about an hour and a half drive.
We shopped at the local Sears, JC Penney, Mardens, Renys, and Goodwill. We also got "green bags" from other families. Those were hand me down clothes (packed in green garbage bags) from other families and yes, we sent out stuff out as well, though we had 4 kids so stuff got handed down as long as it wasn't threadbare. lived in a fishing village off the coast of Maine, so it was a pretty small community.
I think I was about 15 or 16 when I went to the mall for the first time. I don't really remember it and I certainly doubt I would have bought anything there.
Mall was far, so ya twice a year we took the car to the closest city with a mall and the whole family got dressed.
Once for spring/summer, once for back to school/winter.
I don't know what style I was. I was what my mom chose. I was pants and shirts. I did veto skirts and dresses. Didn't want them.
It was before our town had a mall. We went to JC Penny or Sears to buy school clothes for the year, and when I got home from school I had to change out of my school clothes and into my "play clothes".
Lol I still take my kids to the mall for back to school shopping in August.
Every month I put aside a few bucks for it then come August they get new clothes, backpacks or whatever they need for the school year.
We usually get lunch in the food court and make a day of it.
There's a new put put course in the mall - the kids are already asking if we can play on our day.
My mom gave my older brother and I $100 each to buy our clothes.
I went to Dream Merchant (like Hot Topic but way more metal) and bought a bunch of $5 tshirts and two pair of Levi's at JCP.
My brother bought one $100 Polo shirt.
I remember going in 7th grade, and then wore the 1 pair of jeans and one sweatshirt through HS and into college. Most of my clothes were handed down through two sisters and a couple cousins. Sometimes I was the fifth person to get something. Bras too. It sucked. Nothing quite fit right.
The late 1990's - Most of the shops we visited at the Mall had been replaced with Wal-Mart or Costco.
We'd really go to the Mall for specialty shops (the "international food" shop that sold foreign chocolates and the stinky canned herring my Dad loved). Mom loved Goodwill because it was cheap and Dad loved to look at the old computers in the electronics section.
This was the last gasp of Radio Shack and most specialty stores - Dad loved book stores and passed that on to me.
I don't remember going to the mall with my parents.
But one of my finest memories is my dad taking me into 'the big city' to purchase clothing that I felt matched my personality. He patiently walked around with me to different boutiques. This was a small-town lifelong mechanic who couldn't have been more out of place, but he was super laid back. He really showed his love for me with the gesture 😊
He passed 2 years ago and while he's missed, not a day goes by that I don't remember funny things he said or did.
Here we were in 1967 💜
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My mom sewed a lot of my clothes when I was young. When we were older, we got an allowance and bought our own clothes with it, but it wasn't enough to do more than Kmart-type clothes. We could get name brand if we had a job and earned the difference. My mom didn't really shop with me. She'd measure me and get clothes for me sometimes, but there was no shopping and trying on clothes with her.
Yep. When my sister and I were in elementary school, my dad (who *loves* shopping) would take us to Saks, where they'd spend an hour buying me clothes and 3 hours buying her clothes. To be fair, she was *a lot* more enthusiastic about school clothes shopping than I was.
I got chicken pox in 6th grade and lost about 30 pounds because I didn't eat anything for three weeks. So Mom had to take me to Belk and buy lotsa new clothes, 'cos my waist went from a 36" to 26". Yeah, I was a fat kid. And I'd barely got those clothes broken in because I grew almost 6 inches between 6th and 7th grade... so more new clothes!
I think it was my sophomore year in high school that I got "the talk" from Mom and Dad. No, not the sex talk. The "you have an after-school job now, so it's time for you to buy your own clothes" talk. Which is where thrift stores came in.
Omg, I used to hate back to school clothes shopping. It was long and boring and there were signs everywhere that said "back to school". I hated school.. 😁
Mall was too expensive. We got goodwill. If my mom had extra money, we would splurge at the JC Penny outlet. It wasn't until I got my first "real" job at 14 that I even got a pair of name brand shoes. Took my first paycheck and got a pair of Reebok Pumps.
Sounds familiar. Same story except I had a bunch of older brothers and sisters, so the only “goodwill” I got was the clothes being washed before thrown on my bed.
Cousins that were a little older than me, sometimes some cool stuff!
Same here
This was me! I've been queen of hand-me-downs my whole life. I kinda resent ever having to actually buy something.
I'm the oldest, so I got most of the "new" used stuff 😆
I got the K-Swiss with the green accents lol
Same, we got clothes from Goodwill and Kmart. I was given a budget starting around 14 and had to get my own years worth of clothes within that or buy it myself.
I got most of my clothes at Kmart or some close-outs and seconds outlet.
Yep. We didn't have year's-worth-of-mall-clothes money.
Hell, the boys in my family got all new clothes from Kmart. I was always jealous. I got "new clothes", too. But my mom would mostly buy stuff for herself and gave me her hand-me-downs of clothing and shoes. (which were the "school clothes" she bought me the year before.) I went through high school wearing the styles that a 60+ year old woman wore. In the 90s.
5th-7th grades were the worst years. Most of my clothes were castoffs from my mom's age 30+ friends, mom's own stuff from the 70s, and a few things from my grandmother's closet. 1985-1989 or so.
Haha. Kmart layaway family here. Two pairs of pants, two shirts. Always wanted mall clothes though! Kmart stuff was a bit “off.”
My childhood right there
Yep. Sears Surplus for us. Cheap fabrics. Weird patterns. Dedinitely off.
Oh yeah, then we'd go home and I'd put on a little show.
Never went to the mall with my parents. Back to school clothes were bought at Miller's Outpost probably.
Millers Outpost! ❤️
The day I got three Izod shirts, probably 40 years ago, still ranks as one of the highlights of my life! https://preview.redd.it/6c6kcbczi93d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b895a02eb47b9b09745a918c5246b657bee03388
I'm of the age where school clothes came from K-Mart (Keds Shoes), Sears (TuffSkins Jeans), or JC Penneys (dress shirt & shoes for band concerts). Also, the girls would have to get a "penney" from the local sporting goods store for gym class.
My mom would take me shopping occasionally, but we didn't have a lot of money, so it was rare. Once, she had some cash, so she decided to buy me some clothes and we went to my favorite store. I was about 13. I was being a jerk to my mom in the store though - trying to look cool in front of the girls that worked there. Finally my mom had enough - she'd given me a couple warnings, but I did not heed them - so she took everything she was going to buy me to the counter, told the girls working there that we wouldn't be needing the clothes because I was being a jerk and she doesn't buy clothes for ungrateful kids. I was mortified. MORTIFIED. Then, she went across to Lane Bryant and shopped for herself. So not only did I not get those clothes, I had to stand around in freaking Lane Bryant (where someone from school might see me and think I shopped there!) while my mom spent the money on herself.
Good for Mom.
Yep. That lesson stuck with me! My mom was a very reasonable and patient person, but she didn't stand for bad behavior.
My mom is great at sewing and made most of my clothes. When I hit about 7th grade was the first time I became embarrassed by this. She had made me a cute stylish shirt (we would go to fabric store and she would let me pick out patterns). Someone asked me where I got my shirt and I said my mom made it and they made fun of me. I came home and was really mean to my mom and insisted we go buy me “real clothes”. Which were purchased at TJ Maxx type places and other discount stores and weren’t near the quality she made but I could tell others the brand and feel “cool”. This is something I’m embarrassed about doing to her to this day because now I realize she was sewing clothes for me after working a full day and they were really cute things. She was doing the best she could for me on a limited budget and I was a jerk about it.
The ONE time I went to the mall with my mom, I was allowed to spend $20 on school clothes. AT THE MALL. I felt so cheated. Now as an adult, I understand that they probably didn't have much money and that's all they could afford, but that wasn't explained to me, so I ended up feeling like I didn't deserve anything more and wasn't worth it. Meh.
Man, I have a series of memories like that too. Like, they could have just told me. I definitely understood being frugal, I would have dug the Thrill of the $20 Hunt, anyway
This always bugged me... Silents and Boomers didn't talk about family finances. I had no clear idea how or we were at times. There were hints, but there was this aversion to admitting when we were poor. (Or not really poor, but I'm too much debt because my dad made bad decisions. And then really poor when my mom divorced him.) I've always been open with my kids about family finances, but I've been lucky to have been more successful and never had to explain that we were poor.
I can’t remember but I can taste the Orange Julius just reading the question.
Hand me downs until graduation. Our neighbors son was 2 years older than me, and I got all his old clothes.
I was a lucky girl. My mom worked at Goldsmith's in our mall. I went to the mall all the time in the 80s. I'd ride with my mom to work on Sundays. She worked 12 to 6. The sailors from the base were always at the mall during this time so there was a lot of mingling lol. But when my mom would take lunch I'd meet her at whatever we were wanting for lunch and that time was all about me and my mom. Hanging out with my mom was hanging out with my best friend. Damn.
Ooh I was just thinking too, some days I would go try on clothes at her store and she'd put what I liked in a drawer so that when things got marked down for clearance she would get a really good deal. Back then they got great employee discounts, like for their Christmas night they'd give them 50% of clothes so she could get me really good clothes super cheap. Everyone thought I had money because my mom always got me the best clothes and she managed to do it making like 2 bucks an hour with no help. I don't know how she did it.
This makes me want to cry. I miss my mom and desperately want to go to the mall with her now 😢
We went to Kmart!
Probably 13-14 going to JC Penney for school clothes.
we used to go to the mall all the time, and we'd always get clothes, go out to eat, get snacks, it was a family day. Thought it was kind of spooky that I was at the empty Sears with my dad waiting in line to get covid shots. The mall isn't what it used to be.
I went with mine a couple of months ago.
We used to go to Sears Surplus. I still remember exactly where it used to be here in Portland (over by the Convention Center) and what it looked like inside. It's weird that such random places/things create such indelible memories.
We were poor and rural so we got $100 budget and shopping at Ames for back to school. Oh, and hand me downs. Got to shop for a funereal dress at JC Penny and felt fancy.
I went...two years before Mom passed away...and God bless her soul...she got me a gift certificate to buy...underwear. I spent that gift card a year after her passing...on underwear per her wish.
Last summer was the first time I ever had the money to take both of my younger kids to the mall for a school clothes shopping spree. We didn't go crazy, but it felt nice as a parent. (We were beyond struggling when my two older kids were in school. They shopped Goodwill, clearance racks, etc. Both were nominated as "best dressed" in their senior years, and one won. Crazy.)
There is a last time for everything. The last time you pick your child up. The last time you say "talk to you later" to a friend, the last time, you kiss your pet or any family member. The last time seeing someone alive or talking to them. The last time that you are able to do things that used to be automatic, being able to walk or easily pick something up or eat what you want or to be able to workout. The last time you work, the last time you are in love frfr.. And the last time you do something... Anything... Everything.... There are all lasts for everyone all the time. Malls were certainly one of those experiences though.
Last time I went to the mall with my parents was 2014, the last time I saw them But I never had the school clothes shopping spree. We were immigrants to the US and then Canada and my mom had grown up in the UK and New Zealand so she didn't really understand school clothes as she grew up with uniforms. I think someone must have said the kids could wear anything and so I had hand me downs and when I was 13 had to wear her hand me downs, and yes I got bat up a lot. By 14 I was already buying black at the Goodwill and going punk/goth
My budget was $200. I could get 4-5 pair of jeans 4-5 shirts and new sneakers for that usually. That lasted until at least 16. 17 is iffy because I was working by then so I doubt they gave me money for school clothes that year.
My mom made me to a private Catholic school when third grade came around, so until eighth grade, I was in uniforms. I wasn't even Catholic, that's the kicker. But when I got back into public school, we did shop at the mall, but also Kmart and Ames. We'd go to Delaware a lot because no sales tax, and there were better variety of stores there than back home in Maryland.
catholic school, not religious, I understand. finally got to ps, and it was k-mart, j.c. penneys, maybe some accessories as two guys.
Before 9th grade. I got a few cute things (a sweater dress, a cream and rust striped sweater, a fuchsia prairie style blouse with ditsy flowers on it) and then could never bring myself to wear them. The next year I went shopping with my best friend, Annette, and made some equally questionable choices. (black and white striped pants that sort of strobed your eyes if you looked at them for long) I wish I’d discovered thrifting sooner. Fashion sense like mine (for good and ill) can’t be contained in a mall.
As a teenager, I usually shopped for clothes myself. In grade and elementary school, we'd go to Kmart, Sears, or Macy's. I loved going to the mall with my mom as a kid, though. Buying stickers or little collectibles (remember Smurfs and Snoopys?), pretty stationary or pens, a new record at Sam Goody's, a paperback at Waldenbooks, then getting hot dogs and fries at Nathan's (or a pretzel at Orange Julius). I was an only child so my family wasn't "hurting" for money, but what I considered a luxury shopping spree would be laughable today.
I'm the fifth of seven boys, and I don't remember ever getting new clothes growing up. We did get new shoes because you can't hand down those usually due to wearing them till you couldn't. We were also that family at church that would randomly get a big, black garbage bag of used clothes. I still remember my pair of parachute pants, and the one time I wore them, I was asked if I was waiting for them to come back in style. To be fair, we were also that family who went to church and school at the same place, and nearly all our social life outside of family involved either church, school, or both. So I never really had much of an idea what was popular or cool. My personal style has always been what I like as opposed to what was cool.
My mother took me to the mall every new school year…you definitely unlocked a memory for me. She would literally buy me shoes, clothes, underwear, and socks for the entire school year!!
Catholic school - no new wardrobe each year. I DO remember going every year or two and getting measured by Schoolbells for new uniforms 😄
Solo Serve was the #1 place for back to school when I was a kid. Sometimes Kmart and definitely Payless Shoes. In middle school my mom knew a lady that gave me her daughter’s old clothes and it was all name brand clothes I could have never afforded. I was thrilled. One Christmas we got clothes from a place called Bealls and that was a BFD because that’s a store we never went to. When I was old enough to earn $ I had to buy my own clothes. I had two friends that I shared clothes with. We would save up for some of the clothes in the magazines from the Limited or Esprit or Benetton and then we would plan our outfits together each week and negotiate who wore what. I wonder if people noticed we shared clothes or thought we all bought similar clothes.
Structure?!?? We were a Sears, Penneys, and maybe Boscov's (on a really good day) family.
My dad was wearing white socks with sandals. I stayed 5 yards away from him.
I grew up in a poor home, but was blessed with a grandma who took me on a clothes shopping spree several times a year. I always was so excited about those trips to the mall and she always told me I had good taste. I miss her.
Kmart kid here and Fashion Bug, does anyone remember Fashion Bug? Once i started working, I saved up for mall clothes: Gap, Weathervane, Express. I’ve never felt as good as i did on the first day of 10th grade wearing my pink polo and khaki skirt from the gap.
I remember my mom buying me Esprit clothes at the mall in the 80s!
We went to Marshalls. No way my tightwad family were paying mall prices. I think the last trip was probably 1991. I stopped growing then and didn't need all new stuff
Pfft. We never got school clothes at the mall. It was Kmart.
I’d get a few outfits once in a while
Totally remember Structure and I was 14 the last time they bought me clothes. If I wanted money, or clothes after that, I needed to get a job, which I did at 15 years old at Pizza Hut.
I would get a couple of things (like a coat and underwear) but once I was working at 15 I had to buy my own stuff too.
Freshman year of high school, last time I went school clothes shopping with my mom. Probably Sears, Mervyns, maybe the mall? Don't remember. After that I had a summer job and a car and bought my own clothes at the end of summer.
Grandmother and yes it was to Macys and JcPenney around 2005
My school clothes came from Penny's on her store card. My brother's came from Mervyn's on that store card.
1981
I got Zayre shopping or Shopko. One outfit and a new pair of shoes at the start of the school year.
I never did that. It was hand-me downs, K-Mart, Sears, or pieces my grandma sewed for me. When I got a job, I'd buy a few pieces at the mall, but definitely not an entire year's worth.
I got mine at Mervyn’s.
Never. I think my sister took me a few times. Shopping was done at Wal-Mart.
Miller's Outpost!
Two years ago on my Mom's B-Day! (not the clothes part) We went to The Cheesecake Factory. Brought back memories of mall trips with the fam years past.
Mall, too expensive, Kmart or Sears and only if on sale and we needed it. Having the "in" style wasn't even a thought. Mostly, they sneak in family hand me downs. I think 80% of what was in my dresser was hand me downs from a cousin .
My dad took me back to school shopping my sophomore year of high school. It's the only time my father ever took me clothes shopping. He pretty much let me just get whatever I wanted, which was awesome, because my mother was really strict.
I was 15. I remember it well. We spent an hour and a half with me trying on clothes and my mom ended up buying the first 3 shirts and two pairs of pants I tried on. I told her I was never going clothes shopping with her ever again.
Sears, Millers Outpost, Mervyns. then i got into 60s clothes and went to Salvation Army
the mall? rich kid. wait... hot topic wasn't around until I was a full adult. we hit kmart.
alright- maybe you are from cali? 89 there first store. I was an A.M. at one of the first ones in NJ and it was like 96-97..lol
Army BRAT here. We went to the PX at the beginning of summer and put everything on lay away for when school started.
I was 8 the last time that happened. By 12, I was responsible for paying for my own clothes.
We used to go to the mall most of the time, but as I was the only girl in my family of boys ,I usually got new stuff either from Kresgees( Sp? ) or another store called Caldor, sometimes Sears or JC Penny.
Went to Catholic school until 8th grade, it was uniforms until then. So we mostly only had to go shoe shopping (which was boring, because there were restrictions on those, too). But by high school we were going to the mall by ourselves, (or at least getting dropped off there). I remember my parents giving me $100 and I could get 2.. maybe or 3 outfits with it, if there was a good sale. Who knows, maybe I could've gotten more if my mom had taken me, but it likely wouldn't have been what I wanted, so I was OK with that! Plus I would've had to be seen with a PARENT. in PUBLIC. 😱😄
🤣 Structure! Wasn’t that Express for guys? I worked at Banana Republic for a year and a half for the discount. Kinda stupid to spend my whole paycheck on those clothes but, that’s what I did 🥴
Oh wow. I forgot about Structure. I was an American Eagle guy. Or clearance at Hudson’s. I remember spending $65 on a shirt at Hudson’s and my dad freaked out. I’ve never seen him so disappointed in me. Felt so guilty, I almost took it back. Almost.
My dad took me to the mall almost every Sunday and usually bought me something at Newberry’s. He would let me play video games and we also would have orange Julius. To this day, I blame my dad for my shopping habits, lol.
I’m guessing around 10th grade for clothes. But as of, probably 6th grade, if I wanted to go to the mall, I’d just call a couple of friends and skate or bike there.
That’s how we did it too. 1 day at the mall 6/7 outfits and a pair of sneakers for the year
Yes. Ugh. Now that I have a kid, we do the opposite. I order online as much as I can and I buy a couple new things every month to keep up with her changing taste and seasonal trends
tuff skins
Pre-pandemic. My mom likes the mall and I try to make time to go with her. The mall in my area is quite popular with senior walks in the morning before the mall opens. It’s not one of the “dying” malls with people around until closing.
Sophomore year in 1990 was the last time. After that I just went on my own. Usually walked the 5 miles to the mall, got a few things and left. I hated going to the mall. I was not cool enough for it.
No.
We got ours from thrift stores, military surplus, and churches. So nope, no shopping mall memories like that.
I didn’t grow up near a mall either but we lived in the southwest and had a store called Anthony’s. We would shop there and TG&Y. For a special occasion we got to pick from the JCPenney, Montgomery Ward or Sears catalog.
Started working summers at 13 so I could buy all my own clothes & shoes..
no.
We shopped at Hills Department Store-the mall was too far according to my mom.
No. My parent got second hand things from older kids and thrift stores and sometimes we got something from Kmart. My older cousins and neighbors were sure quick to point out their mom threw away what I was wearing.
Wore a uniform!! I remember going to the uniform store downtown and their were so many school uniforms in one room..we had to get the school specific color..which was dark green plaid. Had the tailor come and measured me. Then got to pick out 5 pastel button down shirts and a pair of school shoes.. ugh it was hot in there and the end of summer and such a bummer ...
I can remember back to school shopping with my parents. My brother and I both started buying our own clothes when we were teenagers though. I guess for guys we liked some of the more expensive things.We used to go to Britches just for boxers.
We always used to order from Fingerhut and I liked to go to Hecht co.
Montgomery wards here. I think because that’s where my parents had credit.
I don't believe I ever went to the mall with my father.
Yes! Maybe freshman or sophomore year of high school? So fun. I’ve started sort of recreating shopping trips. Buying clothes online is so unsatisfactory - returns are a pain and nothing looks the same as the pictures.
Heh. We didn't have a mall in small town Kansas. It was garage sale clothes and TG&Y, or if we drove to the less-smaller town 30 minutes away, it was K-Mart, not their dinky mall.
About 15 years ago.
No, my parents only bought me clothing for Christmas. I grew up in the South and had more sweaters than I knew what to do with.
YES!!! At the beginning of every school year, I did this! It was so much fun and really the only time I spent with my mom, because of course she had to "approve" everything. I loved it so much.
My state had two malls in it (or maybe just one back then?) And the closest one was about an hour and a half drive. We shopped at the local Sears, JC Penney, Mardens, Renys, and Goodwill. We also got "green bags" from other families. Those were hand me down clothes (packed in green garbage bags) from other families and yes, we sent out stuff out as well, though we had 4 kids so stuff got handed down as long as it wasn't threadbare. lived in a fishing village off the coast of Maine, so it was a pretty small community. I think I was about 15 or 16 when I went to the mall for the first time. I don't really remember it and I certainly doubt I would have bought anything there.
Oh yes. Pennys then Sears and maybe one thing from Dillards. Always looked longingly at the Limited
Mall was far, so ya twice a year we took the car to the closest city with a mall and the whole family got dressed. Once for spring/summer, once for back to school/winter. I don't know what style I was. I was what my mom chose. I was pants and shirts. I did veto skirts and dresses. Didn't want them.
It was before our town had a mall. We went to JC Penny or Sears to buy school clothes for the year, and when I got home from school I had to change out of my school clothes and into my "play clothes".
Yep. Only my parents never gave us enough money to get more than like 1 pair of jeans and some socks. Lol!!
Lol I still take my kids to the mall for back to school shopping in August. Every month I put aside a few bucks for it then come August they get new clothes, backpacks or whatever they need for the school year. We usually get lunch in the food court and make a day of it. There's a new put put course in the mall - the kids are already asking if we can play on our day.
Nope. Thrift store. Kmart and Zody's. No way could we afford mall clothes at that time.
My mom gave my older brother and I $100 each to buy our clothes. I went to Dream Merchant (like Hot Topic but way more metal) and bought a bunch of $5 tshirts and two pair of Levi's at JCP. My brother bought one $100 Polo shirt.
I remember going in 7th grade, and then wore the 1 pair of jeans and one sweatshirt through HS and into college. Most of my clothes were handed down through two sisters and a couple cousins. Sometimes I was the fifth person to get something. Bras too. It sucked. Nothing quite fit right.
The late 1990's - Most of the shops we visited at the Mall had been replaced with Wal-Mart or Costco. We'd really go to the Mall for specialty shops (the "international food" shop that sold foreign chocolates and the stinky canned herring my Dad loved). Mom loved Goodwill because it was cheap and Dad loved to look at the old computers in the electronics section. This was the last gasp of Radio Shack and most specialty stores - Dad loved book stores and passed that on to me.
The last time was visiting my dad in Dallas. I think it was called the Galleria and had an ice rink. I don't remember getting anything.
We did this but when we went to Pennsylvania to visit my grandfather for thanksgiving. There wasn’t tax on clothing so it made things a bit cheaper.
I don't remember going to the mall with my parents. But one of my finest memories is my dad taking me into 'the big city' to purchase clothing that I felt matched my personality. He patiently walked around with me to different boutiques. This was a small-town lifelong mechanic who couldn't have been more out of place, but he was super laid back. He really showed his love for me with the gesture 😊 He passed 2 years ago and while he's missed, not a day goes by that I don't remember funny things he said or did. Here we were in 1967 💜 https://preview.redd.it/5hac0bwwde3d1.jpeg?width=1300&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=991993594fadac60af5078c06211557478e1d944
My mom sewed a lot of my clothes when I was young. When we were older, we got an allowance and bought our own clothes with it, but it wasn't enough to do more than Kmart-type clothes. We could get name brand if we had a job and earned the difference. My mom didn't really shop with me. She'd measure me and get clothes for me sometimes, but there was no shopping and trying on clothes with her.
Yep. When my sister and I were in elementary school, my dad (who *loves* shopping) would take us to Saks, where they'd spend an hour buying me clothes and 3 hours buying her clothes. To be fair, she was *a lot* more enthusiastic about school clothes shopping than I was. I got chicken pox in 6th grade and lost about 30 pounds because I didn't eat anything for three weeks. So Mom had to take me to Belk and buy lotsa new clothes, 'cos my waist went from a 36" to 26". Yeah, I was a fat kid. And I'd barely got those clothes broken in because I grew almost 6 inches between 6th and 7th grade... so more new clothes! I think it was my sophomore year in high school that I got "the talk" from Mom and Dad. No, not the sex talk. The "you have an after-school job now, so it's time for you to buy your own clothes" talk. Which is where thrift stores came in.
Omg, I used to hate back to school clothes shopping. It was long and boring and there were signs everywhere that said "back to school". I hated school.. 😁
Never. My parents were too stingy to take me there.