Attention Grabbers for Girls
Last week we braved the pre-Christmas jungle at Ventura County malls to find out what teen boys and young men are shopping for as 1998 comes to a close.
What we found was a long list of hip-hop clothing (also known as urban street wear) and beach wear, headed by big-name brands such as Fubu, Tommy Hilfiger, Nautica, Anchor Blue, Adidas, Quicksilver and Billabong.
Being the equal-opportunity clothes hounds we are, we checked in this week with teen girls and young women.
What apparel has caught their eyes? What are they most likely to pick up over the next few days in exchange for unwanted Christmas gifts?
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As far as Ventura teens Jessica Seeley and her friend Denielle Mucciacito, both 14, are concerned, the selection of quality and stylish fashion--pants, shirts, shoes, sweatshirts, T-shirts and other accessories--is wide open.
When asked at the Buenaventura Mall to list the best of the bunch, the girls had to pause, catch their breath and confer. “Surfing stuff is big,” Denielle said after some thought.
“Yeah, surfing stuff is big,” Jessica said. “Oh, there’s lots of big brands--Roxy, Quicksilver, Adidas--Adidas is really big. LEI jeans too. The brands are basically all the same price. It just depends what you like.”
The girls’ parents were not on hand to offer a different view on the cost of clothing, which can range widely depending on the name on the label.
Elsewhere at the Buenaventura Mall, Tiffany Gunnels, 15, of Ventura sat in her wheelchair with a Miller’s Outpost bag--promoting the retail chain’s Anchor Blue brand of clothing--hanging from the chair’s back. Despite the advertising, Tiffany ranked competitors Adidas and Nike as her top picks in apparel.
“I just like the style, it doesn’t really matter what [brand] they’re from,” Tiffany said. “I guess I like them because everybody else likes them.”
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During the holidays everyone becomes an expert shopper. They travel to malls outside their neighborhoods and quickly attain an air of shopping competence.
Such was the aura emanating from Kate Chapek, 19, of Ventura and her four companions as they marched determinedly through the Buenaventura Mall.
“I shop in L.A. We don’t shop here, we go to Santa Barbara and Thousand Oaks,” Chapek said. “You know what is awesome? The outlet malls. The affordability. You can get Guess and Esprit for much less than you can in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara.”
For her money, Chapek said, she would go with brand names Express, Bebe and Lucky Jeans, along with a variety of other designer jeans labels.
Over at Chapek’s usual hangout, The Oaks mall, a check with the Thousand Oaks merchants ranked Paris Blue, LEI jeans, Mudd, Guess and Calvin Klein brands at the top of the list among the general young female population.
The Roxy surf-wear brand also headed the list at Macy’s. Over at Miller’s Outpost, the store brand Anchor Blue is a leader, with Levi’s and Union Bay also popular selections.
