My Critique of Some Popular Clothing Stores

Just a note: Yesterday Dustin and I went shopping at a large mall in the plex. It was fun but I did not buy hardly anything -- although I was very tempted. Unlike many females, I think I possess the power to control that "temptation" to buy (sometimes I like this control but other times, after I get back from the mall, I think "I should have just broken loose!"). I enjoy shopping -- but only if I already know what it is that I am looking for. I don't care much for "browsing" (unless I am really, really bored) -- mostly because walking that much kills my feet! ha ha. So anyway, I want provide everyone with my review of a few popular clothing stores. The clothing lines I speak of generally pertain to young women's lines...

EXPRESS: I give its women's clothing line high praise (I don't know much about the men's line though). Although this store is pricey, it is the price one should expect to pay these days for durable, quality clothing. The clothing line at the Express is very sleek and sophisticate. I have always been particularly impressed with their dress pants. Aside from having a variety of patterns to choose from, their general line of fashionable dress pants are very durable and seemingly well made. Many department stores such as JcPenney's and Dillard's sell cute (cute as in cute for young people) "dress pants" for around $30 or so -- but, from my observations, these are normally poorly made (easily "snagged") and the materials are very flimsy (and more likely to show panty lines -- for women who wear panties!). <-- Then again, does fashion really need to be durable? After all, it is always changing! Express, at least right now, offers cute, quality dress shirts -- many non-iron -- that can be worn for numerous occasions. All in all, the Express is where you'd want to go to find something to wear for an event that wasn't casual but wasn't too formal either. A very nice store indeed!

AMERICAN EAGLE (AE): This store has always been one of my favorites. I have many items of clothing from this store. I am not so sure about the "durability" of their clothes, but I don't care -- I love their clothes! At this store, both men and women alike can purchase totally hip, in-style casual clothing. On any lazy day, I can throw their clothes on when I get out of bed and feel good knowing that, although I'm wearing casual clothes, I at least look somewhat decent! Also, I love their men's clothing line -- it would be hard for a man not to look nice in their clothing. I really like how AE is an advocate for the "layering" of clothing in both women and men. Some people probably don't like that, but I seem to like that "just threw somethin' on" look. I am not always happy with their prices, however. AE's clothing line reminds me a lot of that of Abercrombie & Fitch -- and so do their prices (though I think AE is, generally, a little less expensive). A lot of their stuff, although cute, I could have most likely picked up at a thrift store for half the price. Whatever the case, I still love the store!

THE GAP: I used to be a big fan of this store and I still shop there occasionally. However, it seems that in recent years their variety of selection has significantly deplinished. I now know to go there only if I want a t-shirt that says something like "GAP" on it or if I want a plain old, usually solid colored, sweater or blouse. Wanting those things isn't bad at all -- they have some cute stuff. However, it seems like that is all they ever have these days. Also, I don't know much about their men's line either. Another negative thing is that, to me, they seem a bit pricey -- but they have always seemed pricey. For the most part, The GAP is still a nice store.

OLD NAVY: After posting this, one of my readers, Nathan, asked about Old Navy. I had completely forgotten about it. Thanks Nathan! So, about Old Navy -- I really wish it was called "Old Marines"... just kidding! I have shopped at this store off and on for many years. The thing that really stands out, to me, are their reasonable prices. Their jeans, shirts, flip flops, gloves, coats, etc. are usually available at a decent price. From personal experience, all of the Old Navy jeans and sweaters that I have owned have held up quite well. Their signature fleece sweaters are very comfy in the winter and seem to be fairly durable throughout the years. I had a few Old Navy fleece sweaters that lasted me for a few years up until they got stolen during my sophomore year of college. The type of clothes this store carries kind of seems like a mixture between The GAP and American Eagle. I don't know how else to explain it. I don't have anything really bad to say about this store except for the fact that it is often located right outside of malls (there are several stores, typically found in malls, that are this way) -- which can be an inconvenience if one plans a shopping trip to a mall yet the Old Navy is located down the street. I suppose it is just a matter of driving one's lazy butt down the street! I suppose it is better to at least have an Old Navy down the street than none at all. Whatever the case, I like this store.

CHARLOTTE RUSSE: I have only recently become familiar with this store but, I have to say, "so far so good." The prices are usually decent and they have some of the cutest, hippest stuff on the market. However, I am not sure how durable a lot of their clothing is. Their general "Charolette Russe" line does not "look" too bad -- but the store also sells general clothing brands that I have seen in other stores -- and some of those brands, I know from experience, can put out some quite crappily made clothes. For the most part, though, I would recommend shopping at this store -- it's a hip, hot, and fun place to go!

THE WET SEAL: I am not the biggest fan of this store but they do have some cute things in it. This store has some good clothes for someone looking to find something cool to wear "clubbing." I have purchased things from here, back in the days, for that reason (though I don't really care much for clubbing, myself, not that it's bad either). One thing -- I am a pretty skinny girl (though pretty tall) and, still, many of their clothes my size don't even fit me. I know that might seem shocking but it's true. One has to be quite tiny to shop at this store.

FOREVER 21: I have not shopped here in a while and am not sure if this store even exists anymore -- but I wanted to talk about it anyway. I don't have too much to say about this store except this -- about a year ago I bought three different items of clothing from there and ALL of them had a defect (i.e., messed up seams, tiny hidden holes) -- I did not notice this until I had gotten home. Though they weren't terrible looking defects, I did feel I was somewhat cheated out of my money.

Department Store Spotlight:

JCPENNEY: I love this store! Although, like I mentioned earlier, many of their young women's clothes are not always durable (if you care about durability) but, all around, it seems to be a pretty good place to shop as they have a little bit of everything to choose from. I, personally, love to buy my jeans from JcPenney -- they have such a selection to choose from and they are always the latest styles. I do buy some of their dress pants but, usually no matter what brand it is, they snag or fall apart sooner than I think they should -- maybe I am just rough on them -- but I don't wear dress pants that often! Here's my observation/opinion: If the jeans or dress pants come with a cheap, many times weird-looking, belt attached to them -- they're probably not going to last too long (nor the belt -- I normally just throw those belts now anyway). Overall, I would recommend JcPenney to anyone and their dog because they have just a little bit of everything one needs in the area of clothing.

Do Some Religions Still Suppress Science?

Galileo Galilei

Several centuries ago, many scientists were punished for publicly professing scientific theories that were not approved of by the Roman Catholic Church. Anything that did not go hand-in-hand with the views and beliefs of the church was deemed heretical and the person seeming in opposition (the scientist) would suffer serious consequences (i.e., death, imprisonment, etc.). This is evidenced when Pope Urban VIII placed Galileo on permanent house arrest in 1633 for excessively advocating Copernican theory in his book, Dialogue Concerning Two Chief World Systems, as well as in his teachings. Galileo spent the last nine years of his life on house arrest. What a horrible way for such a brilliant mind to have to go!

To me, when the church punished scientists in this manner, it was weak on behalf of the church – or at least on behalf of Pope Urban VIII. A church that punishes scientists and their theories is a church that is not stable in its faith. They fear the demise of their fellowship. Any authority (i.e., church, government) that suppresses the views of others has either (a) something terrible to hide or (b) an intense fear of failure. Why did a church, so reverent in God’s power, worry about scientists like Galileo and Copernicus anyway? Did they believe such men and their theories were more powerful than God? They were obviously afraid that such scientific teachings would turn believers away from the church. As a religious body, where was their faith in God that he would not allow for such a force as science to come between the church and its people?

I want to know what you think: Although science has conquered mountains within the last hundred years, do you think some churches/religions are still, to this day, seeking to suppress it? And what would they be afraid of – that science is going to disprove God? In my opinion, I believe God will one day be solidly proven through science. Perhaps God was the force of energy that caused “The Big Bang” that so many religions cringe at. Also, why do people still complain about students learning the theory of evolution in school? After all, it is just a theory and, in my opinion, they should be allowed to form their own opinions about it. Again, I don’t think suppression of knowledge is the right way to bring people to God. Openness is the key to success.

Who will be the next "Apprentice"? My Thoughts:

Jennifer. This picture is from: http://apprentice.tv.yahoo.com/candidates/jenm.html

Jennifer is who I want to win the position. Right now there are four candidates left (who I won't name incase you haven't yet seen who was "fired" tonight). I am going to be really shocked if the final two candidates are not her and Kelly. I believe they are the two most logical, business-oriented, capable persons left of the four. Either one of them, in my opinion, would make a great Apprentice and for this reason, I am not going to say who I think will win. Jenn has only been pulled into the board room once (I think), maybe twice -- but she really had no business being in there (although some of her seemingly jealous teammates thought otherwise). The reason I want Jenn to win is because she doesn't seem to have time for games. She seems to know how to work well with her teammates, get to the point, and get tasks-accomplished. Unlike most of the female candidates who have been on the show, Jenn takes little time to criticize the other girls. Although she probably wants to criticize, she remains task-oriented and doesn't have time for childish B.S. I think she is one of the first female candidates in a long while to actually have her head on straight. Besides that, her marks as a successful business woman are quite impressive! Go Jenn! Read her biography that I have posted here(which is from http://apprentice.tv.yahoo.com/candidates/jenm.html ):

The question shouldn't be what Jennifer brings to the table? The better question is what doesn't this stunning 29 year old have on her impressive resume?

Jennifer was born and raised in the south, and though she's lost the accent, she still has the dignified air of a southern belle. She left the south for Princeton, where she majored in English and graduated magna cum laude/Phi Betta Kappa. She was also nominated for the Pyne Award, the highest honor that can be bestowed on a Princeton student. Jennifer then went on to Harvard where she attained her law degree.

While at Harvard, Jennifer was heavily recruited by a powerful San Francisco law firm, where she now serves as a securities litigator, working with management teams from startups all the way to Fortune 500 companies. She resides in San Francisco with her husband Aron.

With such an impressive list of credentials it's easy to see why Jennifer will give the other candidates a run for their money as she attempts to be named "The Apprentice."

Kelly. This picture is from: http://apprentice.tv.yahoo.com/candidates/kelly.html

Ah yes, Kelly! For the longest time I really thought Kelly would be the only one capable of being "The Apprentice" (yet now Jenn has stepped up). He has an impressive resume and even recieved a letter of recommendation from Vice President Dick Cheney in order to get into West Point (which, by the way, is the alma mater of one of my older brothers)! I am not sure, but I think he has only been pulled into the board room one time -- and he DID deserve to be pulled in, even though he had exemption that time. He, like Jenn, has his head on straight. He is a friendly competitor and is typically cognizant and competent of getting the job done when duty calls. He is the oldest competitor and, therefore, has many years of experiences under his belt. He can be a cocky hard head -- which is probably due to his military background. I can see him being one of Trump's next right-hand mans -- that is IF he can overpower Jenn. Still, I really want Jenn to win, and I think Trump really really favors her. Kelly, I think, has made a few more bad decisions then Jenn lately. This, I think, will play in the back of Trump's mind. However, I still would not be surpised if he is the next Apprentice. It is really going to be a tough competition. I pray it is Kelly and Jenn in the finals. Read his impressive bio down below (which I got from: http://apprentice.tv.yahoo.com/candidates/kelly.html):

At 37, Kelly is the oldest of the candidates. You'd be hard-pressed to find a situation that Kelly hasn't seen before. He'll look to that experience to lead him to the top.

First and foremost a disciplinarian, a quiet intensity has helped Kelly to achieve success in many facets of life. Raised in Lexington, Kentucky, he's a southern boy at heart and wears his chivalry on his sleeve. He was often left to attend to his three younger brothers, and he learned valuable lessons attempting to keep them out of trouble.

Kelly attended West Point with the help of a letter of recommendation from Vice President Dick Cheney. After graduating from West Point he completed Ranger school and served two years as an intelligence officer in the US Army. Once his military service ended, Kelly moved on to UCLA where he earned an MBA and a JD simultaneously, finishing in the top15% of his class. After overseeing numerous start-ups, Kelly is now the President of CoreObjects, an outsourced software development company based in Los Angeles, CA.

With a confidence bordering on cockiness, Kelly believes that he has the upper hand in any debate, which should serve him well as he attempts to take the title, "The Apprentice."