A & F is not for Aware & Frugal

Sometimes when I go to the mall, I get an inexplicable urge to walk into the ridiculously expensive clothing stores, knowing full well that I will only end up walking out empty handed while sneering at the teenagers who, for some reason seem to think that $30 for one T-shirt is reasonable. Whenever that happens I walk my $30 into Wal-Mart to cheer myself up, and end up walking out with five or six T-shirts, and sometimes a handbag or some shoes.

Hollister, one of the most popular clothing stores, starts their T-shirts at $16.50, which isn't exactly ridiculous, but they can go as high as $34.50--for one tee. As long as I'm dropping names, here's another big one: Abercrombie & Fitch. Their tees start at $30 and can go as high as $44--again, for one tee. I walk into these stores in a semi-naive manner, and feel like a hopeless pauper because I can't buy one T-shirt without feeling like I've somehow been owned. However, when I walk into Wal-Mart I see tees starting at $5--and that's before clearances, when they have any-- and flip flops (personally my favorite kind of shoes because they're so comfy) as low as $2. Flip flops at A & F would be $20 to $58, and $16 to $39.50 at Hollister.
If you wanna take about a minute to process the incredibly high numbers I've been throwing at you, feel free, or you could use that minute for resuscitation.

Why someone would pay $58 for mere straps to cover their feet is beyond me. I guess the truth is that because of a certain name on a tag, a certain piece of apparel can cost nearly ten times more than another piece with similar style and design, yet with a lesser known name on the tag.
That's the sad truth of society. If you wanted to here the happy truth, then you probably should've went to a blog with a different title.

I have to mention that the prices I gave for all items mentioned are for women's apparel, so prices are likely to differ for men's. Also, some item prices are from the company's website, and the in-store prices may differ or particular stores may not offer those items.