A Tale of Two Fashionistas

This week, Rachel and Aubrey went back to school. What an exciting time of year! New beginnings, new friends, new classes, and of course, new clothes. In anticipation of the new school year, the girls and I went shopping. Once again, this shopping trip pointed out to me how different my girls are—yet how very delightful and extraordinary to me.

First, we headed to the mall. Each girl had the exact same budget but chose to spend it completely differently. Rachel headed straight for The Buckle, where she loves the high-end jeans. She’d much rather spend her money on just a few pieces that are “must haves” despite the price tag. Aubrey prefers the casual, layered look of Pac-Sun (or better yet: a vintage clothier!), which happily for me, was just down the hall from the Buckle. I spent my time shuttling between the stores’ dressing rooms!

By the time the girls were finished, Rachel had chosen a few ready-for-the runway pieces from exclusive department stores. She looked like a cover girl! Aubrey would much rather spend an afternoon culling through consignment shops for vintage chic items that are one-of-a-kind. She had chosen a lot more clothes than Rachel, but hers all had that cool retro vibe. She is absolutely beautiful and unique: interesting, smart, and able to “own” that retro style. Looking at their selections had me grinning: can you imagine two more different approaches to fashion?

Each of my daughters had a little leftover wardrobe money, and they both decided to do something special. True to form, Aubrey headed down to a local thrift store where she fell in love with a used guitar. It’s a perfect fit for her style, and she’s really becoming quite the musician. Rachel, on the other hand, took her surplus budget and went straight to the salon. She opted for "eyelash extensions", which if you’ve never seen one done, is quite the process—four and a half hours sitting in a chair while a stylist painstakingly attaches an eyelash into your lashes one at a time! I don’t know that I’d have the patience for the process, but the results were pretty eye-opening: she looked great!

Both girls headed off to school—books, bags, and signature style in tow. (And yes, I still tear up a little each year watching my children grow and go. I love you, my two fashionistas!)