Although The Mall of America claims to be the biggest mall in America, The King of Prussia Mall states that it is “the largest shopping mall in the United States in terms of gross leasable area, with a gross leasable area of 2,900,000 square feet.” Okay. Why is it called “King of Prussia”? Because it’s in King of Prussia, PA. Why is the town called that? Because it was named after a 18th century inn of the same name, which is named after Frederick the Great.
Anyway.
This is THE mall. Where I live, there’s a little mall, a “big” mall and then there’s KOP which has practically every store there is. Drive time is 15 minutes, 30 minutes and 60 minutes respectively. If I want, I could drive into NYC in about an hour and 45.
So, we are in a place and time where we can buy almost anything online. And I do. But so often I think, I want to see it all, touch it, try it on. I only really like to order online if I get free shipping both ways. I know, I’m spoiled. This is what led me to drive an hour to Philly. I had ordered some things from J. Crew and didn’t want to spend money to ship them back. No, instead I’d spend money to drive really far to return them at what is now the closest J. Crew. We used to have a J. Crew up here but it closed. But, I’d also get to look at some other brands we don’t have here like Madewell. And it was an excuse to get out of the house.
To say that place is overwhelming is an understatement. I logged over 12,000 steps that day! I went into a few places I’d heard about from other bloggers and always wanted to experience in real life but in the end I really didn’t get excited by much that I saw. I was prepared to be a little bit “bad” and spend more money than I should and I actually left empty handed.
Here’s a list of all the stores at King of Prussia (skipping food, men’s and sportswear), divided up by where I’ve shopped, where I want to shop someday and where I’ll pass:
BEEN THERE, BOUGHT THAT
Aerie – used to be my fave for underthings, now it’s GAP
Ann Taylor – A little too “office” for me
Anthropologie – I’m over it
Athleta – All the time
Banana Republic – Sadly, my go-to
Clark’s – I’ve had some luck here
Coach – A couple splurges
DSW – I live here
GAP – All the basics please
H&M – Fun times!
J. Crew – So much. Closest is KOP
LOFT – Too much
Lucky – Less these days
Madewell – Pretty in love. Closest is KOP
Nordstrom – Dangerous. Closest is KOP
Old Navy – Just for the kids, and PJs
Steve Madden – Many shoes have I owned
Urban Outfitters – A bit young, but still good. Closest is KOP
Vans – Sk8rgrl
Zara – Once or twice. Closest is KOP
IN MY DREAMS
Bloomingdale’s
Burberry
Cartier
Carolina Herrera
COS – This was my fave part of my recent visit to KOP!
Diane Von Furstenberg
GUCCI
Hermes
Jimmy Choo
Kate Spade
Longchamp
Lord & Taylor – THE department store when I was growing up in DC
Neiman Marcus
Rag & Bone – Want!
Saint Laurent
Tiffany & Co.
Tory Burch
Vince – bought a jacket from a thrift store in NYC
THANKS, I’LL PASS
Abercrombie & Fitch
Aéropostale
American Eagle
BCBGMAXAZRIA
Bottega Venetta
Brooks Brothers – I bought one pair of used chinos that I love
BVLGARI
Calvin Klein Underwear
Chico’s
Club Monaco
David Yurman
Diesel
Ecco
Eddie Bauer
Eileen Fisher
Everything But Water
Express – not since the 90s
Fendi
Forever 21
Francesca’s
Free People – kind of cool
G-Star RAW
Garage
Guess
Hanna Andersen
Hollister
Icing
Intimissi
J. Jill
Johnny Was
Johnston & Murphy
Joie – I did take a look…
L.L Bean
Lane Bryant
Lily Pulitzer
Loro Piana
Louis Vuitton
Lululemon
Macy’s
Michael Kors
New York & Co.
Nick + Zoe – I checked it out this trip
Omega
PacSun
Pink
Ralph Lauren
Salvatore Ferragamo
Soma
Spanx
Talbots
Ted Baker
Timberland
Tommy Bahama
True Religion
UGG
Untuckit
Vera Bradley
Victoria Secret
Vineyard Vines
White House Black Market
HONESTLY, NO CLUE
AAO
Altar’d State
Brighton
Calzedonia
Ermenegildo Zegna
Dynamite
Henig Furs
Henri Bendal
Marc Cain
Marmot
MCM
Paula Hian
Philipp Plein
Primark
Rigby & Peller
Robert Grant
South Moon Under
St John
Superdry
Tadashi Shoji
Thomas Pink
Torrid
Tumi
Villa
Wolford
Zuminez
That’s it. Let me know if there are any brands you know and love. Do you think I should I rethink any of these? The great thing is I realized I am not missing out. Also, I now know what they have at KOP and that it’s not that far. I might have to go again soon for the Shake Shack alone!
[Updated to include the entire year and notes on whether or not I made good choices]
Last year around this time I turned over the finances to my husband. In 14 years of marriage I have aways managed the money but a new level of soul searching and letting go led me to “try” something new. We don’t have an unusual amount of conflict around spending—just the normal amount. 😉 But when we look at where we’ve been overspending it’s almost always the same: clothing, dining and recreation. We set a budget and go over that budget. And, honestly, the clothing category is all me. So, all this to say, I had to start being “good.” For the last year I was given a monthly cash allowance of roughly what I should have been spending all along. Allowance is for anything outside of the budget. Oh yeah, “Clothing” ceased to be a category. My “mad money” was to pay for clothing, make up, hair, nails, etc. But, it gets tricky when ordering things on-line. I have to use a Credit card and then pay it back with cash. It got pretty confusing and so I kind of gave up keeping track. I honestly didn’t know if I had been good. I mean, I kind of knew I wasn’t when the Nordstrom sale came around in the Spring. (Stitch Fix also contributed to my downfall.) A lot of what I bought has been underwear and workout-wear which I don’t think should count toward “additions to my closet” but whatev. I’ll also mention that I justified overspending by selling clothes on Poshmark. I made about $225 from Postmark sales.
The following is what I added to my wardrobe this year:
Lucky Jeans – Hayden High Rise Skinny Jean in Farolito $129 – I bought to replace the jeggings and then kept both. Look great. Kind of tight.
December $0
So that’s the extent of it. I know that may seem like a lot to spend to some people (or very little to others) and I hesitated to include prices but for me it’s important to drag it out into the light of day. To be true to myself. Throughout the year I bought and returned quite a few items. I knew they weren’t right, that I wouldn’t wear them. Some of what I bought (and kept) turned out to be great decisions, and others were not. Live and learn, I guess. It makes me see that I can stand to be a lot more intentional in my buying process. To my credit, I tend to pin things to a wish list board and then wait a while before pulling the trigger.
My ultimate goal is to enjoy what I wear, how I look and then get on with it. You know? I hope somebody somewhere gets some inspiration from this, on how to have fun with clothes, but, like in a grown-up-y way.
My new favorite thing is Poshmark. I originally heard about it through another blogger Lindsey Kubly. It’s the perfect place to sell clothes you no longer wear and find things you want to buy for really good prices. Selling is so easy. The phone App makes it really simple and quick to post items. When they sell, you get an email with a prepaid mailing label and when the buyer accepts the shipment the money goes right into your Poshmark account.
Here are some of the items I’ve gotten so far this year:
ATHLETA LEGGINGS: $30
Spin twins!
GAP BLACK GIRLFRIEND JEANS: $20
JBRAND ARMY SHORTS: $8
MADEWELL EMBROIDERED TOP: $13
JCREW STRAW MARKET TOTE: $20
I got a few other things not pictured (a pair of like-new Gap capri leggings for $13, a pair of Madewell shoes for $60 and Lancome makeup set for $20) and I’ve been happy with everything I’ve bought. Some of my purchases were exact items I was searching for, like the above tote that I used to own and lost last year. So far to date I’ve sold a total of $275 worth of clothing. That’s money I either used to buy stuff on Poshmark or transferred into my bank account to cover things I bought that were outside of my clothing budget. Win-win! Try it out.
I love Nordstom… “à la distance.” There’s no store near me but since they offer free shipping both ways and were having a sale, I thought, why not order a bunch of stuff online? I won’t keep any of it, I’ll just try it on, from the comfort of my bedroom.
None of these items were impulse buys. They were carefully selected over months of pinning and researching and waiting. I’ve curbed my clothing purchases this year partly due to a new family budget and because I “don’t need another thing.”
I picked these sandals because I have been wanting a comfy slide forEVER. I love a platform and I love a shoe I can just slip on and off and honestly that’s what I’m going to pick all summer. I can only wear my two dollar Old Navy flip flops so much. I chose red (very unusual for me) because it compliments all the blue in my wardrobe, but these come in a few great colors/patterns. The straps are leather, the insole is leather (bonus) and they have espadrille-style soles. I love them! The only con is the straps have a manmade lining that smells like a pool raft. I had to get them as my best friend Joan told me to. VERDICT: KEEP
I don’t know why but I didn’t take a pic in these. These ballet flats are perfect in every way. They tick all the boxes. Classic. Black. Comfortable. Leather. Well constructed. No weird embellishments. And they were on sale! And yet, when I searched deep into my heart of hearts I knew…they just aren’t me. After years of searching for the perfect classic ballet flat I realized I don’t need a classic ballet flat. VERDICT: RETURN
One needs a gray tank top. If you haven’t gone hunting for one recently, there are so many versions. Many of them have some weird detail: twist front, twist back, tie front/back, lace, high-low hem, etc. I tried this very basic option and sized up from my usual medium to a large and you can see it’s a very unflatteringly skin-tight. Grrr. VERDICT: RETURN
BTW, I think I ought to change my name to “Heather Steel.”
I have been obsessed about finding a really good pair of jean shorts—more polished than the above pictured cut offs. It’s not easy, but nothing in life really is. Although these look pretty good to me now, I thought the size 30 I got was a little too big. I think a high rise short should be fitted not loose. I could have tried my usual 29 size but not sure I wanted a tight jean short? I really liked the stretch and the look but I couldn’t get comfortable with them being up high on the waist and on the thigh. Sad face. VERDICT: RETURN
My favorite J. Crew Martie pants were starting to show their age and were quite tight on the booty (not in a good way) so I’ve been on the hunt for a new pair of cropped, tapered trousers that are stretchy and slimming. I’ve never owed anything from Top Shop (I know, “gasp”) and the price made me skeptical. I loved them the second I tried them on. I’ve been moving away from low rise pants and really love the rise on these. The fabric isn’t too thick. They’re machine wash/line dry and look great from the back. Yay. VERDICT: KEEP
This shirt was the last to arrive and I was sure it would go right back. The day it arrived I had just gone to the Gap to look for shorts and got two long sleeve striped shirts that were beautiful and on sale. I didn’t need another striped shirt! When I took it out of the package I realized it was slinky and I read the fabric content and saw it was modal. I am not a fan of modal. I like a plain ol’ cotton. Then I tried it on and fell in love. I mean, I’ll let you know when I wash it… but, sigh, I had to keep it. It feels so good, drapes so good, looks so good. I’m in love. Green love. Amour Vert is one of those brands I keep hearing about for their sustainability. Read more at amourvert.com. VERDICT: KEEP
So, my just trying on/not buying plan clearly didn’t work very well. Damn you Nordstrom! Why are you so awesome?!
In other news, I have been cleaning out my closet consistently. I donate to friends and the local thrift store and I have sold quite a lot on POSHMARK. You can check out my closet here.
I thought it would be fun to see what I got from Stitch Fix recently. (I had forgot that I hadn’t turned the service off but just scheduled the shipments to be less frequent.) Here’s what was in my box:
OLIVE GREEN SHIRT
It would look better ironed. I loved the color and style, kind of a Anine Bing look, but I wasn’t sure it was really “me.”
WHITE JEANS
These jeans fit good, felt good. I liked that they had a high-ish waist, some distressing and the drop hem, but I didn’t like how thin they were. I have two pairs of white jeans that are good. Starting to feel so sad/conflicted. My stylist really gets me, almost too much!
WHITE SHIRT & NAVY SHORTS
At this point I dragged my daughter into the decision-making process. She’s so savvy. 🙂 The shirt is so soft. It’s meant to be crinkled, btw. Again, I had to be honest with myself that I wouldn’t wear it. I have four white button downs that are neglected as it is. The shorts fit perfectly, felt comfy and looked great (from the back too), but I thought they were a little too preppy. Also, I have other chino shorts.
SHORT SLEEVE SWEATSHIRT
This top has the cutest sort of pleated sleeves. Its a soft, luxurious cotton that drapes nicely. And I love navy so much.
So that’s the five pieces. I decided since I was spending the $20 styling fee anyway, I was definitely going to keep at least one item. (This is how I talked myself into buying things the last two times. They’re so smart.) And it was at this point that I looked at the prices. I was leaning toward the shorts. But I loved the navy top…which was $148! It’s Joie, a somewhat luxe brand that I’ve never owed before. Ahh, decisions.
So, the next day, I tried them all on again, this time with other clothes, following the enclosed style suggestions.
And there you have it. Hardest decision I’ve ever made. In the end I chose to only keep the navy top. And I’m wearing it right now.
My name is Leigh. I am a graphic designer and a photographer. I love minimalism, danish modern decor, clogs, books, and art of all kinds. I strive to live a healthy life and promote sustainability.
