Shopping with your teenager(s)

[Mayk]

My DH is just now big enough at 14 to fit in Hollister. We were there tonight. I didn't realize how loud this store is! We had to text to talk. As much as I despise Forever 21 at least it's quiet. I'm so glad she wants me to go but I think I need ear plugs. I loving the teen years but that was a new one for me.

 

[Enerchi]

OMG! I totally comprehend this!! I've been with DD in Holister and decided I could NOT continue in that store a moment longer! (did you mean DD in your original post??? or is DH finally 14, too??? LMAO!! )

I can handle Forever 21 and thought there was pretty cool stuff there. When we were in NYC 2 years ago for my mother's 75th bDay, my DD was with us and outside the Fifth Ave store there were 2 *STUNNINGLY AWESOMELY GOOD LOOKING* models... we had to stop and take photos with DD and the dudes!! She was in heaven... heck... I almost wanted MY pic taken with them too!!! But in the store - can't handle the over stimulation of my senses. Man, I am soooooo old

 

[KaeKae]

My daughters are 14 and 17, so we've been to Hollister, and yes it's loud! I forget, do they also spray the heck out of the place with their 'perfume' like Abecrombie? (they pump it in through the air conditioning vents. That gets to me even more than the volume. In fact, one time, I had to leave before even getting to the back of the store, because the smell gave me a migraine. The few times one of the girls has really wanted to go in when we're shopping together, I've stayed outside and had them text me a picture from the dressing room. How's that for crazy things we'll do for our kids?

 

[Enerchi]

RIGHT!!! KaeKae, I must have blocked out that intense perfume assault that takes place!! Its like you are encased in the bottle of scent! Much too much - but I guess somehow, it sure appeals to that demographic.

I love Ann Taylor - quiet, tailored, 'old lady' stuff! Sucks to not be cool anymore, doesn't it?

 

[Mayk]

OMG! I totally comprehend this!! I've been with DD in Holister and decided I could NOT continue in that store a moment longer! (did you mean DD in your original post??? or is DH finally 14, too??? LMAO!! )

I can handle Forever 21 and thought there was pretty cool stuff there. When we were in NYC 2 years ago for my mother's 75th bDay, my DD was with us and outside the Fifth Ave store there were 2 *STUNNINGLY AWESOMELY GOOD LOOKING* models... we had to stop and take photos with DD and the dudes!! She was in heaven... heck... I almost wanted MY pic taken with them too!!! But in the store - can't handle the over stimulation of my senses. Man, I am soooooo old

OMG yes! DD... Abercrombie didnt seem so loud..but smelly yes!

Forever 21 has so much stuff and she does love it...but her mom was a preppy so I really love the Hollister stuff.. I love the jeans and button downs and shes wearing Sperry Topsiders.. Its so fun for me too..So Im thrilled she wants to shop there...I just wasn't prepared to go from Abrecrombie Kids to loud, loud, loud! I think the kids store is more quiet since the parents are there with the shoppers.

 

[Mayk]

RIGHT!!! KaeKae, I must have blocked out that intense perfume assault that takes place!! Its like you are encased in the bottle of scent! Much too much - but I guess somehow, it sure appeals to that demographic.

I love Ann Taylor - quiet, tailored, 'old lady' stuff! Sucks to not be cool anymore, doesn't it?

I'm so square. I love Anthropologie, Brooks Brothers and sometimes White House Black Market. There are also a couple boutiques in our town I like..

 

[Enerchi]

oh yes! White House/Black Market - love that look too!

I am so square and boring whereas my DD is much more current and fashionable. If I could wear a burlap sack all day/everyday, I think I'd be okay with that. So much easier to get dressed in the morning!

And I can't handle too much smell or sound. But maybe its all relative, do you think if we were in a diamond store, surrounded by OEC's or fluorescent diamonds, would we even pay attention to the noise or scent? Maybe they can tune out the periphery when it comes to a certain style and who knows - maybe we could do if it were something that we were devoted to as well?!?

Thought provoking, yes???

 

[iLander]

Am I the only H&M fan here? I love shopping with my teen there! They have some of the best cut, best fitting button down shirts I've ever seen! I bought 5 of them! At $20 each, I can afford 5 of them!

Yes, they are a loud store, but for that kind of pricing, I can (almost) ignore it.

Next time anyone is in NYC, go to Uniqlo, they do FREE while you wait pants alterations! Short people rejoice!!

 

[Mayk]

H&M just opened here. It's not in a great shopping mall. DD is just now big enough. We went in one when we were in Boston and everything was too big....

DD is starting to like jewelry I liked it better when she was only into music and clothes...

 

[Haven]

I have a great story about Hollister!

DH and I went in there to get a gift for our niece, and the music was so disorienting to DH that he actually walked right into a huge, full-length mirror! We were heading out of the store and I thought he was joking around because I saw him walking towards it, but nope--he just walked directly into that mirror. I laughed so hard. DH wasn't amused.

That was the first and last time we've ever been in that store.

 

[radiantquest]

I know that I very much dislike Hollister. Not only is it way too loud it is also too dark to properly shop.

Thank god shes now old enough to have a boyfriend that drives so we don't have to take her. It was hell!

 

[JaneSmith]

I don't like shopping in stores that seem more like nightclubs than clothes shops.
I feel like someone is more likely to sell me some E than sell me some jeans.

Haven, your mirror vs DH story made me laugh.

 

[4ever]

This sounds like a sales technique Supre (AUS based teen girls store) has successfully used to boost sales.

They found by turning up the volume of the music in their stores parents didn't want to stay in the store while their kids tried stuff on. Instead parents would take a walk to the nearest Starbucks and have a coffee and leave their teen to shop alone. They then returned to the store and purchased what their kid had selected which was consistently many more items and/or a higher value than if they shopped with the parent.

I have also been told Supre don't lease any new store fronts which don't have a coffee shop near by.

 

[justginger]

Supre and Hollister aren't very much alike, but I get where you're going with the music issue, 4ever. I've found Supre to be in like warehouse-type buildings with the WORST lighting ever. Anyone who tries something on is guaranteed to NOT buy it, because a 25" inch waist suddenly looks lumpy and your normally beautiful skin looks like that of a meth addict. Hollister is very much the opposite. The lighting is very soft and flattering - if you can wedge yourself in it without popping a button, the mirror will make you look like a svelte supermodel.

Confession: I am a Hollister-ite. I am a jeans and tshirt sorta girl. But it was quite a shock when I went back into one of their stores after being in Australia for a year or so. Having not walked by or casually dropped in from time to time, the DEAFENING LOUDNESS was absolutely overwhelming. I was only 22 and felt like my 55 year old mother, whinging about the music.

 

[diamondringlover]

My youngest son who is 15 despises shopping, my oldest son who is 26 loved shopping, I have to pull teeth to get my youngest to shop for his clothes, so we seldom shop unless necessary. My oldest use to love going to all those really noisy stores...they gave me a headache and drove me batty, Hollister was one of the worse offenders, I hate going into that store...my oldest son worked at Buckle when he was younger and it was bad too, I dont know how it stood it

 

[imitcan]

Do you know how many times I have spoken to the manager(s) of Hollister in the mall we go to regarding the volume of the music? About 4 times!! Thankfully, the nearest one is about an hour away from where we live so we don't go that often. After the manager looks at me like I have 3 heads, she proceeds to explain that the volume level is set by "head office" so that the experience is the same regardless of which store you are in. Yup! The headache is pretty much the same! She didn't think that was funny.

 

[chrono]

Only one poster with a son? Boys just don't shop much? Mine aren't bothered with whatever I get them so far but I'm thinking he might get more opiniated in a few more years. Perfumes bother me to the point I gag and I have to hold my breath everytime I walk past the department store entrances and A&F doors. Guess I have to bring my own ear plugs and air supply (face mask and oxygen tank).

 

[Mayk]

It's crazy how loud it is... I didn't really think of the lighting because in the dressing room I could see... I'm buying earplugs for our next trip. I wish she liked Jcrew...I love them bright stores no loud music...and age appropriate stuff...

Honestly, I'm just happy she still likes hanging out with me for this stuff.... Our girl nights are my favorites.

Haven...you cracked me up... That is the best!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Only one poster with a son? Boys just don't shop much? Mine aren't bothered with whatever I get them so far but I'm thinking he might get more opiniated in a few more years. Perfumes bother me to the point I gag and I have to hold my breath everytime I walk past the department store entrances and A&F doors. Guess I have to bring my own ear plugs and air supply (face mask and oxygen tank).

Often times, I'll place a large online order or go shopping by myself for my boys and have them look through the items and keep what they like and then I take the remaining stuff back to the store. Mostly they only shop in a physical location if we're looking for jeans or shoes. My boys are pre-teen though... I can't imagine shopping with teenage boys. I'll probably just hand them some cash and drop them off at the mall!

My boys are really picky! It is surprising for a 10 & 12 year old to have so many rules. No logos (but no plain shirts - must have some sort of graphic on it), no waffle knit, no botton down, no collars, no this or that... on and on.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I don't like shopping in stores that seem more like nightclubs than clothes shops.
I feel like someone is more likely to sell me some E than sell me some jeans.

Haven, your mirror vs DH story made me laugh.

Eh, maybe I won't drop my future teens off at the mall!

 

[Puppmom]

You know....Hollister smells SO bad to me that I never even noticed the music?

 

[amc80]

I feel so old when going into Hollister or A&F! Luckily, ours closed down so it isn't an issue any more. I will say that Hollister has some killer deals, though. I will miss those.

 

[KaeKae]

RIGHT!!! KaeKae, I must have blocked out that intense perfume assault that takes place!! Its like you are encased in the bottle of scent! Much too much - but I guess somehow, it sure appeals to that demographic.

I love Ann Taylor - quiet, tailored, 'old lady' stuff! Sucks to not be cool anymore, doesn't it?

I'm so square. I love Anthropologie, Brooks Brothers and sometimes White House Black Market. There are also a couple boutiques in our town I like..

I'll take smart over cool anyday, I love Ann Taylor, Anthropologie and WHBM, too.

My MIL had a great line in Abercrombe one time. Already feeling the sound and smell assault, she took a look at the various posters around the store and asked: "Are they really trying to sell clothes here? None of the models seem to be wearing any!"

 

[KaeKae]

Do you know how many times I have spoken to the manager(s) of Hollister in the mall we go to regarding the volume of the music? About 4 times!! Thankfully, the nearest one is about an hour away from where we live so we don't go that often. After the manager looks at me like I have 3 heads, she proceeds to explain that the volume level is set by "head office" so that the experience is the same regardless of which store you are in. Yup! The headache is pretty much the same! She didn't think that was funny.

I've spoken to the manager at Abercrombe, too, and she agreed with me! Actually, I was watching the employees walking around the store, spraying that vile scent on the clothes (this was a different visit than the one to the A&F that pumps it out the vents.) I suggested they might rethink the practice, seeing as it is possibly offensive to the older noses, the ones with the credit cards or cash. She nodded her head, said it was a directive from corporate, and asked me to call or go online to make a complaint. I sent an online message, got the response that they would check into it at my store. Trouble was, I never told them which store, because the format limited the length of my message.

 

[stargurl78]

One other complaint about Hollister - it is so fricken dark in there! I can barely even see what I am shopping for and I hate having to try on clothes in there (yes, I admit, I wear their clothes). And yes, the smell and the loudness drive me nuts too!