What kind of memories do you have regarding clothing from your childhood? I grew up in the ’80s. Enough said. There seems to be a recurring theme to my childhood clothing memories. Wanting something, waiting for something or not getting something because it was too much money.

Now don’t get me wrong. My parents gave me everything I needed. In fact, they gave me more than I needed or deserved. I had all the cool stuff, but you know kids, they always want more.

I had jelly shoes (uncomfortable). I had Polo shirts (still popular). I had izod shirts (huge come back). I had Gloria Vanderbilt jeans (remember the swan?). I had Luv It jeans (with a Stop sign on one pocket and a Go sign on the other). I had Calvin Klein jeans (nothing comes between me and my Calvins). I had a Member’s Only jacket (it was maroon). I had a Liz Claiborne purse (babysitting money paid for it). I had Top Siders (another huge come back) I had Guess jeans (that I zipped by lying on my back and using a coat hanger).

You get my point. I definitely had all the cool stuff. But, I didn’t have parachute pants (thank goodness!). I didn’t have Units (I borrowed my friends). I didn’t have Reebok hightops (I wanted them so bad!) I didn’t have vans (my son does now though!). The list of the things I had was much longer than the list of what I didn’t. I was very lucky and have wonderful parents who understood a teenagers need to belong.

One of the big memories surrounding my clothing growing up was my mom always leading me to the sales rack first. It used to drive me crazy! And those Polo shirts I had? They came from Marshalls. So did my Member’s Only jacket and izod shirts. The Gloria Vanderbilt jeans? They were purchased two sizes too big so I could get my $40 dollars out of them. I remember wearing them to school in 5th grade rolled up at the cuff. Not cool! But the swan on my hip helped overcome the not cool factor.

I’m sure this won’t come as a surprise to any of you (especially my mom) but mom knew what she was doing! If we didn’t buy the Polos and izods at Marshalls, I wouldn’t have had them. If I didn’t find those Guess jeans on the sales rack? I wouldn’t have had them either. And that Liz Claiborne purse? Mom taught me to set a goal and strive to reach it. It took me three months of babysitting to save up enough for that purse. But I did it!

I am now trying to pass down the same pearls of wisdom to my daughter. Sure you can have Hollister t-shirts. But, we are buying them off the sale rack. Those abercrombie jeans you want that never go on sale? They can be your big Christmas gift.

I’m sure I will annoy her with this when she is a teenager, that’s what moms do right? But for now, she is getting it. She would rather get two t-shirts off the sales rack than none at all. She realized that she would have to give up two DS games to get those jeans at Christmas.

How about you? Are you passing your love of shopping on to your kids? If you are, are you also teaching them to check the sales rack first and go to Marshalls?

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