Written by The Strategy

At your average mall there are three stores that you probably avoid. Hot Topic, Sears, and Forever 21. There are different reasons for stealing clear of each one, but Forever 21 particularly strikes a chord. Hundreds of teens and preteens generally tear the place apart, it’s sometimes stuffy with all the merchandise, and frankly, the combination of the two are overwhelming.

So why, you ask, are we writing an ode to a store that is just short of anxiety causing?

Because we’ve visited a Forever 21 store recently. And my how things have changed. It’s still an overrun mess of teenagers on a weekend, and the environment is not really any less stuffy.

But the clothes. The clothes are better than ever.

Research done by Teen Vogue and Goldman Sachs’s Apparel and Accessories Global Investment Research Group compiled a list of the most popular stores among Millennials (read: teens and adults under 30) this year, finding Forever 21 at the top. Which isn’t undeserved.

While the store still does carry it’s signature trendy, and occasionally too trendy pieces, there is a much more refined vibe about the brand these days. You can see it in the designs, the colours, and most noticeably, the fabrics that are being used. Gone are the days of sheer polyester everything. Now we have wool, silks, quality knitwear, and even genuine leather available at reasonable prices that are slightly higher than Forever 21’s usual range. You won’t find and luxury priced items, but considering the drastic improvement in quality, the higher prices are well justified. Even the website has undergone an overhaul. It is easy to use and well organized, with reviews and plenty of info.

Basically, Forever 21 deserves a revisit by those who have sworn it off for being either too much to deal with or too young for their over 20 style.

You (probably) won’t regret it.

Written by Katrina Garofalo