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The Top Five Reasons to Endure Century 21

Yesterday, after extensive iPhone camera-snapping and note-taking, I came to the following conclusion: Century 21 is a Cheap JAP’s dream…provided she has the shoppers’ stamina to survive the experience (and I thought I wasn’t an athlete!). The Top Five Reasons that make this store worth your while - read on.

1. The Denim
After observing the dynamic selection of denim styles and brands, I see no reason to pay full price for JAPtastic jeans ever again. I’m not effing kidding. Joe’s, AG’s, Paper Denim, Hudson, J Brand - you name it, it’s there. And it’s usually at least half of what you’d normally pay. Eek!

3. The OMFG Shoe Section

The shoes at Century 21 are the shit. The big cheese. The holy grail of discount designer shopping. The cheaper stuff and new arrivals are upstairs - while I usually don’t have a problem ponying up a Benjamin for some hot Stevens, it’s nice to know they can be had for $60 or less. But the downstairs is truly where it’s at. I’m talking Chloe, Giuseppe Zanotti, Celine, Marc Jacobs - the best of the best. Did I want to kick myself for buying $115 Dolce Vitas after I saw their high-end Chloe inspiration on sale for $119? You bet.

3. It’s Organized
Even with the crazy number of women rifling through the racks, the women’s apparel section manages to stay remarkably organized. Almost every hanger has S, M, L or 2, 4, 6 etc. plastic thingies on their necks, so you don’t need to go hunting for the tags to find your size (and - as opposed to Loehmann’s - the sizes on the hangers actually match their respective tags). The brands are similarly well-organized, and with excellent signage too! While the Juicy Couture rack was mostly terrycloth crap, it was easy to find and entirely Juicy. Points for consistency.

4. The Bags Behind the Counter
There are some decent brands in the actual handbag section - I saw some Cole Haans that weren’t entirely heinous. But the real leather goodies are behind the counter (Marni, Isabella Fiore, L.A.M.B., Andrew Marc and Botkier, if memory serves). Do yourself a favor and figure out all of the bags you’re interested in immediately. This way, when an employee finally and begrudgingly appears, you don’t have ask for her help twice. You’d be cranky too if you worked there - it’s all kinds of nutso.

5. The Dresses
I don’t attend a lot of social functions that require cocktail dresses. But if I did, I’d avoid Bloomies altogether and hit Century 21. The selection of DVF, BCBG and other fab brands was seriously legit - wrap dresses, shifts, strapless and A-lines abound. It almost made me want a real job just so I’d have an excuse to buy things for post-work networking events and/or office parties. Almost.