On Tuesday Laura and I went on a pilgrimage to the Northeast Heights’ T.J. Maxx, in search of deep discounts on contemporary apparel. T.J. Maxx has long been one of my favorite stores. The aesthetic is much like that of a thrift store—bare bones interior design, questionably organized, bargain prices—except it’s for profit and the clothes are new, and lacking that special thrift store funk. Plus the discount department store carries brands of which I’m quite fond— BCBG Max Azria, French Connection, Kensie, Ben Sherman, Cosabella and various lines of premium denim including Joe’s Jeans, to name a few. Plus they have infinite retail treasure in the form of house wares. Why I’m so fond of T.J. Maxx is because there’s a certain triumph in digging, finding then purchasing a, say $50, item that somebody else (some sucker) bought for $250. This may sound deluded, but to me bargain shopping is living on the fringes of consumer culture—being a scavenger—saying No, it is NOT OK to charge $100 for a cotton shirt that costs $5 to make.Anyway, it’s highly juvenile, but these signs in T.J. Maxx always crack me up.
Bottom-Feeding Fashion
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