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She doesn't care that it's geniune graffiti.
The irrepressible Cintra Wilson has resurfaced at "the Cut" and treats readers to a timely visit to the colossal new Times Square Forever 21. After her JC Penney visit heard around the world, you'd think all mass mall stores would have her photo up near the entrance with a big red "beware" next to it or something. But oh well, sometimes bad for them, always good for us.
As you can imagine, her reaction is just as impressionable as the store herself. She's not buying the NY neighborhood themes, but observes a whole different kind of New York representation: "a Juicy Couture–ish neighborhood, an Anthropologie-esque block, and so forth." After walking through the expansive four levels and encountering a high number of mother and tween daughter teams, she makes some hilariously insightul observations.
Our favorite is Cintra's theory that the store may have: "A strategic anti-Mom marketing offensive: The pounding bass acts as a mental buffer against potential style issues. To wit: "All right, Brittany, for Christ’s sake, you can get the damned Lady Gaga body stocking and the stretch-lace Day-Glo thong and the fake Léger bandage/bondage dress ... just get me the hell out of here!" After four Excedrin and box of Pinot Grigio, moms won't care if their daughters dress like they're running a K-12 escort service."
Eventually the thumping beats penetrated her resistance as, Wilson gave in to purchase a dolman sleeved rayon top. But she was then thwarted by the intimidatingly long checkout line. She finally sums up the store as, "Forever 21 is a shrine to the American obsession with More New Stuff." Well put. We did notice that she stayed away from the Faith 21 "extended sizes" section, though.
· Cintra Wilson on the New Forever 21 Times Square [The Cut]
· Forever 21 Times Square Will Blow Tourists' Minds [Racked]