(Trash)Panic! At the Mall!
a shopping mall (personal-ish) history, thoughts on the state of retail plus a round-up of vintage and secondhand finds that are better than current fast fashion new arrivals
Happy Thursday, friends!
This week’s newsletter is a long one, so buckle up and be prepared to view the entire email in your browser or Substack app. I promise there is a treasure trove of goodies at the end as your reward for making it through all 2,000 words 😬
Thank you for reading!
Of all the 50 states, Minnesota was likely sitting somewhere near the bottom on the list of “States Glenn Knows Things About”, even by the time we had signed our names on the mortgage paperwork and packed up our life in Austin, Texas. The only midwestern place I had ever really acquainted myself with was Chicago, and for a good portion of that time I wondered how anyone could consider Illinois to be geographically middle or west. (Don’t worry, I know about Manifest Destiny.)
In my three months as an official Minnesotan (I changed my license! I registered to vote!) —oh, what I’ve learned!! I think in the 50 states publicity game, there’s only a handful that win the tourism popularity contest - the rest(ish) are buried treasure, waiting for you to discover the quirks, imperfect charms, and tiny subcultures that live beyond the truck stop, crusty gas station, and local fast food joint.
Filled with no shortage of abundantly funded public parks, four well-rounded seasons, and true to its motto of being the land of 10,000 lakes (11,842 to be exact), I was beginning to believe life here might just be Leslie Knope’s Pawnee dream, realized.
But staying true to its American-Midwest-Pawnee-esque reality, Minneapolis is, of course, irrefutably flawed like any other city in the US of A.
It’s also the birthplace of one of America’s most gluttonous past times — rampant consumerism.
The North Star State is not only home to the first modern American suburban enclosed shopping mall, but remains the home of the largest shopping center in not only the United States, but the entire Western Hemisphere.
Clocking in at a whopping 5,600,000 square feet, nestled on 129 acres of the original Minnesota Twin’s baseball stadium, lies The Mall of America.
The true origin of the shopping mall can easily be traced all the way back to ancient Middle Eastern bazaars and outdoor public markets but as with most things, white Europeans co-opted this idea and by the early 1800’s covered shopping passages, known as “arcades” (in reference to their arched ceilings), began popping up in Paris and London and later on, stateside in Rhode Island.
But the shopping mall most of us millennials have childhood nostalgia for is the byproduct of the post WWII baby boom and birth of suburban sprawl. As the population blossomed in a flourishing post-war America, so did consumerism. Developers began to see the potential in expanding commercial land outside of city limits, and as department stores grew in both size and popularity to keep up with the demand of domestic life, so began the marriage of the large department store as the literal cornerstone of the modern mall.
Just like a Vegas casino, developers and advertising companies spent years figuring out how to manipulate the senses with peaceful, trickling water fountains and hazy, sun filtering tinted glass ceilings to keep more people shopping longer. (They also used racist fear tactics, manipulating families into believing the suburbs were the only safe place to get away from dangerous downtown life.)
And it worked. From the mid 1950's until the 2008 recession, the American shopping center flourished as the center of suburban life.
But we all know where the story goes from here.
A “Dead Mall” is the literal term used by economists and real estate experts when discussing the excessive amount of land that is currently lying empty, abandoned, and rotting as the era of brick and mortar passes slowly on life support despite the fact that mass production and overconsumption is at a lifetime, global high. We built too many malls, too fast, and the birth of the internet compounded with the fallout of the 2008 recession has left us with a very different retail landscape than anything we’ve ever experienced since the industrial revolution.
It was only upon recent contemplation that I realized how influential the American shopping mall has been in the swirly-twirly-rollercoasty-Game-of-Life path that has led me to where I am now.
The genesis being the Vallco shopping mall in Sunnyvale, California, where I spent most of my childhood afternoons and weekends. It was a byproduct of the fact my grandmother gained custody of us shortly after her retirement and had no idea what to do except haul us along to her favorite past time — shopping.
The nostalgia attached to a mid-1990s mall is an almost tangible, all-encompassing sensory experience. The fruity, floral fragrances wafting across the beauty counters at The Emporium, the chlorinated smell of the atrium waterfall, the fountain pennies glinting in the smoky skylight afternoon sun and the faint echo of synthy 90’s soft rock pumping through the corridors. From yearly Macy’s portraits and meeting Santa, to birthday celebrations at the ice skating rink, Vallco had everything a kid could want and felt like a refuge from the realities of a complex home life.
Fast forward to 2006, when a new mall entered my life. The Westfield Valley Fair mall in Santa Clara was the quintessential weekend teenage hangout spot. My friends and I would wander the maze of stores for hours, discussing the latest episode of The OC, hopeful to flirt with a Zumiez skater dude, and determined to rummage the Forever21 racks until we found the perfect going-out top. The nostalgia for these years can only truly be resurrected with a hefty mist of Abercrombie & Fitch’s intoxicating “Fierce.”
When home life got rock bottom bad and going to college was no longer an option, my only lifeline was getting a job. From roaming the mall, to working in the mall, at 18 I suddenly found myself beginning my retail journey.
I worked my way up from seasonal associate to keyholder in six months, to floor supervisor in a year, and then on to merchandising assistant, operations manager, stock room manager, and assistant store manager. I spent almost eight years deep in the trenches (Paper Source —> Anthropologie —> Madewell), the college of life humbly teaching me how to use a register, balance the till, make a bank deposit, make change, write an employee schedule, manage a team, give employee reviews, execute payroll, calculate payroll hours, approve shipments, plan seasonal rollouts, execute mark downs, re-merchandise, complete an inventory, standardize floor sets, construct window displays, stand for 14 hours and most importantly, learn how to cope with the fact that the average human is an impolite asshole completely lacking any common decency. All while making $18.80 an hour, which was the highest I was ever paid as a full time, assistant manager without a college degree at a top grossing store in the Bay Area.
I haven’t spent much time at a shopping center since leaving retail in 2016ish for a lot of reasons. I have a decent amount of trauma from years of dealing with the general public, on top of the memories of the grueling hours, lonely weekends and companionless holidays.
But really, there’s nothing good left about shopping irl. Which! Sucks!
I crave the full sensory experience of shopping, but the in-person experience in the last 10 years has significantly declined. Customer service feels nonexistent (what do I have to do to get a luxury salesperson to even make eye contact with me at Nordstrom?!) or wildly hostile, both of which are wholly understandable when companies are barely paying their employees a living wage and many rely on commission to guarantee hours and a well-padded paycheck in an industry that does not tip.
And let’s add the cherry on top of out of control gun violence, as shopping malls have increasingly become the scene of mass shootings. The fact I was told in multiple trainings to “get out, hide out, take out” but also to “try to protect the merchandise” will never not feel like capitalistic hell in a nutshell.
All of this, yes, all of this, to say that last week I found myself roaming The Mall of America (in securely tied tennis shoes, ready to run, head on a swivel, because this is America) in a desperate attempt to find something to wear to my birthday dinner. It was the first time in a long time that I’ve actively attempted to truly shop — wander around, touch the garment, try it on, and buy.
And it was absolutely peak Trash Panic.
While MOA is far from entering “Dead Mall” territory (which I honestly believe is because it houses an entire Nickelodeon themed amusement park, M&M factory, aquarium, and, of course, Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville), I was baffled at the amount of peculiar, off brand stores that fill its directory. Upon completing my first lap on the ground level, I had counted a half dozen stores I had never heard of that were the size of a first floor department store, filled to the brim with towering stacks of multiple size run, cheaply made, always-heavily-discounted crap.
By the time I had made it around all three levels, I had lost count at the amount of stores completely overstocked with literal garbage that I began to feel both itchy and anxious as I pondered how much of it will likely end up in a dumpster, incinerator, or washed up on a beach.
Yet still, I found myself in the usual millennial-woman-targeted stores, hopeful to find something to wear, despite trying to tell myself its time to officially, 100%, ditch fast fashion.
Zara, H&M, Madewell, Banana Republic, I spent probably 45 minutes to an hour in each one, trying on handfuls of product, hoping to find one thing that felt worth the price tag.
Oh, how I was humbled.
I left empty handed, a little baffled at how much even the quality of, dare I day, “higher end” fast fashion has plummeted in the last year or so since I last attempted to *really* shop. The lack of sustainable, affordable options for firsthand clothes is another 2,000+ word topic for another time, but this 2024 mall adventure left me with a renewed appreciation for the quality and distinctive charm that comes from shopping vintage and secondhand.
(And don’t hear what I’m not saying, I understand that being able to be picky about shopping is an absolute privilege and that we need to find a cure for rampant overconsumption while also guaranteeing affordable options for people living in a multitude of different income brackets.)
SO, if you’ve made it this far 🤪, I thought I would review some of the things I saw, touched, or tried on and give some vintage and secondhand recommendations and search terms for finding something, in my opinion, much better.
I’m going to tease you with just the things I saw, touched, and tried on Zara - next week I’ll dive into H&M, Madewell, and Banana Republic.
Trendy Things at Zara
Black Mini Dress - $49.90 - The fit on this was so atrociously bad for being what I thought would be a very classic silhouette, on top of the fabric feeling stuffy and sweaty. The zipper was stiff on both sizes I tried and I ended up getting stuck in the medium and panicked I was going to have to shuffle out of the fitting room looking for help 😅
Ruffle Detail Animal Print Dress - $109.00 - This is a classic Y2K style that at least one of us wore to a middle or high school school dance. The fact that this silhouette was in style not that long ago means there are plenty of secondhand options in pristine condition for less than the price of this one.
Coordinating Crochet Top and Skirt - $27.90 & $45.90 - Crochet is a rising trend which also means it is a rising ethical issue in the fast fashion world. Most machines cannot replicate the intricate patterns that make crochet what it is — that means a human is physically and painstakingly producing these items for little to no pay.
Striped Shirtdress - $69.90 - The shirtdress has been replicated decade after decade in women’s fashion. It’s truly classic and there are so many color/fabric/pattern options floating around the vintage world.
Coordinating Shirt and Pants - $89.90 & $89.90 - The coordinating set is BACK! Which I think is delightfully fun and practical - two things for the price of one, except in this case. For $180 viscose, you could find something much more fun.
What I Would Buy Instead
Black Cut-out Mini Dress - $34.00
Black Buckle Mini Dress - $35.00
Both of these dresses feel like a nod to the 60s and are a much easier fabric to wear in different seasons. I would hem the lace off the first one to feel more mod.
Search for: Ann Taylor/Shelli Segal/Liz Claiborne/Ralph Lauren/90s mini dress
Animal Print Y2K Dress - $75.00
Yellow Bias Cut Y2K Dress - $58.00
There are so many colorful, patterned options better than Zara floating around eBay and Etsy in the realm of Y2K.
Search for: Y2K/Bias Cut Dress/Vintage Betsy Johnson/Asymmetrical Dress
Fringe Bottom Crochet Dress - $58.00
1970s Crochet Slit Top - $75.00
Crochet Maxi Dress - $39.99
The vintage and secondhand crochet world is vast! So many pages of cool stuff dating back to the 70s, including a lot of delicate handmade items and plenty of patterns if you’d like to make something yourself! Also, I can’t resist this crocheted bikini! And this one! Oh, and this SUPER HOT crochet gown!! AND this cutie little polo dress. This would be stunning for a beach wedding, too…
Search for: Crochet/Handmade Knit/Woven and Set/Two Piece/Dress/Top
Polka Dot Shirtdress - $40.00
1950s Pinstriped Shirtdress - $140.00
Striped Halter Shirtdress - $48.00
Personally, I love a 90s or 40s version of a shirtdress since they’re usually some version of rayon which is a fabric my texture sensitive brain really enjoys. I think you can make a shirtdress fit many of your Baby Yodas depending on how you style it.
Search for: Vintage Shirtdress/Button-down Dress/Vintage Rayon Dress/Vintage Day Dress/Evan Picone
1970s Gingham Halter Set - $150.00
1960s Psychedelic Set - $173.00
Yellow Pajama Set - $34.00
Japanese Dragon Lounge Set - $250.00
I think you can interpret the two piece set in many different ways - from a funky, truly unique showstopper to literally cotton or silk pajamas. It’s all how you accessorize it that makes it feel dressy or casual. Special mention to this sexy stunner.
Search for: Vintage Two Piece Set/ Vintage Pant Set/ Vintage Lounge Set/Vintage Pajama Set/ Vintage Silk Set
Let’s Talk Zara Accessories
Leopard Pony Hair Bucket Bag - $299.00 - Personally, I love pony hair as a texture. But bags like this were so popular in the 1990’s that there are plenty of options in decent condition looking for a new chapter of life.
Embellished Drawstring Bag - $49.90 - Beaded bags have been around for centuries and there are so many different eras of vintage beaded bags that are so much cooler than just buying the easy fast fashion option
Beaded Clutch - $89.90
Cord Pendant Necklace - $27.90 - The cord necklace is having a moment and all I can ever think is how easy it is to make one from a vintage pendant and a trip to the craft store.
Cord Fish Necklace - $27.90
Oversized Pearl Necklace - $35.90 - Pearls. They’re classic. Don’t buy them at Zara. I assure you they are cooler vintage and there are plenty of options out there better worth your $40.
Oversized Shell Earrings - $27.90 - Same for delightfully campy 80s-esque gold jewelry
Gold Wrist Cuff - $29.90
What I Would Buy Instead
Maurizio Taiuti Pony Hair Bucket Bag - $35.95
Beaded Flapper Bag - $105.00
1940s Beaded Box Bag - $80.00
There’s a treasure trove of affordable pony hair bags on eBay!
Search for: Maurizio Taiuti/Pony Hair/Calf Hair/ Cow Print
Flapper Bag/Beaded Bag/Beaded Box Bag/Tassel Bag
Sterling Silver Pendant Cord Necklace - $8.99
Fish Pendant Cord Necklace - $23.47
Mother of Pearl Choker Necklace - $67.60
1970s Silk Cord Pendant Necklace - $44.00
Anne Klein Gold Shell Earrings - $48.00
1970s Brutalist Cuff - $125.00
You could also very easily search for some sterling silver pendants and gemstones and source vintage or local cord from a craft store and make your own necklaces!
Search for: Vintage Rope Necklace/Vintage Cord Necklace/Vintage Silk Cord Necklace
Vintage Oversized Gold Jewelry/Vintage Shell/Vintage 80s Gold/Vintage Anne Klein
You did it! You made it to the end and hopefully didn’t unsubscribe!
I’ll be back next week with even more secondhand picks better than current fast fashion.
As always, thank you for being here.
Until next time,
xo,
G
(just stumbled onto this substack and am so happy to be here) fellow bay area girlie here and the way i LONGED for the hilltop mall to be a regular fixture in my life when i was younger!
agree with you so much on the state of retail/"new" clothes. i used to work at a couple of secondhand clothing stores and was constantly surprised by how poorly made (and frankly, not particularly applicable to many people's styles) the fast fashion i encountered was.
Appreciate a history lesson tied to so much nostalgia! This gave me all the feels for the Collin Creel Mall in Plano, TX lol.