Surprisingly Cute: Walmart [GALLERY]

By Norah

We all have our go-to stores that we, uh, go to when we need to stock up on some new wardrobe essentials (or when we just have an hour to kill and the mall reaches out and wraps us in its warm embrace). But what about all those other stores? The ones that you walk past on your way to Auntie Anne’s without a second glance? The “mom” stores, the old lady  department stores, the stores that don’t start with “Forever” and end with “21″? Surprise! Many of those stores are filled with major cuteness that you’re missing out on! (Except Chico’s – keep walking, little lady.) We know you’re not one to pass up a cute cami, so we scoured these under-the-radar shops and pulled out all the goodness you never realized existed.

I hate Walmart. Like, really, really hate Walmart. So much so that I’ll drive half an hour out of the way  and drop an extra $20 to avoid stepping foot in a Walmart. I’m opposed to almost everything about America’s not-so-favorite superstores — especially the fact that they stopped handing out those smiley face stickers at the door. But when I’m home with the family during breaks, running errands for my mom typically means I’ll have to make a trip to the big W, as much as I may protest and swear that Target is just SO. MUCH. BETTER.

Here’s the thing, though: on my last trip to Walmart, my 16-year-old sister tagged along, and during my hunt to find bargain paper plates and the latest Nora Roberts paperback for my mom, she dragged me over to the women’s clothing section to see what they had. And what they had was…actually really cute. She and I tried on a few fun tops and dresses, and I ended up walking away with a lacy going-out top that all my friends loved — for only $6.

Now, I won’t call myself a Walmart convert just yet, but I can say that I was pleasantly surprised. And I might head back there next time I’m home to stock up on cute-enough-t0-wear-out-but-cheap-enough-that-I-don’t-care-if-I-spill-pizza-sauce-on-them tops. And rainboots. And sweaters. And….