hello thrifty

I am not a fan of wearing Hello Kitty on my person. Oh sure, I used to work for the mouthless cat. I still have a few stickers lying around and she is my go-to when I need a present for a young girl. But if I need or want to dress up with a Sanrio character, give me Keroppi or Chococat. Hello Kitty is too girly.

I am also not big on wearing the American flag. I have seen so many bad sartorial attempts on Old Glory - from oversized blouses to a five-year old's finger painting on nasty denim cutoffs - that I have simply written it off. No, a tasteful representation of the old Stars and Strips cannot be found on clothing.

Then, of all places, JCPenney laid both taboos to rest with this shirt.

Somehow these hearts and stripes feel vaguely like the US flag without being overpoweringly so. And Hello Kitty helps to break up the solid lines with, well, her cuteness, all without being too princessy. It's my new favorite tee, and I'll be proudly wearing this in Colombia.

Somehow, through the magic of Mr. Penney, this $10 shirt only cost me $5. Woohoo!