Before Forever 21 and Charlotte Russe hit it big with young, frugal shopaholics, Wet Seal was serving up contemporary fashions to the masses, and they’re still bringing the trends to many malls today. Walking in to the store and seeing the array of styles, discount accessories racks and accessories can leave your head spinning, so take a look at this handy how to shop guide before stepping into the retailer.

How to Shop Wet Seal

Know the Brand
A good way to scope out the target audience of any retailer is to take a look at the models, who, in the case of Wet Seal, appear to be funky 17-year-old girls with a flare for trends. This is a store for the youthful and fun, not the serious and professional. The brand is headquartered in California, and the appeal is very West Coast, bohemian style, with lots of easy-to-wear and barely-there pieces. If Wet Seal isn’t quite your cup of tea, try the corporation’s other retail chain: Arden B. The clothes will cost more, but they appeal to a slightly more mature audience and boast a higher quality of garments.

Need jeans? Think Blink.
Wet Seal carries an enormous selection of denim, from skirts, to shorts to jeans of cropped, skinny and boot cut styles. They call their collection “Blink,” and we like it because there are cuts and washes for all body types and tastes. And it doesn’t hurt that they’re priced as low as $15.

Unless it’s seasonal, skip the sales
The sale racks at Wet Seal are full of damaged clothing and tees with cheesy phrases, like “Nobody remembers the nice girl” and “my boyfriend is cuter than yours.” These items are hardly worth your $8 or so, but every once in a while you will get lucky with seasonal items: swimsuits for $15, wedges for $16 and other off-season treasures. If they’re not too trendy, go ahead and purchase these, then put them away until next year. It can save you big bucks in the long run.

Shop with Friends!
Our favorite thing about shopping at wetseal.com isn’t the online exclusives (although we do love those maxi dresses). It’s the site’s feature for shopping with friends, which allows you to chat, show your picks to your buddies and shop together in real time. It’s the perfect way to bring the social aspect of shopping to the online experience. Genius.

Become a Fashion Insider.
If you shop at Wet Seal often, you can score great deals with the Fashion Insider card. It costs $20, so we don’t recommend it for one-time Wet Seal shoppers, but those who are loyal to the brand can benefit from 20% off deals, exclusive offers, private sales, and the promise of 10% off every single purchase for a year.