Fall fashion doesn’t need to break the bank

Looking good has always been in style, but it’s not always
affordable. This fall, though, fashion’s latest trends can be
purchased on a college student’s budget.

Shopping can become a carefully guided art; you just have to
know what you’re looking for. Knowing where to shop is part
of it, but knowing what to shop for is far more important.

According to Aaron Valenzuela, president of the UCLA Fashion and
Student Trends Club and a fourth-year art student, it’s
important on a student budget to have something in mind that
you’re looking for, rather than aimlessly shopping.

“Thrift stores have always been a good spot to find stuff,
but you can’t go in expecting to find a whole
wardrobe,” Valenzuela said. “It’s one thing to
just go shopping and spend a lot of money; it’s another thing
to go and look for specific things and really think everything
out.”

Versatility is back in style in full force, as almost every item
in this fall can be dressed up or down. Girls and guys can wear a
variety of shirts paired with more tailored jeans and boots or
funky shoes.

As an added bonus, having clothes that can be used in different
ensembles also saves money.

“Just buy something that is simple enough to be versatile,
so you can wear it when you’re chilling at school or you can
flip it and buy a belt or some earrings and wear it out to the
club,” said Hazel Gobert, manager of American Apparel in
Westwood.

Many girls are finding stretch pants to be a valid option this
season, for everything from casual to dressy. They cost anywhere
from $10 to $30. Leggings are a frugal way to keep in fashion and
retain comfort no matter where you are.

According to Gobert, American Apparel has seen a surge in the
sales of leggings right now. She also says that leggings are being
paired with other items of clothing to make them more
versatile.

“With the leggings, people are layering a denim skirt over
them,” Gobert said.

Leggings can have a distinct ’80s look, but also a more
sophisticated modern feel with a long-enough shirt and enough
modern accessorizing. They can be worn at any length, from above
the knee to all the way down to the ankles.

Although students may be aware of this fall’s fashion
trends, including leggings, not everyone likes them. Danny Bruno, a
second-year business economics student, isn’t as excited
about the new leggings trend for fall as other students.

“I like a little bit of the ’80s revival, but a lot
of people take it too far,” Bruno said.

Apart from leggings, girls and guys’ fashion is becoming
more whimsical in the sense that it has become part of fashion to
be playful with clothes in both their prints and cuts. With
do-it-yourself-looking shirts filled with humor and fun, it’s
hard to know what is homemade and what is store-bought.

“The “˜rise of the creative class’ is also
becoming mainstream,” said Glenda Ronduen, reference
specialist at the Fashion Institute Library. “Even if one is
the slightest bit disenchanted with what trends are happening, one
might find amusement in the originality and customized details of
an accessory or garment worn by another or made by
oneself.”

The playful element of these DIY shirts can be seen in
men’s shirts this season, as they lend themselves to bolder
prints.

Bolder stripes in brighter styles are also in season. The prints
have become more delicate, yet not emasculating. Guys can get away
with brighter shirts in daring colors such as pink, teal and orange
without feeling too self-conscious.

“Guys are wearing a lot more colors (this fall),”
said Gobert. “The sand color is really hot on guys right now;
it’s not beige, so it looks really raw.”

Men’s fashion has become more comfortable. Shirts are more
worn-in. There are more extreme washes on jeans, including tears,
rips, fading and white paint flecks.

Just as women’s jeans have become more tapered this
season, men’s pants have also become fitted, but not too
tight. On men, stylish sunglasses and bracelets, referred to as the
more masculine “wristbands,” are coming into style.
Dark washes in blacks, blues and grays may also be stylishly
flaunted.

Women’s fashion is accentuating the body with cuts of
shirts and dresses this season. “Skinny jeans” (pants
with a tapered leg to almost stretch-pant elasticity) are being
paired with everything from long-sleeve dresses worn around campus
to dainty strapped shirts for a night out. You can get a good pair
for anywhere from $28 to $50.

Lengths of shirts are growing longer and more flattering on the
hips with high waist belts and stretch pants. Long shirts are an
easy addition to your wardrobe, costing about $7 to $20.

But if nothing else, the top three things to purchase this fall
are “a pair of leggings, a pair of wedge heels and a basic
black dress” said Camille Joseph, manager of the Westwood
boutique Skyla.

And although it’s hard to shop timelessly because fashion
is always changing, by sticking to simple cuts and blacks and
whites, students can have clothes that will look newly in fashion
for years to come.

Being able to dress well is fully feasible on a tailored student
budget. But perhaps an even easier way to save money is by simply
staying true to your own style.

“I don’t think you should go by other people and
just because something is in style, wear it,” Joseph said.
“If you like it, then wear it.”