By ALEX BISHOP ‘18
FASHION COLUMNIST
Being college students, we all learn to adapt to our college budgets. Being a shopaholic, clothing and accessories are always on my list of priorities. With that said, shopping can be pricey, but not if you’re doing it the right way.
I’ve learned that there are a lot of versatile everyday pieces that are extremely overpriced because of the name on the tag. You can probably buy something identical at Target for $20 or less.
My first tip is to never splurge on these versatile pieces. Splurge on something you cannot get anywhere else for the same quality. Target has become my BFF for this exact reason. One of the biggest trends in fall fashion are over-the-knee boots—a pair of Steve Madden over-the-knee boots from Nordstrom are $100. The pair I am pictured here wearing were $40 from Target and are almost identical.
By bargain shopping, you can get more for less. Stock up when there are huge sales and you’ll save money in the long run. Don’t get me wrong, we all know how amazing Nordstrom is, but on a college budget it may not be a realistic place to shop for your everyday pieces.
Something else I’ve learned from following various fashion bloggers is that white jeans have NO season. I’ve always worn them no matter what season, and with booties and a sweater it’s the perfect fall outfit. Target has white skinnies for $30 right now.
Another huge trend are jean skirts. I love these because you can really wear them any season—in the summertime with a cute tank and wedges, or in the fall with boots and a sweater. In my opinion, every little detail makes a huge difference.
If you’re really trying to save and cut down your shopping, work with what’s already in your closet. You can change up any of your outfits just by styling them in various ways and accessorizing differently. For example, if you feel like you’re over-wearing your favorite fall sweater, change it up and wear it with ripped jeans and ankle booties versus dark wash jeans and tall boots. Changes like this can make a world of difference.
My motto has always been, “if you look good, you do good, you feel good.” I honestly believe that an outfit you love and feel confident in can make any day great.
Alex Bishop can be reached at bishopal@lakeforest.edu
