By: Victor Ren
We are now well over a month into our new year of college. With all the advice given about not skipping your classes, there is definitely one lesson that should be treated with great respect. That is, don’t forget to look in the mirror before you head to your morning lecture.
The most important part to a student’s wardrobe should be affordability. Nobody has to go out and by top designer brands just to look good. With that said, affordability does not mean your pieces have to look cheap or out of style. The goal is to find the stores that will give you the best bang for your buck.
H&M
For poor college kids, H&M is definitely one of the better places to shop at. You can find entire outfits for less than $100 and if you wait for a sale, then even $50 is not that far of a reach. The high number of items to select from along with the low-cost allows for people to experiment with different looks and it is a good place to try clothes that fit your body type. The store is also always a great place to stop at for basics and most of the jackets sold are pretty thin so they are a great pickup for Phoenix winters.
H&M’s clothes are always trendy, fashionable and high profile they even recruited world soccer star and model David Beckham to start his own clothing line with the company. The pieces that he displays are generally considered as the higher end of products in which the company sells.
Forever 21
Forever 21 has always been known as a trendy fashion place for young adults across the United States. Although most people know about the store and have seen the gigantic department in their local shopping malls, most men still view it as a female oriented fashion company. Knowing that, Forever 21 has a good selection for men at a reasonable price, and during storewide clearance you can even pick up a bomber jacket for as low as $24.
Buffalo Exchange
This option is more of a local thrift store, but there are definitely some takeaways if you take your time and search through the racks of clothes. My friend and I have had a better time at Buffalo Exchange gathering various pieces of clothing rather than going to somewhere like Ross. Not only do you get to see a variety of options from 90’s leather jackets to parkas, but the “New and Recycled Fashion” allows for brands like Forever 21, Naked & Famous, and Michael Kors to be mixed into those hangers. Just the other day I saw a pair of Naked & Famous Jeans for around $30.
If you are going to buy from Buffalo Exchange, make sure everything is in good condition and you should already know your fit. Sometimes there is an emphasis on the “recycled” part of fashion, so double check all the stitches and buttons on shirts and coats. That does not mean you should be turned off by the quality though, there are gems that would cost way more at a retail store when compared to the thrift shop.