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OPINION: How to be fashionable on a college budget

OPINION: How to be fashionable on a college budget

There are countless opportunities to show your fashion sense during college, such as socials, parties, dates, interviews, receptions and even those days you need to look good to feel good.

So demonstrated fashion sense is not only practical, but also an instant confidence booster.

Through my own personal experience as well as the experience of my peers, I have gathered and outlined the best strategies for college students to abide by to have a fashionable wardrobe while still staying on budget.

It’s important to note that anybody can meet all the fashion criteria without ever spending excessive amounts of money on name brands such as Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren or Louis Vuitton. A taste for high-end, expensive brands doesn’t necessarily make you fashionable.

There is nothing better than the feeling you get when you know you saved money on what you’re wearing. Developing a fashion budget is key to creating a wardrobe to be proud of.

There are many ways to maintain a well-balanced fashion budget, and depending on the person, they can help you spend less.

Don’t use a credit card. Only carrying a set amount of cash when shopping will prevent overspending and force you to closely examine prices to find the best deal.

Wait to shop until after you have paid for essentials such as food and rent.­­

When cashiers ask if you want a reward card to rack up points, take advantage, especially when your favorite stores offer them. Reward cards are a simple way to get discounts and codes emailed to you. Or register on shopittome.com and get deals on selected brand preferences emailed to you.

My most important piece of advice is to shop online. The Internet is the absolute best option, because it is readily accessible and is where most of the best deals are.

It just takes knowing the right websites to find these hidden gems of stylish and affordable clothing.

Being able to browse through store web pages in seconds gives customers a better idea of what they want and what they are willing to pay.

Tendollarmall.com offers clothes at $10 or less for both men and women. Swimwear and accessories are also sold.

Debshops.com sells stylish, trendy and current women’s clothing including plus sizes. A variety of clothing is available from dresses and rompers to denim shorts and shredded jeans. There is even a section titled “Trends” with “Fall Looks” in preparation of the upcoming season.

Because of its array of trendy clothing of decent quality and cheap, cheap prices, Forever 21 appeals to teenagers and college students. Forever 21 has men and women clothing and a seemingly never-ending supply of accessories.

Finally, just wait it out. You should never pay full price for anything. We live in a world where wants must be met immediately, but there should never be reason to assume there is not a similar article of clothing somewhere else for a cheaper price.

Waiting it out involves risk, but most of the time, if you are patient, what you are eyeing will eventually drop in price, or you will find something comparable somewhere else.

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