With changing seasons comes variations in fashion and this season is no different. Part of the excitement of returning to campus is the opportunity to show off the new fall fashions. There are a lot of styles resurfacing this year. The millennium seems to be a modernized throwback period.
We have the influence of the sixties with the bright colors and ethnic materials that are slowly but surely making a comeback. Then there are the bell bottoms and peasant shirts from the seventies. Even the styles of the eighties are starting to reappear with velour suits and the staple Kangol hat. Who would have thought there would actually be anything to salvage from that decade?
This season the natural look is definitely in style. The colors for fall are representative of the fall foliage. There are a lot of neutral shades to look out for. Colors like brown, orange, red and green are popping up everywhere. There are also a lot of warmer materials, such as suede and leather, the latter of which is a classic staple in fashion. Some of our favorite stores are making an effort to comply with students’ needs. H ‘ M and the European retail chain, which made it’s debut in Downtown Crossing last September, has various styles to satisfy any shopaholic’s appetite.
“I like H ‘ M because they have a little bit of everything,” said Leona Pierre, a freshman communications major. “You can mix and match clothes.”
A color that you may not expect to be in style for the fall is ivory white. According to Mena Yans, a Public Relations representative for H ‘ M in New York City, winter white has been very big. “White was big this summer, now it has been transferred into fall,” she said.
Yans’ most popular items are the ivory faux fur coat and the ivory faux fur chubby jacket. H ‘ M has three basic clothing brands within their store, Hennes, L.O.G.G and Clothes. It is likely that people have taken notice of these tags without really stopping to think about what these different names represent. Hennes is targeted more towards the trendsetter. It offers the newest looks in current fashion, while L.O.G.G. offers an alternative for those who prefer to be more comfortable. Lastly, there is Clothes, which are directed at the more fashionably versatile person with an unpredictable sense of style.
According to H’M online (www.hm.com) there are a number of things the Husky woman can do to vary her look. Mixing a casual piece of clothing, such as a favorite pair of jeans with a shirt with ruffles or lace can give that classic 1970s look, adding an instant vintage element. According to Yans, students should shop at this European hotspot because “We have high fashion and high quality for a good price.”
For students who prefer a more modern look, Express may be the right stop. Express’ top fall picks, according to expressfashion.com, include Express Jeans, available in Low Rise, Boot Cut, Low Rise Flare, Hipster Flare, Button-Fly Hipster Flair and Boyfriend. This item is best if paired with an Express Signature T, Smart T or Romantic top. The cost is between $39.50-$49.50.
The second pick is the lightweight sweaters made of cotton and nylon. These sweaters come in three quarter sleeves, V-neck, Turtleneck and Pointelle Trim. They cost anywhere from $29.50-$34.50. This item looks good with Express Ultra twill pants. Another pick is the Ultra Twill Pants made of nylon and cotton. They come cuffed and with a wide waist and are best if worn with modern stretch T-shirt or the lightweight sweater.
Looking good doesn’t necessarily mean being draped in the most expensive fabrics. Velour suits, which are available for both men and women, are a fashionable alternative to the classic sweat suit. At Hip Zeppi USA one can find a multitude of velour suits, ranging from $50-$210. Regular women’s jeans are 3 for $45 and name brand jeans like Guess and Baby Phat are priced from $29.99 and up. For Huskies who have a little extra change to spare and want to stand out, Hip Zeppi also offers a service where they customize Nike Air Force One sneakers and Timberland boots. For the Air Force One’s, the Nike sign and the back of the shoe are taken off and replaced with material by Gucci, Burberry and other designer fabrics. With the Timberland Field Boots, the Mesh material is removed and replaced. The services can cost anywhere from $120-$225. The cost is $120 if the footwear is provided and $225 if Hip Zeppi provides the boot or sneaker. Hip Zeppi also carries baseball hats and kango hats, which start at $20. Hip Zeppi is definitely a one stop for fashion. Any Husky can complete their look in this store. With Hip Zeppi carrying clothing, footwear and accessories, one wonders if there is really any need to go anywhere else.
Okay, once the outfit is established, the next step is footwear. Shoes can make or break any outfit. Footlocker offers a wide range of sneakers and boots, carrying name brands like Nike, Timberland, Adidas and Pumas. This fall there have been an array of new Timberland boots. The store carries colors like pink, red, gray, black, and orange, just to name a few. Currently, Footlocker is having a sale on selected footwear when you can buy two pair of sneakers for $89.99. This promotion will last until September 26. For women there is much to choose from. In Downtown Crossing alone there are various shoes stores such as DSW Warehouse, Nine West, and Aldo. If you’re a Husky with limited funds available, Parade of Shoes is another option. They offer quality boots and their highest priced boot is $60.
Crystal’s of Boston is another urban outfitter.
“Right now our most popular brand of athletic footwear is the Nike Air Force One,” said Steven Yee, Store Manager at Crystal’s of Boston. Their shoes range in price from as low as $19.99 to over $100.
“Students should definitely shop here because our prices are affordable and we often have mark downs,” said Yee.
Another store specializing in footwear is Foot Paths in Downtown Crossing. Currently the store is offering a sale of $15.00 off Women’s Timberlands. It seems that Nike and Timberland are the footwear for this season.
“Right now our most popular shoes are Nike and Timberland”, said Laura Cabrere, store manager at Foot Paths.
At this time they have selected women’s Timberland boots on sale for $39.99-49.99. There is also a coupon for 20% off in the StudentCity.com Collegiate Coupon (Fall 2002 Edition) book for Crystal’s which expires on January 15, 2003. Footpaths has a promotion offering $15.00 off selected Women’s Timberlands.
Looking good doesn’t have to hurt your wallet. There are bargain stores such as TJ Maxx and Marshall’s that sell name brand clothing for 30%-70% off.
“I like TJ Maxx and Marshall’s because they have good prices, quality stuff and a wide range of styles,” said Sara Simmons, Sophomore International Buisness Major. It is hard to keep up with fashions, especially when some fashions aren’t comfortable. It isn’t necessarily better to be fashionable if you’re going to be uncomfortable.
“I’d rather be comfortable. I’m sitting in class all day,” Kate McCann, a sophomore biomedical physics major, deadpanned.
To help students be more comfortable, Levi Strauss has a service through which they custom make jeans. This is a great alternative for those who don’t fit the fashion model size. The service costs $70 and it takes 3 weeks to get the jeans.
“I would get my jeans custom made. Seventy dollars isn’t a bad price if your jeans are going to fit you perfectly,” said Gaines.
No outfit is complete without accessories. An accessory can completely change the look of any outfit. One accessory that is big for men is the baseball cap. Mark Stokowski, store manager of Lids in Downtown Crossing, says that the most popular items at this time are the Next Era baseball caps, priced $26 and up. Lids offers a discount card which can be purchased for $3. With this card a discount of 20% is given on all purchases for three years.
The bottom line is fashion is individually based on character. There is no such thing as something being “in” or “out.” Fashion is a personal decision.
