Guest Post: Affordable Clothing Stores for College Students

Another guest post for you today. This was written by Breana and is really useful to read it you, like me, are on a budget.



 It’s a sad fact that during the time in your life when you are most apt (and it is most acceptable) to experiment with clothing, you are off on your own with a strict spending cap imposed by your parents (if you’re lucky enough to have their financial support).  Most of the time, you can’t even scrape together enough coinage to go to the vending machine, much less put together a fashionable outfit for Friday night’s mixer.  So what’s a frugal freshman or social-climbing sophomore to do?  Luckily, there are plenty of stores that can offer you the latest trends for less, and with a little work, you can compile a wardrobe that works for you without breaking the bank.

 H&M.  

 If you’re lucky enough to live in or near a city that sports an H&M, then be sure to thank the fashion goddess.  Their clothes are cute, quirky, and best of all, cheap.  So indulge your inner trendsetter and outfit yourself from top to bottom in office casual, flirty frills, or down-to-earth jersey tees.

 (Photo Credit)




Forever 21:  This is almost as good as H&M, but on a decidedly smaller scale.  Their sizes tend to run a bit small, but on the upside, their locations are easier to find, stores are organized by color (if you’re not sure about that blue blouse, find it in pink on the opposite wall!), and they might offer even better prices for similar articles of clothing.

(Photo Credit)

Target: If department stores and mall standbys are too expensive, check out the wares at your local Tar-zhay.  While you may find a lot of generic-looking items, they’re so affordable that you can use the money you save to spice up your outfits with some snappy accessories.  As an added bonus, buying a few mix-and-match tops and bottoms and adding chic, unique embellishments is a good way to make your wardrobe versatile.  And don’t forget that Target has a lot of designers making special lines for them (Isaac Mizrahi and Zac Posen, to name a couple), allowing you to get the brand names you want at a price that won’t leave you with buyer’s remorse.  *The same is true of Kohl’s, which has lines by Vera Wang, Daisy Fuentes, and Lauren Conrad.

Delia's: This web-based clothing retailer has super-cute outfits (not only jeans and tees, but trendy jackets and dresses, as well as great boots and shoes).  Their prices can be a little high for some items, but they have an excellent clearance section, frequent sales (end of season ones are great), and you can often get free shipping on large orders.  Bonus: they even have decorations for your dorm room!

Thrift Stores: If all of these options are still a little out of your price range, or if your style is more retro than modern, consider thrift store shopping as a cheaper alternative.  You can occasionally find vintage pieces that are still in pretty good shape, as well as super cool faded tees.  You just need to shop around a bit more to find what you’re looking for (and in your size), but you can find some truly one-of-a-kind pieces and stay well within your budget by visiting these student-friendly stores.  And don’t forget, paying five bucks for a pair of jeans that are too long and spending a few more to have them hemmed at a local alterations place still saves you a lot over newer stuff (and they’re already broken in).

(Photo Credit)

Breana Orland is a writer for Student Grants. Breana also gives advice on the pursuit of higher education and career options for young adults.

xx