By Elizabeth Mulina
Amp writer
A handbag or designer jeans can empty a teen’s entire life savings. But that doesn’t stop us from trying to scrape up the money to buy them. As the start of school draws near, teens’ thoughts turn to fall fashion.
With this guide to fall styles, you will have no trouble getting the look you want for a better price than you would have thought possible. The summer’s bright neon accessories are giving way to fall’s back-to-the-basics neutral colors, making it easier to assemble your back-to-school wardrobe.
I spent last Saturday walking around the mall, glancing inside different stores. Forever 21 caught my eye. Their early fall collection was already out. I took a peek and was blown away. I’d never been interested in their clothing before, being someone who tends to buy the usual teen brands.
Checking out their jewelry, I met a store associate named Mary who told me that fish necklaces were definitely in style for this season, as are bold bracelets, huge rings and chandelier earrings. Mary also told me they bring in new clothing every six-to-eight weeks. I continued my walk around the store, taking everything in. Their “vintage” looking clothing has its own little section. After shopping in all the stores that day, I could tell the “vintage” look will be big this fall.
I later spoke with another store associate named Monica. When I asked her what color trends she saw being big this year, she said that neutral colors will be in fashion (blacks, whites and browns). When asked about how much you could buy with a budget of $100, she said you could probably get two full outfits with three pieces each, including a sweater, pants and accessories.
They have lots of skinny jeans in a variety of colors. I see them a lot in fashion magazines. I was surprised to find that prices start at only $10. They also have tons of ruffled blouses with fitted waists which will be popular fall. Accessories at Forever 21 started at just $5.50 and some tank tops were only $2.50.
I continued to Charlotte Russe to see what they offered. Some of their trends were similar to Forever 21, but they also had their own style. Many of their blouses were chocolate brown and burgundy. They also have some jewel-toned clothing, including a dark metallic turquoise shirt that stood out from the rest. They carry chunky jewelry that is relatively inexpensive, costing only a couple dollars. Their sunglasses are priced between $5 and $6 a pair.
Charlotte Russe is a great place to go if you like sales, which most of us do. I have been in there many times and they’ve had blouses, hoodies and pants starting as low as $5. The weekend I was there, they had a buy-one, get-one-free sale on everything from jeans to shirts.
In the shoe department, I saw a very expensive-looking pair of low-heeled slouchy suede boots. I was stunned when I saw the price - only $30. They looked like something you’d see in a high fashion magazine for $200. Looking away for a brief second, I saw a leather jacket sitting by itself. I’ve read that leather was coming back in style, whether in the form of leggings, jackets or mini skirts.
Like Forever 21, Charlotte Russe had the basic colors like reds, whites and blacks. One of my favorite accessories is their crotched berets. I also noticed they have more of a bohemian style than a lot of other stores.
I decided that, since I was already in the mall, I’d go to H&M to see their collection. Like Charlotte Russe, they have their own style going. H&M is more of a designer look for a very small price. The main color I noticed in there was a beautiful dark violet. The color was used on many tops. They have many graphic T’s and graphic T-shirt dresses for people who like taking risks with their outfits. I walked around a rack of colorful cardigans sitting there, waiting for a new home. Curious, I checked the price and found they were under $30. Like Forever 21, they also feature ruffled blouses with the fitted waist. H&M had a few off-the-shoulder shirts that I hadn’t seen in any other stores, but they didn’t have many of them, so I don’t think that will be a huge trend to follow. I noticed they do carry items with different kinds of animal prints. I’ve seen them everywhere, especially on shirts and shoes. This isn’t my absolute favorite trend, but they do look great with a pair of skinny jeans.
If you like headbands with bows, then H&M is the place to go. There were entire shelves full of them in assorted colors. The bow sizes ranged from very small to ones the size of a baseball. Like most stores, they had an abundance of ballet flats and scarves. The scarves, like the head bands, were in a variety colors, styles and sizes.
Kara Vivanno, an incoming freshman at Fort Zumwalt West High School, said the trend she is most excited about this fall is scarves.
“Scarves are a nice way to brighten up a T-shirt and add some flair,” she said. “You can wear them many ways. You can pair them up with jeans or, if you’re going for a dressier look, you can wear them with a skirt.”
Abbie Davis, another incoming freshman at West, said, “I have a lot of scarves, so you’ll see me with a different scarf every day.”
Your closet should always contain some basic starting points for an outfit, such as T-shirts in
solid colors. If you’re looking for a deal, then H&M has it. For under $15, you can get a two-pack of basic T’s in two different colors. They don’t carry a variety of colors. Just a select few basics like white, black, grey and purple. Basics are good if you’re not in the mood to dress up. You can add a piece of jewelry or scarf and it looks put together.
The key way to finding great items priced relatively cheap is to check back often. Stores change their clearance section every few weeks, if not more often. Another way to finding what you want is not making just one trip around the store; you have to go around a few times to see the amazing deals these stores have. Sometimes the best way to find what you are looking for is to search through the clearance racks. It is very likely that they will have great prices on the more expensive items. More great places to find inexpensive clothing is Hollister, American Eagle and Abercrombie. These stores aren’t thought of as “inexpensive,” but if you check out the clearance area you’ll be surprised at what you find. There have been many times where I have gone into these stores and have found clothing as low as $6.
If you don’t mind wearing clothing someone else has already worn, then secondhand stores like Radical Resale or Plato’s Closet are great, too. They sell clothing from every store imaginable, from Ralph Lauren to Aeropostale. These stores also sell handbags and accessories.
Just by going into a few stores, I can tell that this fall is going to have some awesome trends. I can’t wait to see what the winter collections will look like.
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