The mall is no longer the only place students can be found searching for the perfect outfit for the upcoming weekend.
An increasing number of students are turning to fashion boutiques, shops and even thrift stores in search for that must-have shirt or that hot skirt. These stores can provide a fresh approach to fashion that even the largest mall cannot offer.
Barbara Townsend, an undecided freshman, said that she prefers to shop at boutiques and other mainstream stores.
“It’s easier to find good stuff,” she said.
Townsend said it is harder to find clothes that fit well at thrift stores.
“If you can find something in a thrift store, that’s nice,” she said, adding that she prefers the convenience that boutiques boast.
Boutiques offer shoppers the chance to pick up the latest fashion with the aid of helpful salespeople.
Jessica Haas, manager of Posh Boutique, said customers get more personal attention at smaller stores.
Haas said at boutiques, “customer service is a lot better.”
Amanda Gray, assistant manager of Vertigo clothing store, agreed that service at boutiques is more personalized.
Gray said there are many perks to shopping in a boutique atmosphere. She said boutiques are “a little more unique” than stores at the mall.
“Everyone’s going to have that outfit,” Gray said of the clothing students find at large chain stores such as Abercrombie and Fitch or Express.
“We only buy in small amounts, so not everybody’s wearing the same thing,” Haas said.
Haas said customers might prefer new vintage styles because older clothes do not last as long. She said at the thrift store, clothing is sold “as is” and does not last as long as new clothing.
At Posh, clothing prices range from $19 for some shirts to more than $100 for designer jeans, and there are clearance items that start at $5.99.
Vertigo clothing store has items ranging from $19 for shirts to $175 for some dresses, said Gray said. It had skirts and shirts on sale from $10.
Thrift stores have their own positive aspects.
They can be a great place to shop for those who are looking for bargains.
With their garage-sale atmosphere, they stand out in stark contrast to the polished, ultra-chic boutiques.
A great outfit can be harder to find in a thrift store, but this very fact may be part of what makes thrifty shopping enjoyable.
Although some digging may be required, it is not unusual to find, for example, a used Polo shirt on sale for $2.
Jeremy Moore, a sociology junior, said he occasionally prefers shopping at a thrift store to shopping at the mall.
“You just don’t find old stuff [at the mall],” he said.
He said students probably like thrift stores because the price is low.
“I shop there just for a different style at lower price,” Moore said.
Thrift stores such as Goodwill or the Salvation Army have an added bonus for shoppers: proceeds go to finance a charity.
Linda Williams, manager of Here Today, Gone Tomorrow thrift store, said the store’s proceeds go to various charities, such as Battered Women’s Shelter and St. Jude’s hospital.
For shoppers with a social conscience, the combination of saving money on clothes and the knowledge that they are helping others while doing so can be a real selling point.
Williams said students tend to buy “retro stuff” when they shop at the store.
Mandy Wilson, manager of Goodwill on College, said students usually buy jeans and T-shirts.
Wilson said it is probably the value that brings in college students.
“We’ve got good buys,” she said.
At Goodwill, clothes range from 99 cents for various items to more than $15 for suits or dresses.
Williams said students “always say the prices are better.”
She said business from college students increases every year. Both Goodwill and Here Today, Gone Tomorrow estimate that students make up 40 percent of their business.
At Here Today, Gone Tomorrow there is a wide selection of clothing and several unique sections like such as a big and tall section, a retro clothing section, a formal party dress section, and even a night wear section.
Prices range from $2.95 and up for shirts and from $7.95 to $14.95 for vintage dresses. On Wednesdays, students get half off of their entire purchases.