New York City is not an easy place to always stay up to date on current trends. With what’s in constantly changing and the intense pressure to stand out, most girls have the desire to update their wardrobe more frequently in New York. When I spoke to multiple girls from different colleges, almost all of the complaints were the same; fashion is a hobby that has become all to unaffordable for the average college student.
(1) The average student going to school full time is taking 12-18 credits a semester. With over hour long classes and a heavy work load the first issue arises.
“I am taking five classes, two days a week, 12 hours a day and then I need time to do all the work I have been assigned. I try to get as much work done in the day while I am at school, but I still use an extra day to study. The other days I am not in school I am working part-time in a pizza place. I don’t have the time or the money to go shopping even if I wanted to.” -Mena Marielle, 22, a student at Baruch College
(2) Tuition these days can be extremely expensive, even at a CUNY school for most middle class families. Without scholarships or financial aid the burden can become even heavier.
“I work full time and put myself through school. I’m paying over $3000 a semester! I can barely make ends meet between tuition and rent. Unfortunately there’s no way I will be able to get myself a new dress for a date night anytime soon.” -Tyler Montgomery, 24, a student at Brooklyn College
“I am paying…wait for it…over $60,000 a semester at my school. It makes me so mad. Yes I have student loans and I have some money set aside right now from working, but I have to be smart and can’t spend it on new clothes. I’ll be looking at over $250,000 in loans I need to pay back when I am finished. Good style is just not in the cards for me.” -Courtney Koczka, 21, a student at New York University
(3) The prices of clothing just seem to be getting higher and higher.
“I remember when Forever 21 first came out and I couldn’t find anything in the store for more than $24. It was cute clothes and so affordable which is why it became so popular. But now that beautiful denim jacket that was the most expensive item at $24 has jumped to $59.50 and the tank tops that were once $2.50 each have become $10.50 each. It’s complete anarchy I’m telling you.” -Laura Vitarelli, 20, a student at FIT
“Just the other day I really wanted to get a new outfit to wear on a date with my boyfriend. Nothing crazy, just something casual. I went into H&M which everyone knows is one of the cheaper stores to get clothes. I had a pair of jeans, a top and a lightweight jacket. The total at the register was like $145. I hadn’t even gone anywhere to get shoes yet. The worst part was the quality of the clothes wasn’t even worth what I spent on them.” -Aliyah Sullivan, 25, a student at Hunter College
I went into four stores that I mention a lot on this blog. H&M, Zara, Express and Forever 21 and I took a look at the prices for some very basic items that would complete a full outfit. The average prices are as follows rounded up to the nearest dollar:
Basic blue jeans: $55
A solid colored blouse: $36
A light jacket: $48
A flat boot: $43
That’s a total of $182 for a very plain and basic outfit with no accessories included. As soon as the shirts looked a little more stylish or had multi-colors or patterns the prices would jump. Any jeans with distress marks or in newer stylers averaged about $15 to $20 higher than the basic blue jeans. So how can students stay up to date on fashion or afford new clothes when prices in rent, tuition and clothing are high, but wages for part time students are low?
While I can’t ask clothing companies to lower their prices, I do have some tips and some ideas for college students with the desire to enjoy fashion, but don’t feel that student financial struggles can allow them.
(1) Websites such as RetailMeNot have exclusive coupons and offers for some of your favorite stores. Coupons can include up to 40% off any item in a store. This could be great if you have your eye on an item, but can’t afford to pay full price for it. You can also check to see what stores are offering promotions at what times.
(2) Apps such as Vinted. Vinted is an app for any smartphone or tablet device that allows users to buy, swap or sell their used clothing. You might have a jacket that you have worn so many times and you don’t want it anymore. Vinted allows you to take a picture of the item and sell it or swap it. If you sell it you get a payment directly to your bank account and if you swap it you can simply trade the item for something in someone else’s closet. Even if you don’t want to sell any of your clothes, you can buy from other people for very low prices. In many cases some items still have tags on them.
(3) Designer Thrift Shops are located all over New York City. You can find items in these stores from top designer labels for very cheap prices. You can buy three items from Dolce and Gabbana for the cost of one jacket from Express. The best part is that most of these places send most of their proceeds to charity foundations.
Here is some of the best thrift shops located in New York City:
https://tonionthrifting.com/
http://www.cancercare.org/support_us/thrift_shop
https://www.asecondchanceresale.com/
https://www.designerrevival.com/