UCF students find style among the savings

At a large university such as UCF, students pride themselves on being at a university that boasts diversity and creativity. With the second-biggest student population, UCF has a campus that has a multitude of styles, which range from vintage to what’s popular now. Popular thought would seem to dictate that it is hard to be a college student and still be fashionable. However, there are many students on campus who disagree.

Being fashionable on a college budget is possible if you know where to look: It is all about being thrifty and do-it-yourself projects. It is evident from blogs and fashion magazine articles that being trendy and affordable is a big concern for college students, but still possible. 

In the UCF area, there are many stores that give student discounts with a valid student ID, as well as buy-back stores that offer lightly-used, brand name clothes for less. 

Goodwill offers a variety of options along with a student discount, while Plato’s Closet gives students a chance to make money off of clothes they no longer need. The shopping area in Waterford Lakes also has stores such as Target where weekly coupons allow for great discounts on clothing. Stores such as Ross and T.J. Maxx allow discerning bargain buyers to purchase designer clothes at an automatic discount. 

The Central Florida Future spoke to three Knights who are savvy to both style and savings. Here are some of their tips on what to get and where to look for it:

Jenna Montana

Age: 20

Year: Junior

Major: Sport and exercise science

Top 3 stores to shop at: H&M, Forever 21 and Dillard’s

How she describes her style: Dress to flatter

When it comes to Jenna Montana’s style and opinion on fashion, she likes to wear different things every day. She likes to have an eclectic and diverse closet with outfit choices that can go with how she is feeling for the day.

“Think about how a good outfit makes you feel and keep that in mind when you go shopping," Montana said. “So always keep an open mind, and when you go shopping, go with a mission, don’t just go to walk around. That way, [say you’re looking for shorts] you’ll be able to price compare and find the best priced shorts that also look the best.”

For going out, Montana will plan out her outfits ahead of time, but when it comes to just being on campus she goes for whatever she feels like wearing. She also stresses being able to find good bargains at low prices; she never buys anything at full price — unless it is a staple item.

“If I am really torn between something — say it is a $15 shirt — I’ll say to myself, ‘Will I wear this shirt 15 times or will I get 15 compliments on it?,’” Montana said.

For this fall, Montana believes that neon colors are a big trend and are going to stick around, along with a shift toward gladiator sandals with beads and high-waisted shorts.

Saheedat Abdulwahab

Age: 19

Year: Junior

Major: Biomedical science

Top 3 stores to shop at: Goodwill, Zara and H&M

How she describes her style: Unique

Saheedat Abdulwahab calls her style unique and says it fits whatever her mood is at the moment. She rarely plans outfits ahead of time and is a strong believer in building an outfit around one article of clothing.

“The process of picking out what I wear in the morning is just based on my mood, and usually I start off with just one piece that I think about in my head, then I work my way up from there,” Abdulwahab said.

Abdulwahab explained that in order to find fashionable things on a budget, students should look for clothing and accessories that are not in the “everyday section.” Most articles of clothing in those sections will be overpriced, plus, she said, everyone else will have them. She also prefers to look for articles of clothing that will fit her body type and combine well with other things she owns to get more use out of them and to not overcrowd her closet.

“Also, going thrifting has become [a] new thing where people are getting different, vintage finds for less. It also is a good way to diversify your closet with different things from different decades,” Abdulwahab said.

For this fall, Abdulwahab says darker colors, such as burgundy and navy, will be big. She predicts that scarves, boots and more items with metal accents on clothing will be frequently worn — especially those with gold accents.

Richmond Laryea

Age: 20

Year: Junior

Major: Molecular biology and microbiology

Top 3 stores to shop at: Urban Outfitters, Zara and H&M

How he describes his style: Simple, conservative and unique

Richmond Laryea’s take on style is being able to take a simple look and make it his own. Laryea usually goes with the flow when it comes to picking out his clothes to wear and said he does not put much thought into it. He goes with his mood and comfort level and puts his outfit together from there. For shopping, he likes to pick things that catch his eye and attention and especially loves finding great clothing articles on the sales rack.

“When I shop, I look for colors that look good on my skin, and I also like a lot of darker colors. I’m big on shoes, so I like to pick outfits that will match my shoes,” Laryea said.

Laryea says that because UCF has such a big campus, there are many creative and daring styles to be seen. He said that it allows for more freedom in expression through clothing and style. He also said that the opportunities of living in a college town allow students to find more deals and thrifty bargains.