So you’re walking around on campus and you see a girl wearing leggings, a long sweater, a chunky belt and flats and you think to yourself, “Who does she think she IS?  She looks like she’s straight out of an 80’s music video or something!”  Well folks, it may be sad but it’s true; the 80’s are back and better than ever.  Instead of mourning, let’s just take this one and run with it.  Yes, we live in Albany, New York, and yes, Crossgates mall isn’t exactly accommodating for the fashion savvy. But whether we like it or not, these trends are here to stay (for at least the next six months).  It’s up to us to decide what we’re going to do... embrace the look or kick it to the curb?

            Maybe you grew up in Lake Placid, New York where corduroy blazers are perfectly acceptable to wear to a martini bar (do they even they even have martini bars in Lake Placid??), but times are progressing and we are turning into adults here.  The point is, you don’t have to look like you just stepped off of the cover of a magazine, but if you abide by a few of these guidelines, you will find yourself wowed by the improvements in your personal style. You may be wondering, “will I have to blow my budget to do this?” The answer is no.  We’re all on a tight budget at this point in our lives, and fortunately there are ways to sport the hottest trends even if you are lacking in funds.

            Rule #1: If you grew up having your parents buy your clothes and as a result find yourself turning your nose up whenever you walk by Forever 21, H & M, Old Navy, Charlotte Russe, etc…turn that nose back down.  These stores have some of the greatest deals around for, shall we say, “disposable” clothing and accessories.  What I mean by this is, are you going to get your best pair of winter boots at these places? Absolutely not.  Are you going to find cute camis, sultry sweaters, fabulous jewelry, shoes and bags (that you will most definitely beat up anyways) at reasonable prices? You’d better believe it!  These seemingly insignificant items can beef up your wardrobe more than you think!  If you invest in good outerwear and footwear staples and perhaps one decent handbag, what you do with the rest of your wardrobe is really quite flexible as far as “brand names” go.  Let’s be honest here: none of us can afford to shop the brand name anymore.  If you want your classic Coach bag (real or fake), go ahead and splurge, but for everything else you’d better be looking for style, not the name on the tag. 

            Consider this: You’re shopping at an outlet mall, and you see a bangin’ pair of nice lined capris made by one of your favorite designers, BCBG Max Azria.  They’re on sale for $60, which is a great deal for BCBG, and you just you just have to have them. Now comes the moment of truth. The capris are great and you’ll feel satisfied wearing them knowing that they’re BCBG, but no one else will.  For $60, you can get a comparable pair of capris and a couple of cute tops—much more bang for your buck. There’s always a fine line here, and some timeless pieces (e.g. jeans) that you need longevity out of and won’t be out of style next season are certainly worth the high price tag. However, always take into consideration where your wardrobe is lacking before you decide where to allocate your precious resources.

            Rule #2:  Don’t be afraid to expand your style!  Fear in fashion can be detrimental to your own personal style, and we all have our own style, whether we know it or not.  Whether it’s conservative, over the top, or a mixture of both—each of us has a “signature style” that we’ve created by the way that we dress and present ourselves.  A dangerous rut to fall into is to succumb to habitual behavior…if you notice yourself consistently putting together the same outfits, week after week, run over to Macy’s, grab a cute top off a sale rack and shake things up a little bit. You know that top that you always try on that makes you think, “What would I wear that with? It doesn’t mesh with my style. I don’t need it.” Well, you actually do need it. And when you wear it you’ll get about a hundred compliments, and guess what? You’ll wear it a lot.

            So you hate the 80’s look… okay, most of us do, it was a frightful decade fashion-wise.  However, it’s being re-invented in a very chic way that is not only accepted but applauded by fashionistas around the globe.  We’re not asking you to wear a bright orange polka-dotted top with shoulder pads in it…but maybe you could spice up jeans and a plain black top with a belt around your upper waist?  No ladies, you can’t keep slinging it low on your hips because that’s actually not in style anymore; up, up, up with those belts, around your rib cage.  Who are you kidding, you know where it goes, the style has been broadcasted all over TV commercials and prime time shows for months now.  If you can’t do the belt, and you’re terrified to try leggings just yet, perhaps you can start out slowly with the super-long tunic style sweater or shirt.  You know, the one that’s so long it could almost be a dress? (They are actually selling sweater-dresses now, and they’re absolutely adorable!)

If you’re afraid of the entire 80’s ensemble, try breaking it down to the bare elements:

• Wear a long sweater over normal pants instead of leggings.

• Match a chunky belt (worn high on the torso) with a solid top. 

            When you feel that you’re ready to go all out 80’s, do it with enthusiasm.  Listen, if girls are rockin’ it on the red carpet in LA then there is no reason why we can’t step up our fashion game right here in the Capital region! 

Rule #3: The third and final rule might not be the most fun to read about, but it will be beneficial in the long run.  Three simple words will save you from countless embarrassing moments, so remember them: Wear Your Size!  Let’s be honest… we’ve all put on a few pounds (or more) in college.  And that’s okay!  The binge drinking and eating is well worth the memories and laughs—those will last forever, and your love handles won’t. But, speaking of love handles, if they’ve turned up recently, you have to up your pants size. 

If none of you have heard of this expression before, brace yourselves because it’s not pretty.  There is a term called the “muffin-top”, which refers to the overflow of fat on a girl’s hips when she tries to shove herself into low-rise jeans that are too small for her.  It’s often noticeable when her top rides up and you see two bulges above her hips, where the tightness of the jeans is forcing her love handles up, and they spill over the top of the jeans, hence the term “muffin top”. 

            It’s not a pleasant thought and it’s an even worse sight, so if you are a victim of the muffin top (and we all have been), be aware!  Tight jeans can be sexy, yes, but there is a fine line between sexy-tight and just-plain-too-tight, and this is where your discretion (and your roommate’s) must come into play.  You’ve all seen “that girl” who makes you cringe simply because her clothes are too tight, and therefore not flattering to her figure.  I have countless friends who are far from a size 4, but always manage to look fabulous because they wear their size.  When you dress for your body type you can manipulate what the eye sees to a certain extent—color, style, length, and design are all ways to do this.  But when you wear suction-tight clothes, there is no room for the imagination!  Not to mention, the midriff-baring shirts are absolutely not in style anymore, so if your friends are still wearing them please alert them immediately! When you see them, let them know that not only will a long sweater hide that muffin top, it’s in style too!  It’s a classy look that—gasp—covers your love handles!  Isn’t that what we want to do, ladies?  And hey, if you want to bare it all to the world, then at least do it in your own size so we don’t have to look at the awkward bulges that you know are unbecoming of you.

Maybe these three simple rules threw your style-sense into a fashion frenzy, but take my word for it. Implementing even a few of these tips into your daily routine will have significant impact.  Make sure you don’t snob out the inexpensive stores, be more adventurous with new fashion trends, and wear your own size!  Stick to these three and you’ll be lookin’ better than the girl in a size zero with daddy’s credit card.  ■