As an eighteen-year-old woman, I have pride in my ability to dress well. I know what colors match, and I know what looks good with my body type. But as a freshman college student in the Big Apple, it can be difficult to accept that I cannot afford the $700 Michael Kors leather jacket from Lord and Taylor or even the $70 dollar sweater in a local shop in town.

Here at Pace, our two campuses are polar opposites. As a freshman who was required to attend Convocation, it was quite obvious who was from Pleasantville and who was from New York City. Pleasantville students wear the jeans and sweatshirts while the New York City students wear the tribal leggings with loafers, vintage leather vest paired with a beanie and purse that, let’s face it, can’t really hold much. They looked at us as if we were different breeds and it was as if they held their noses up to us and strutted their stuff down Shirley Beth’s Way. But does this make them better than us? No way. We are just as beautiful and strong as they are.

While I am a beautiful and strong woman, I still want those tribal leggings and leather vest. I am human and definitely that type of girl that “never has enough shoes”. So what are the steps we can take to succeed in the fashion world and keep our less than full bank accounts happy?

1. Online shopping. In the technological and information age, we could easily browse the Internet in our sleep. There are websites out there that cater to our specific needs as broke college students with a desire for fashion. ModCloth has an excellent selection of sale items, in my opinion. Vintage dresses, blazers, vests, jewelry, etc. are among their selection.
2. Be the savvy shopper. When I go to the Palisades Mall, the clearance rack in the very back of the store is my best friend. It treats me right every time we meet, and it always gets better and better. With 30, 40, even sometimes 50% off, the receipt of my purchases reads much nicer.
3. Don’t overspend. When you go shopping, always have a budget in mind and stick to it. Straying from the plan leads to overdrawn credit cards and/or empty banks accounts. Stay strong; stick to your guns, and you will do that happy dance down the hall with all of your goodies.

There is no reason why we can’t have the same New York City look without worrying about our pockets. We will just have it at a much lower price. As for me, that brings me more happiness anyway. So don’t worry Pace, be happy.