Runway Style on a College Budget - Yes You Can!

Every girl knows shopping for clothes on a budget takes skills, patience and a hint of magic, and that could not ring more true for a college girl. We gotta look good, right? But how can we afford our Rachel Zoe closet when we’ve got mounting student debt…and a weekly bar tab to take care of?

Good news: it’s possible and CollegeCandy has the magic wand (or 3 great tips) that will have you wowing your campus without dipping into your “I need to eat something besides Easy Mac” fund.

**1) Spend On Classic Pieces
**So many people fall into the trap of thinking spending $50 on 5 cheap items is better than buying one well-made piece. Seriously, Forever 21 rocks when you need a pretty dress to go bar hopping, but that blazer you saw on Blake Lively? Or that gorgeous pencil skirt you’ve seen on all the runways? Better go to Nordstrom and find one that really fits, really lasts and will work in your wardrobe for years.

**2) Borrow from your fashionable friends
**Need something cute to wear? Why spend your hard earned money at the mall when you’ve got closets full of free clothes just down the hall? BORROW. Mix and match pieces from your friends’ closets with the staples in your own and you’ll have an endless array of fabulous, fresh and on-style outfits for every day of the week.

**3) Recycle
**No, I’m not telling you to take those old Stats notebooks and fashion them into some sort of paper dress (imagine what would happen if it rained!), but I am telling you to re-think the clothes that are already in your closet. Got a great graphic skirt you haven’t worn in years? Hike that sucker up, belt it and turn it into a mini-dress. Pair some unexpected pieces together. Take a basic dress and layer on big, bold necklaces. With that closet that is so full you can’t close the door, you’ve got the pieces of a hot look, you just need to build it.
In the end, think smart and shop smart and you’ll be the most fashionable girl in your class…. and at dollar pitcher night.

**CollegeCandy.com is the premiere online lifestyle magazine for 18-24 year old women. They cover everything – from fashion to relationships, celebrity gossip to surviving those classes in which you read celebrity gossip to pass the time – with the college girl in mind!
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