Kent students discuss fall fashion on a budget

As leaves begin to turn, and pumpkin spice becomes a staple of the months to come, this year’s autumn fashion trends are falling into style on campus.

For students outside of the fashion scene, it can be hard to determine what the standout trends for a coming season will be.

Isaac Yost, a junior fashion merchandising major, explained the use of sleeves to create silhouettes as a trend for the fall.

“It’s a lot of different sleeves and silhouettes with that,” Yost said. “I’ve seen throughout the summer and going into fall, too, with sweaters it’s a lot of bell sleeves.”

Emily McCullough, a junior fashion merchandising major and an assistant buyer for Lucky Shoes in Fairlawn, said, on top of bell sleeves, people can expect to see a lot of balloon-style sleeves and ruffles being used to create feminine silhouettes.

McCullough said, in addition, you can expect to see a lot of bright colors this season which will lead well into the trends for spring.

“I’ve been seeing a lot of red and yellow in apparel and footwear,” she said. “Basically everything you’re seeing right now, all these bold colors like red and yellow, they’re going to transition to spring. But it’s all going to be very muted, pastel colors.”

Back in March, Women’s Wear Daily referred to “power red,” a deep, powerful and bright red and suggested pairing it with pinks for a “stronger impact.”

For Drexton Trantina, a freshman fashion design major, said the best way to achieve a fall look is through the tried and true method of layering.

“One of the really nice things about fall is that layers are almost always in trend,” Trantina said. “With layers, if it’s cold in the morning you can have more of them and then if it gets hotter you can take them off and if it gets cooler you can put them back on. I would just say, be wearing something that is cohesive with or without a layer.”

Yost said, while men’s fashion doesn’t change much between seasons, the use of colors and materials can make you stand out.

“I really like olive green. I think it’s an underrated, basic color, sort of like navy and khaki,” Yost said. “I like suede for accents, in shoes and accessories. Especially if you get it in a different color than just black or brown. If you do a burgundy, it adds warmth, which is great for fall.”

For students, the trouble isn’t always in figuring out what the trends are, but in trying to create a personal style on a budget. McCullough suggested fast fashion is the usual answer to this problem.

“Definitely going to faster fashion retailers like Forever 21, Zara, H&M,” she said. “If you want something really trendy.”

For Yost, sustainability is an important thing to consider when it comes to shopping new trends. Sustainable fashion is about being conscious of the environmental impact of fast fashion retailers.

“I’m very conscious of where I shop,” Yost said. “I feel like there are a lot of great brands that aren’t that expensive that are doing sustainability well. I really love Target; just their clothing and it’s not expensive at all.”

Another option for the environmentally, or financially conscious shopper is to visit secondhand vintage stores, consignment shops and thrift stores, like Einstein’s Attic or Goodwill in Kent.

“It is hard for me to find my size and stuff, but I can definitely find oversized sweaters very cheap,” Yost said. “Then they still go with stuff.”

Trantina suggested online shopping and window shopping could be used as a method of figuring out what you like before buying.

“If you see something that you like and it’s not in your price range,” Trantina said, “then you should try to find something similar in a store that is more your price range.”

Danielle Abbott is the fashion reporter. Contact her at [email protected].