Fall fashion brings sweet new styles

Senia Hiltunen

Senia HiltunenFashion Columnist

Ralph Lauren, Prada, Dior, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Chanel, Burberry and Marc Jacobs: a dream team of fashion designers with killer fall collections most of us wish we had.

Thankfully for us, designer knock-offs of the hottest fall fashion trends are popping up in storefronts across the U.S. The best looks at affordable prices can be found right here in Brookings and its surrounding areas.

Nancy Lyons, a professor in apparel merchandising, said military looks are the hottest trend for fall.

Military can range from a uniform-like jacket with embellishments to a trendy use of fashion camouflage. High boots or booties, dog tag necklaces and army green skinny jeans accessorize the look.

Megan Krahn, a senior apparel merchandising major, said animal prints are making a statement for the second year in a row.

Animal prints, or the safari look, consist of an animal print shoe, nude or khaki pants and a faux fur vest with a neutral shirt. Animal prints this season are more muted and used as accessories like purses, scarves or shoes.

In the September issue of Elle magazine, it said pairing feminine lace and ruffles with tough leather or rugged pieces went from runway to retail. Lyons said mixing the two styles together creates a unique look of girly-meets-edgy.

“I am not a trendsetter, but I enjoy trends more comfortably like wearing statement accessories with my favorite classic pieces,” Krahn said.

Statement accessories are fun, colorful and expressive of one’s personality. You can try by wearing your favorite plain outfit and jazz it up with an expressive scarf, jewelry piece, handbag or shoes.

Outerwear for Krahn is a way to “change up” your style. Krahn said pea coats and trench coats in fun colors, prints, plaids or embellishments can add to your outfit by making you appear fashion-forward even while walking to class.

Straight from the September issue of InStyle emerges two radically different fall silhouettes: minimalism and volume. Both come fresh off the runway of high fashion shows.

Minimalism style is simple, scaled down clothes with muted tones like black or camel. Volume has voluminous shapes that channel the retro vibe of the 1950s. You can channel the silhouettes by wearing tight fitting dark clothes for minimalism or a full skirt and a puffed-sleeve cardigan for volume.

The hottest trend on the jean scene for fall is the jegging and trouser jeans.

The jegging is a cross between a skinny jean and a legging, hence the term jegging. According to Gliks associate Jenny Jasper, jeggings are hard to keep in stock because they have been “flying off the racks” since school started.

Jasper said most shoppers pair jeggings with belted or loose tops and longer sweaters or shirts.

The trouser jean has a fuller leg style and is more of a classic look instead of trendy, Lyons said. The trouser jeans look best with tighter fitting tops and tucked in button downs.

For men, senior graphic design major Derek Kramer said fashion is not a major priority.

Kramer said v-neck tees, slim-fit jeans, male “scarfing,” capped beanies, watches and Converse Chucks are staples for men’s fall fashion.

“You need to have a classy watch like Fossil to be in the who’s who of fashion and Chucks go with everything and have been around for years,” Kramer said.

Krahn said she finds her fall fashions at American Eagle Outfitters, The Gap and Kohl’s. Lyons said Express and The Limited have fashion-forward fall clothing as well.

“At Kohl’s, people who have a budget can still be fashionable because of knock-off designer brands like daisy fuentes by Daisy Fuentes and LC by Lauren Conrad,” Krahn said.

“Don’t overlook Target either. They have guest designers and are in the price range for college students,” Lyons says.

Kramer said if you don’t have time to get out and shop for fall fashions, amazon.com is a customer-friendly site.

Amazon.com has a new feature that shows customers what others bought with the selected item, and sells complete outfits with a pick-and-choose option as well for a quick and easy home shopping experience.

Those, my friends, are the hottest fall fashions, and don’t forget to support the SDSU Jackrabbits by wearing your blue and yellow apparel on Fridays!