fashionBe Fashionable on a BudgetBy Minji Cha, Danielle DesBordes and Kate-lyn Scott

Be on the lookout for these items that can typically be found at thrift stores:Silk button-downs, in an array of colors for spring, plus they are a wardrobe stable that can be worn year round to class, dates, and job interviews. Start a collection of colors.Unusual prints in shirts, skirts, dresses, any clothing type really; although we usually steer clear of printed pants. Unusual prints usually can’t be found anywhere else, because they came from someone’s closet that they cleaned out from the 70s, 80s, or 90s, long before any of us were even thinking about our wardrobes. Just make sure to pair with solids and neutrals.Leather skirts can be found for much cheaper than anywhere else, normally for under $10. Be careful to look out for smells and stains since dry cleaning can cost more than the actual skirt, and some things can’t be salvaged.There are higher-end brands than you’d expect. Believe it or not, Savers and the Salvation Army stores can be secret sites to find brands like Ralph Lau-ren, J.Crew, and even Michael Kors.Also make sure to look out for statement pieces. There are ways to incorpo-rate those hot pink pony-hair loafers, or that long sleeved beaded mini dress into your wardrobe. Go out on a shopping adventure of your own. Unless you’re a seasoned veteran, we’d recommend you have at least an hour to devote to each store. Lines for dressing rooms can be fairly long or nonexistent, depending on the time that you go. There are buses running to the Salvation Army Store, which is on Pitman Street close to Eastside Marketplace. It’s also within walking distance for a nice day. There are Savers locations in Providence and Warwick.

A nice floral blouse is undoubtedly a spring wardrobe staple since florals never seem to go out of style. They can often be found at Urban Outfit-ters in the $40-$60 price range, but why spend the cash when you can find one just as nice for a quarter of the price at a Savers or a Salvation Army? You can wear it with trousers, a blazer, and a classy pair of pumps to create a chic but professional-looking job interview look. H&M cur-rently sells trousers in a variety of colors. Stay with navy or black to keep it professional, but don’t be afraid to wear bright colored pants this spring. You can also dress it down with a pair of high-waisted shorts and sandals for a fresh and easy casual look. Don’t fear a high waistline! We promise that the cute and affordable high-waisted shorts they’re currently selling at Urban Outfitters and Forever 21 won’t make you look like a dowdy mom.

Believe it or not you can create an entire outfit with thrift store finds. While initially anyone might shy away from high-waisted, undeniably long shorts, it isn’t difficult to cuff or hem longer-length items with a few stitches from a needle and thread or with help from a hidden safety pin or two. Taking longer shorts and skirts to a tailor who can easily hem them for a more modern cut is also an option and despite the additional cost of paying for tailoring, your total cost will almost always be less than finding similar items at other stores. A cotton or silk button-down blouse in a soft white or cream is always a wardrobe staple which can be worn in a multitude of ways for everyday, career, or evening occasions. Adding a patterned jacket for colder Providence days pulls the look together; leopard prints are a big trend for spring. Finally finish the look with a skinny belt in a neutral or take a risk with a bright patent leather belt that can be found at stores like J.Crew. Pull on some strappy sandals or sweater tights and oxfords for cooler days, and throw your satchel or tote over your shoulder and you’re ready to head to class.

Crop tops are a big trend for spring, despite the fact that not everyone is willing to expose midriff on a regular basis. However if you are willing to take the plunge, search for a crop top that is cut modestly on top and save the low cut ones for the beach (or Spring Weekend). This one pairs the crop top trend with the tribal print trend and is easy to combine with skinny jeans in almost any color neutral or bright, shorts both high-waisted and lower rise, or even on top of a body-hugging tank dress. H&M, Forever 21 and Urban Outfitters are all good sites to search for these items. The new store opening in Providence Place Mall, Shop 344, sells seamless camis and tank dresses perfect for pairing un-der crop tops, at $20 and under!

A winter-to-spring transition look like this one isn’t hard to find at a Savers or a Salvation Army. The bright pink silk will make you look ready for spring while the knit navy skirt will protect you from the last remnants of pesky winter weather. Complete the look easily with pieces that are already in your closet! A cardigan or a blazer and a pair of oxfords or boots will keep your look smart and casual.

Happy Bargain Hunting!!

his spring, it appears that many designers are engaging in the age-old battle of black & white versus colour. Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel has returned the fashion house to its classic-cut blazers, adding a little punk modernity with items such as white jeans with many small fabric tears, and studded crystals. The house of Alexander McQueen, attempting to continue the innovative work of the designer, has created unique dresses that combine both dark and vivid colours, although many of the design elements are not as unique as previous RTW seasons. Marc by Marc Jacobs seems to have its mind on the beach this spring, creating dresses with classic beachball stripes. The Chanel collection is certainly the most predictable and the safest venture of the three design houses, but classic is always classic, like a black and white film. However, the fact that Gucci Fall ‘11 RTW showed so many great, beautiful colours has me thinking that it’s about time to add some hot solid colours to my wardrobe, and the trend may begin this spring with items more like the Marc by Marc Jacobs RTW collection. Look for similar bright orange and electric blue t-shirts, striped shorts, and dresses at Zara this spring for more affordable options.-Justine Ariel

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visualChelsea English tracks down VISA majors in their natural habitats.

I crashed an art class in List in the hopes of getting some defini-tions of style from unsuspecting art students. I feel as if we all like to throw the term around, but would have difficulty explaining exactly what style is. The word itself takes on so many different roles, especially in terms of classification or judgement, that it is easy to get lost among them.

The creation of art and the creation of an individual style seem to have roots in the same place, so maybe art students at Brown could help in our enlightenment. In their responses to the admittedly vague question, “What is style?”, I came to realize, or maybe just remember, that style isn’t something that we need to search for.

-Chelsea English

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artists

Chelsea English tracks down VISA majors in their natural habitats.

Zung Nguyen Vu“Style for me is an individual choice of how to represent yourself, your taste,

and your personality to civilization.” -Zung Nguyen Vu ’12

Joanna Jacobs

“It’s expression in general. It’s taking whatever someone is thinking or feeling and exposing it to the world.” -Joanna Jacobs ’14

Style...

Joanna Jacobs

Sofie Ramos

Sofie Ramos

“My style is kind of random, and it changes all the time. I certainly don’t have a specific artistic style. I’m always doing random things. My clothing style is very similar. It’s whatever I can find. I just try to be resourceful.”

-Sofie Ramos ’13

Join us in J Walter Wilson,Friday 4/8 from 10 – 5for our Grand Opening!

Vault is a student-run thrift store and upcycling initiative. Come browse our collection of quality, gently used goods, or

donate your own for store credit.

(and keep an eye out for future workshops, which your purchases help fund!)

Vault is a Brown Student Agencies Program. To learn more, visit http://bsa.brown.edu/