Learning to Survive on the Basics

College students are well-versed in the perils of having little to no money in their wallets--and just about the same amount of storage space in their humble dorm rooms. But that"s no reason to not stock your room with the hottest trends for fall.

So, rather than stuffing every item you own in your tiny closet or spending an exorbitant amount of money on a new fall wardrobe, pare down what you already have, uncover new places, and shop intelligently.

One way to combine fashion and fun is to explore the outer boroughs. Brooklyn, for instance, is replete with massive secondhand warehouses and little boutiques. These stores will help you find some of fall"s greatest hits--fitted tweed jackets, pencil skirts, and animal prints.

Before the leaves start changing, catch a weekend street fair. The fairs are often advertised in Time Out New York, so you can pick and choose according to location. Sometimes, you can spot some unique pieces with which to pepper your fall collection. You might also want to try antique shops and flea markets. Not only are they full of exceptional and rare pieces from the past, but rummaging through the chaos to find treasures and bargaining with the vendors is half the fun of the excursion. In the past, I"ve found flea markets--like the antiques market on Ludlow Street--to be among some of the best places to find vintage accessories like crocodile purses, brooches, detachable fur collars, and sunglasses.

In trimming down your wardrobe, the idea isn"t to permanently purge everything in your closet, but rather to keep the season"s key pieces and pair them with your new finds. It's not nearly as important as choosing your classes, but determining what fall clothing to keep and what to discard is a difficult process. Summer is over, so those brightly colored tank tops should be out of sight and out of mind. While you"re at it, put away those open-toed shoes, pointy shoes, low-slung pants, and micro-miniskirts.

If you don"t have the opportunity to take the excess back home, you can always resell it to vintage stores, which will give you cash up front--approximately 35 percent of their selling price. If that is not enticing, you may also receive up to 50 percent in credit at most stores, so you can unearth pieces that fit your style and that no one else on campus will own.