The Fall season is upon us, and with it comes the curtailing of our summer escapades and the beginning of scholarly prep as we inch closer to syllabus week. You’ve enjoyed the time off vacationing, showing off your summer bod and lounging around. The summer warmth will soon be replaced with the cool breeze of autumn, and you will only be able to reminisce about a time more leisurely. With the steep cost of tuition, room and board, living expenses, and the staggering price of textbooks, as much as you may want to fire off runway-ready fall looks, shopping a full Gucci kit may not be the most feasible option. We feel for financial strain and have cheffed up a few solid options that will rival your favorite AW 2016 look, and have your fellow students doing double takes as you usher in the school year with a celebrity-stylist-approved aesthetic.
Dior Homme
Kris Van Assche delivers a versatile cool weather kit that transitions seamlessly from day to night while remaining appropriate in nearly any setting. Though you may not want to blow a bag on head-to-toe Dior, try pairing this camel topcoat from Todd Snyder (which is on sale) with black skinny jeans from H&M and smooth double monk strapped Doc Martens. Go this route and you’ll pull this very look out, sparing you a few thousand dollars that you can put towards that new laptop.
1. Camel topcoat by Todd Snyder, $399. Available at toddsnyder.com.
2. Double monk strap Doc Martens, $130. Available at drmartens.com.
3. H&M black skinny jeans, $39.99. Available at hm.com.
Off-White
In all of its high-brow streetwear greatness, the off-white shade offers up a very grungy-chic all black look, fully equipped with onion-class layering. If you’re looking to channel similar vibes, we suggest you opt for this black wool extended biker from Topman, along with this black pullover hoodie from magazine-turned-streetwear imprint Richardson and a simple pair of suit trousers from Zara. Not only can you dawn your Richardson hoodie when you sleep through your first alarm and are forced to awkwardly sprint to class (attendance requirements), the trousers will also convert easily when paired with a fraternity-approved sports coat and oxford shirt when it’s time to present that group project you contributed so much to.
1. Black biker by Topman, $8.00. Available at us.topman.com.
2. Hoodie by Richardson, $146. Available at richardsonshop.com.
3. Suit trousers by Zara, $59.90. Available at zara.com.
Givenchy
Givenchy changes pace a bit from their typical experimental prints, offering up a more subtle, tonal look and showcasing a tasteful interaction between varying shades of red. Rather than sacrificing a few months of rent in the name of owning a scarlet bomber from Richardo Tisci and co, you can (try and) get raunchy in this one from H&M. The bomber can be worn on top of this fine floral-printed button down shirt from Club Monaco (because floral print forever) and this textured pair of trousers from Zara, which again, work well when dressed down and even more so when worn as they were intended—in more formal settings. Pair the look with a white oxford shirt, add a spritz of your favorite cologne, and ask that girl you have a crush on if she wants to grab dinner at the dining hall.
1. Bomber by H&M, $34.99. Available at hm.com.
2. Floral button down by Club Monaco, $79.50. Available at clubmonaco.com.
3. Trousers by Zara, $79.90. Available at zara.com.
John Elliott
When the temperature begins to dip and you still want to maintain your allegiance to the streetwear sect, it would make sense to opt for a look from Yeezy-approved designer John Elliott. The great news is that John Elliott pieces don't carry quite as hefty of a price tag as some of the designers mentioned above. We vowed to save you money so consider this us acting on our promise. Couple this woolen down coat from Uniqlo with a pair of 511 jeans from the denim forefathers at Levi’s and these mother canvas black sneakers from Eytys, and you’re looking like a million bucks. This is the perfect fit for an early morning since it won't take much effort to put together.
1. Down coat by Uniqlo, $129.90. Available at uniqlo.com.
2. Canvas black sneakers, $160. Available at eytys.com.
3. 511 jeans, $69.50. Available at levi.com.
Ami
For fall, Ami gives us an option that would satisfy even the tastes of our favorite Zone 6 M.C. Pair a clean, opulent, shearling-collared black leather bomber (worn over a textured-weave sweater) with white tri-strapped sneakers and a pair of relaxed-fit trousers to give your calf muscles a break from the claustrophobic relationship they’ve had with various fabrics throughout the skinny-pant era. Although the Ami options are great to look at, they might not be the best for your checking account come November. As an alternative, we suggest this L.L.Bean bomber jacket and a pair of relaxed trousers and strapped sneakers, both available at your local Zara.
1. Bomber jacket by L.L.Bean, $399. Available at llbean.com.
2. Strapped sneakers by Zara, $49.90. Available at zara.com.
3. Trousers by Zara, $39.90. Available at zara.com.
As fashion enthusiasts, we know how appealing runway looks can be. We also know how irresponsible it is to frivolously hand over benjamins in high quantities to acquire that runway appeal. We care about your livelihood this fall and want you to thrive not only sartorially, but academically and economically as well. Although we may not be able to pass you the cheat sheet during your biochem midterm, consider this the back-to-school shopping cheat sheet.
