When I think “college school spirit gear,” I think of baggy sweatpants with the school’s name written in giant letters along the leg, over-sized sweatshirts that most people seem to disappear into, those cheap little drawstring backpacks that you can’t really fit much into, and everyone’s favorite: the stiff, heavy t-shirt covered in the names of the local restaurants that paid for those shirts to be made in the first place. Little did I know, there are actually tons of other options for collegiate gear outside of your school’s bookstore.

The latest company to launch a little something extra for the students? The preppy, clean-cut sportswear giant, Brooks Brothers. Their new line of sweaters, dress shirts, and ties (all bearing a school logo) are only available for men so far, but I think it’s only a matter of time before we see women’s wear from the country club favorite. And while the collection only features a handful of schools (15 including Harvard, Boston College, Ohio State, and more), there are lots of other schools (including Yale) in talks with Brooks Brothers to be added to the collection. Read More »

America has more name brands than Law and Order reruns and while you may want to go unload your entire check at GAP or Abercrombie, you don’t want to buy something that you thought was cute and unique and later have buyer’s remorse when you see something identical for less.

I’m not encouraging you to start buying knock off Jimmy Choos from Payless and wanna-be BCBG dresses at Walmart (although, just throwing it out there, you may find some very GOOD knock offs). All I’m saying is you should know that EVERY store is competing with another store and when you shop competitively, you save money. Money that you can use to stimulate the economy…or your wardrobe.

So I thought I’d help you sift through the proverbial mall and figure out which stores are best for your budget. Each week I’ll be comparing apples to apples (or undies to undies) to give you the real deal and arm you with the knowledge you need to make the wisest wardrobe choices. Ready. Set. SHOP. Read More »