[It's pretty obvious that the average CollegeCandy reader has some very strong opinions. Opinions that she likes to share with everyone on the site. We love a strong woman, so we thought we'd give her a real forum to discuss her thoughts, feelings, and perspectives. Every Friday I'll be featuring a hot topic (like moving in to save money!) and leaving it up to you, the readers, to duke it out. So, read it and get your debate on in the comments section below!]

Ok, it’s no secret that we’re loving the skinny jean (even if it’s not always good for us) and leggings have been a fall go-to for the past several years, but now that the two have combined it’s time to decide how we really feel about this leg-covering love child – jeggings.

Jeans+leggings seems like it would be great idea, what with the era of the super-skinny jean everywhere, and in many ways they are. To start with, the hours of trying on required to find the perfect skinny jean? Gone, thanks to the jegging. They stretch, so you know they’ll fit you – even if you’re a weird in-between size (like me) or you have a “non-typical” body type, like thin but with muscular thighs.

That whole pocket problem (too far apart? too big? too small? too embellished?) is out the window too, since these babies don’t have pockets. And jeggings let you get away with things you probably couldn’t with regular leggings, like shorter tops, because the denim aspect makes them more “pants lite” than “hosiery.”

Of course, the downside of jeggings is all wrapped up in there too. While the stretch helps with fit, it also means that these aren’t near as forgiving as your typical skinny jeans – every curve and bump will be out there for the world to see. The absence of pockets probably isn’t gonna help on that front either, since your booty will have nothing to hide behind. And maybe the biggest problem of the jegging is that it does let you get away with more, meaning short tops – and some serious camel toe – are in our futures.

So are you down with this trend, ladies (and it’s ramifications)? Or is this one of those fads that should be left to die on the side of the road (harem pants, anyone)? Would you be confident enough to rock them? Or should these stay inside the house where it’s safe?

Duke it out, girls. Duke. It. Out.

I’m pretty sure there is nothing better in life than a really fantastic sale section. Especially at a store stocked with things you already love. Take home some awesome finds on the cheap? Yes please!

Much like Urban Outfitters and Express, Tilly’s is chock full of really cute stuff at a somewhat “affordable” price. But it is in their fabulous sale section where you really hit the fashion jackpot. They’ve got everything from basics to statement pieces to stock your closet, and all of it is ch-ch-cheap. Here are a few items I found to be totally darling and will fulfill your inner frugalista.

Who says thermals have to be unattractive?  This thermal comes in a variety of colors and will not only keep you cozy for those long hours spent in the library, but you’ll look good to boot.

Bereanies (beret beanies) are the perfect solution to keeping your head warm while maintaining your style. And, trust me, these things can work on everybody, so give it a shot.

Two of the biggest trends this season are purple and ruffles and this sweet and flirty top lets you kill two trends with one shirt for under $8. Just pair it with some black skinny jeans and a pair of heels and you’ve got the perfect party look for the season.

If you’re not daring enough for a liquid legging but bored with the basic black, these could be your legging soul mates. The lace running down the side of these not-so-basic black leggings adds a hint of freshness and sex appeal to a typically standard look.

Tired of wearing the same old jeans?  Why not pull on a pair of sailor pants? They’re basic enough to wear every day, but cute enough to add a much-needed change to your same-jeans-all-the-time “rotation.”

I love BF cardis as much as I love me some BF jeans (and my actual BF) and I adore the stripes on this one.  Not only that, there are several colors to choose from and with their $19.99 price tag, you can afford at least a couple of ‘em.

The cut of this tunic will give some va-va-voom to a gal’s curves and the red plaid is perfect for the holiday season.

You can’t go wrong with girlie ruffles. Ever. And a belt to cinch your waist? Everyone needs one. This is the perfect skirt for all those holiday parties you are sure to be attending this season. It’s versatile – you can dress it up or dress it down, and it will look cute with flats, booties or some sexy stilettos.

So, Express isn’t cheap. That is pretty obvious when you walk in and the hot shirt your eying for your birthday party is marked at $49. But every few months, they have a major sale. And I mean major. The kind that makes you giddy and happy and willing to sift through giant over-stuffed racks because the deals are just. that. good.

You see, Express marks their stuff down to really low prices and then gives you an additional 20% off of that! That is some serious saving on a lot of really cute stuff. It’s a frugal fashionista’s dream. And that dream is coming true right now.

I sifted through the (digital) racks for you and pulled 8 of my favorite pieces. They’re all under $20, so you can stock your closet without that annoying guilt getting in the way.

I love the whole 80’s look of this dress and the bright turquoise will brighten up these dreary fall days.  Belt it and wear some leggings and boots and you’re all set.

This cami is classy, but still fun & trendy with it’s large polka dot print.  And it’s versatile too; it’ll look great with a pencil skirt, jeans or black wide leg slacks.  And for cooler days, pair it with a cardi, boyfriend blazer or a tuxedo jacket for a variety of looks that’ll keep ya warm.

Sure, strappy heels make every outfit look instantly better, but they also make your feet instantly achy. Give your feet a break and your look a little punch with these sparkly gold flats.

You can never have too many leggings in your wardrobe and I love the pretty green of these.

Hats are a super fun way to liven up any outfit (and stay warm!). Not only is this an adorable newsboy style, but the tweed gives it more flair.

Another tank that’ll work (and look) great under fall’s best jacket trends.

This loose, flowy, boho-chic top will look great with a hot necklace and a pair of skinnies, or layered under a great boyfriend blazer for dinner with the girls.

Big, bold accessories add so much to an outfit. Just slip this wavy bangle onto your wrist and your look is instantly complete. And because it’s silver, it will work with just about anything in your wardrobe.

I own a lot of jeans. A lot. I have my comfy jeans for class, I have my sexy jeans for going out, I have my fat jeans for the end of the school year when nothing else fits, and I have my weekend jeans with the giant holes in the knees/between my legs where my thighs rub together.

What I don’t have is a pair that glows in the dark.

I know! What’s wrong with me? How have I survived college this long without Diesel’s latest design that glows bright white under the dim lighting so common in sweaty frat basements? It’s amazing I’m even here to tell the tale.

OK, so at first glance glow-in-the-dark pants might seem appropriate for raves and raves only, but upon further inspection these things could really be a great investment. Just think about all the times a pair of glowing legs might come in handy:

1) When you’re scrambling around a stranger’s dorm room at 3 am after a particularly lackluster bedroom performance. You gotta find those clothes quickly and get out of there without him waking up. But how does one find her jeans on a floor littered with dirty clothes and – ew – week-old Chinese food? I bet you’re praying for some glow-in-the-dark pants now, aren’t ya?

2) Hell, if you were wearing glow in the dark pants you may have never ended up in that stranger’s bed in the first place. The glow from down below may have shed a little light on his face and you would have realized early on that he was balding and 44-years-old before you got back to his bachelor pad…off campus.

3) There are so many freakin’ people at some of these parties that you go to the bathroom for 3 minutes and come back to find your friends have completely vanished. How are you supposed to find anyone in a sea of grinding drunk people who all look exactly the same in their dark denim and low-cut black tops? Wouldn’t it help if Sleazy Sarah (who happens to be going at it on some dirty futon) was wearing a pair of light up pantalones?

4) Maybe you had a study group, maybe the late night munchies, or maybe you were making a secret visit to a “friend” across campus in the late hours of the night (we won’t judge). Whatever has brought you outside at this hour (and into pitch blackness), your glow-in-the-dark-pants will ensure that everyone sees you on your trip back to your room. Safety first, right ladies?

5) They are glow-in-the-dark pants. If those don’t get guys talkin’ to you, I don’t know what will.

My #1 accessory for going out is not a Blair Waldorf headband or a killer bib necklace. It’s my Victoria’s Secret Very Sexy push-up bra. It not only gives my boobs an extra couple of inches of sexy, but it creates the perfect cleavage to enhance my ultra low cut tops. Without it, I’d look like a boy in a cami. With really great hair.

I realize that wearing it can be considered false advertising being that my boobs shrink a few sizes the moment it comes off, but I don’t care. That bra makes me look and feel sexy and I’d be lost (at least my chest would be) without it.

Well, watch out girls, because thanks to Calvin Klein, guys, too, could be packing less heat than meets the eye.

Mr. Klein, a man I now presume is packing light downtown, has just introduced a new line of jeans with “body defining fit for an enhanced profile.” In layman’s terms, a padded crotch.

Yes, guys can now lure in the ladies with a few extra padded inches.

At first glance these jeans seem a bit disturbing – I rarely want to see a guy’s junk in his pants, hence my hatred for guys free-balling in sweatpants.

Why do guys need to pretend they’re bigger than they are?
And what kind of insecure/overcompensating (for both the physical and the intellectual) guy would ever buy these?

But then I realized how hypocritical that was. We girls suck ourselves into Spanxx and push-up bras every day, so why can’t the boys do a little somethin’ somethin’ to up their sex appeal?? Granted, most girls aren’t looking at a guy’s crotch when they’re out on the town and we’d much rather see a hot pair of abs (lord knows that’s what I’m looking at in the CK ad above), but if a bigger package is what a guy needs, then by all means pad it up. After all, wearing these jeans is a lot more sly than coming home and finding a pair of socks stuffed in there.

And considering what he’ll find when he unclasps my bra, I’d say we’re even.

Ok, so Delia*s may not seem like the best place to find some threads once you’re out of high school, but if you look in the right places, it’s a wardrobe gold mine. They have some great basics, even better accessories, and a lot of their stuff is trendy on the cheap (especially if you check out their seasonal clearance/sale). There really is a lot to choose from, but here are some of my absolute faves, all for under $20!

Love the feminine lace on this cardi and the ivory means it’ll go with any color.  It can be paired with a cami and jeans, or a simple dress for two totally different looks.

This sweatshirt’s boatneck, stripes and color combo make it a lot more stylin’ than your everyday hoodie and is a great option for those morning-afters when you have no energy to put effort into your look.

Show that you’re down with 2 turntables and a microphone with this tee; it’s one of several under $10 at Delia’s site right now.

The loose fitting v-neck is my wardrobe. It can be thrown on for just about any look. Pair it with a cami underneath for class, leave your chest bare and accessorize with a bib necklace for going out, wear it with sweats, wear it with a high waisted skirt. Sigh. It’s the perfect wardrobe addition.

This dress is perf for a night on the town, but can also be dressed down with a cropped blazer/jacket, a pair of tights and flats.

These mittens are not only adorable, they’re a great way to keep your hands warm in these upcoming colder months, while still maintaining use of your fingers when absolutely necessary (like when you run into an ex and need to text your girls ASAP).

Cords are another great option for keeping warm this winter and the bootcut and low-rise of these makes ‘em modern enough that you won’t feel like you stepped back into the 70’s for the day.

Scarves not only do a body good in the warmth department, they do a wardrobe good as a simple statement piece.  Delia’s has lots of options for all different styles, so pick one out that fits your personal look and rock it with anything from a deep v t-shirt (see, another way to work it!) to a simple black skirt/white shirt combo.

A warm fashionista is a happy fashionista!

I love shopping, but I just can’t help but feel a tad guilty every time I invest in another mother-earth-will-cry-when-I-wear-this kinda number.

I know that the clothing industry contributes to global warming, air and water pollution, and tons of waste, but I really can’t bring myself to be Goodwill’s number one customer.  Don’t get me wrong, thrift and consignment shopping is awesome, especially in economic times such as these, but once in a while I want something new of my own.

So what’s a girl to do?  Find cute, eco-conscious clothes that don’t make you look like you’re wearing a sack of potatoes.  And that’s exactly what I have done.  All of these have been cuteness certified by yours truly, so feel free to go ahead and splurge!

Plato’s Closet:  This is one of my personal faves.  It’s a consignment shop, but this place is anything but shabby.  They have tons of designer jeans for super cheap – plus they’re pre-broken in.  I also sell a lot of my clothes here because you get money up front instead of having to wait the 10 years for your senior prom dress to finally sell.  Cute clothes, money in your pocket, and green shopping – what more could you ask for?  Check out the Plato’s Closet website for locations in your area!

Good Society Denim: Now to move on to the new stuff.  The best thing about Good Society denim is that their clothes look like high quality designer jeans with all the benefits of an organic label.  They only use 100% fair trade organic denim, making all of their products entirely sustainable.  The top of my wish list is their Straight Cut Denim in Raw, which, at the semi-meager price of $93 (hey, it’s cheap compared to the $210 True Religions everyone is wearing), is soon to become a reality.

Stewart and Brown: Established in 2002, Stewart and Brown is one of the top non-granola-y green brands out there.  They have a cute, Urban Outfitters-esque style featuring clothes only made from 100% organic cotton grown from non-genetically modified seeds and other sustainable fabrics.  Plus, they donate 1% of their profit to various charities to keep giving back.  Pick up one of their cute dresses and then bask in your eco-conscious glory.

Beyond Skin:  100% of Beyond Skin’s shoes are vegan and made from entirely earth-friendly materials such as polyurethane leather and polyester satins.  And like Stewart and Brown, Beyond Skin donates a percentage of their profits to environmental and social projects.  I personally recommend the Cherub pumps in black hemp (you can’t even tell it’s not leather).  All products are shipped from England, so it’s not the most eco-conscious thing for us Americans, but it’s definitely better than the fugly pleather alternatives.

I’ve known for years that Wal-Mart was a great place to go to get cheap snacks, toiletries, electronics, etc., but I never thought I’d buy clothes there. There is only one big-box store whose dressing rooms I’ll enter and that is Tarjay. There is no way any K-Mart, Wal-Mart, or any other mart could produce fashion that would catch my eye.

But I think I judged too soon. I recently made a late-night run to Wal-Mart for some milk, batteries and a plant (don’t ask) and discovered that they have tons of cute clothes for super cheap.  I hate to admit it, but Miley Cyrus’ line (she collaborated with Max Azria) is adorable and beyond affordable, and they have tons of other cute stuff by brands that were totally cool when I was a kid (yet look great now), like OP, Sassoon, and Jordache, just to name a few.

Unfortunately, many of the pieces in Miley’s line are sold out online, but you can always check out a Wal-Mart near you to see if they still have some of the oh-so-cute pieces.  And without further ado, a few of my faves from Wal-Mart (I plan on stocking up for fall/winter!).

I am lovin’ the plaid shirts for this season; they’re comfy, cute and versatile (jeans, leggings, boots, flats, they’ll all work).  And under $10?  Well, you can’t ask for much more.

I remember Sassoon jeans being “the coolest” when I was a kid, and now you can go back to those days with these cute skinny jeans. Considering most designer jeans run you $120-200, at $20 a pair, you can buy a few of these.

Safari shirts are another great wardrobe addition because of their versatility. You can dress them up with a pencil skirt and some fun accessories or down with a pair of jeans and some flats. I just love the bright Kelly green color of this one. It’s perfect to brighten up a gloomy fall day.

This sweatshirt mixes comfort with cuteness and is perfect for running to class, running errands,  gymmin’ it or just chillin’ out.

Boyfriend cardigans are back this fall and are a much cuter way to keep warm as the days chill (step away from the hooded sweatshirt!) or for layering when it’s cold outside and hot like a sauna in the lecture hall.

I am totally diggin’ this jacket from the Miley Cyrus line. It’s perfect for that in-between weather and comes in a few color choices. I’m pretty sure I’ll be rocking this with a white tank and jeans the next time I hit the parties. Bonus points if they play a little Miley while I’m there.

This skirt is perfect for the preppy look that’s everywhere right now, and will look darling bare-legged or with a pair of tights.

These flats are a great basic with simple details that make them stylish. And did you notice the lining that will keep your tootsies toasty during the fall months? They’re like Uggs without the cankles!

Fashion’s obsession with denim continues with some hot new trends that move beyond the basic boyfriend and skinny jean. Update your wardrobe with these chic denim looks for fall for every budget:

Denim Leggings (or Jeggings):

The next generation of skinny jeans, the stretchy skin tight denim / legging hybrid looks great paired with boyfriend blazers, tunic tops and chunky knit sweaters. Depending on your style, choose heels, ballet flats, ankle or tall boots, or even Converse sneakers to complete the look.

Denim Jackets:

The classic jean jacket returns as a hot trend to wear with everything from dresses, pants, and yes – even jeans. The secret to wearing your denim jacket with jeans? Make sure one piece is a dark wash and the other a medium or light wash denim.

Motocross Jeans:

This biker-inspired style is the perfect combination of sexy and tough. Wear yours with feminine pieces like a blazer and heels or go edgy with a leather jacket and boots.

Denim or Chambray Shirts:

This early ’90s staple is making a comeback paired with dark skinny jeans or leggings. Check out some new ways to wear this old favorite.

Check out the rest at StyleBakery!

Just because summer is over, doesn’t mean you have to mourn. With the start of fall comes new opportunities – including new clothes (!!!). And what’s one piece you just gotta get this season? The skirt. It’s chic and fun and more versatile than a pair of jeans.

Yes, really!

Skirts can be worn dressed up or dressed down. You can wear them over bare legs to show off that tan, or layered over a fun pair of tights when the weather gets cool. You can rock them to class with a tank and flats, or pull ‘em up a little higher with a tucked in cami and some heels for a night on the town. There is so much fashion opportunity with a skirt, you’d be a fool not to get at least one. Or, you know, all sixteen of these.

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