By Briyah Paley

This season, women will be feeling groovy, as long as their bags are crocodile and their boots are made for walking. This fall’s fashion news is dominated by the mod look, playing off the clothes of the ’60s. The fall runways were filled with high hemlines, as well as other signs of the times – trapeze dresses, tall boots, bold colors and colored tights. Spring’s miniskirts are back but now with pleats. However, Mod-inspired clothing is only one of the hot trends hitting the stores this season. Even though the miniskirt was big in designers’ spring collections, some women shied away fearing they couldn’t pull off the look. Brenna Isaacson, a sophomore theater major, is 5’2″ and doesn’t think short skirts elongate her legs. “I wouldn’t wear a miniskirt,” she said. “If I want to look taller I wear heels.” For those who don’t feel confident enough for the mini, a pencil skirt with a high waist and a deep slit is also fashionable. There’s also a big trend in tweeds and pinstripes. There will be plenty of opportunities to give a nod to mod with graphic prints, electric colors and pastels in a season usually filled with more drab colors. Close-fitting turtlenecks and details like oversized buttons can also add a nice touch without looking like vintage wear. There’s nothing subtle about animal prints this season. Bold ones like cheetah and zebra turn up on everything from jackets to evening sandals. Walking along Newbury Street, a woman was wearing cheetah print leggings, combining two trends this fall. Fur – faux and real – is everywhere. A coat at Louis Boston, the ultimate store for chic and wealthy Bostonians, can cost $8,000 but look around. There are plenty of alternatives like sequins, shiny satin, chiffon and even ruffles. Don’t fear if color is not your thing. Black is still cool. Accessorize it with lots of hardware like silver chains and buckles. Plastic earrings, once considered wacky and tacky, are now all the rage and Anthropologie on Boylston sells a pair for $58. On the runways, just about everything had zipper details, including shoes. Steve Madden makes pumps for less than $70 with buttons that snap Studs turned up on jackets, bags and boots. Think of it as motorcycle chic. Colors like electric orange and blue are replacing traditional fall colors. Silver is also making a statement. One key piece to a killer fall wardrobe is a great boot. The newest look is over the knee, which works with micro-minis but isn’t for everyone. Ugg Australia makes boots lined with sheepskin. The boot comes in a few shades and heights and it looks great with a short pleated skirt. The average Husky’s budget doesn’t always allow for binge spending, so there are ways to get around the high cost of fashion in a city like Boston. Of course there are expensive stores on Newbury where students can spend some serious cash, but there are also many stores where looking great doesn’t have to cost a great sum. T. J. Maxx and Marshall’s offer brand names like Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, BCBG Max Azaria, Buffalo, and Esprit at 20 to 60 percent off. Jeans these days can cost upwards of $100, but discount stores tend to sell the same models for much less. Filene’s Basement in Downtown Crossing is a great place to start. Signs with brand names written across them can be found, but it’s up to patient shoppers to sift through the many racks of clothing for their size. Urban Outfitters is close to campus at Newbury Street and Massachusetts Avenue It’s easy to find plenty of unique accessories there, and they usually have sales. On a recent trip, ’60s style striped shirts ($36) were seen paired with a denim skirt and a vinyl belt. There were sleek off the shoulder tops tied with ribbons on one side ($32). There were also vinyl bags by Transversion with mod designs ($28). The shoe department at Urban was stocked with yellow and pink galoshes ($28) and shoes with dark and light green stripes ($52). Holly Baron, a middler music industry major, is a sales associate at Urban. “We’re always out of stock in vintage shirts,” she said. “The whole vintage thing is really big right now.” Jenna Short, an 18-year-old student from Israel stared at the galoshes and said she wouldn’t wear them. “There’s a lot of weird stuff out now. It’s hit or miss,” Short said. If students aren’t in the mood to pay $50 for a vintage top, their best bet is to raid their mom or grandma’s closet for ’60s threads. Anthropologie on Boylston Street is a good store for moderately priced and more conservative styles than Urban Outfitters. They sell lots of polka dot tees as well as felt hats with flowery cutouts ($48). Ballet slippers are turning up everywhere, including a corduroy version $74. Since fashion is always evolving, it may seem a bit confusing right now. How can you pick out the good from the bad, and the trendy from the oh-so-last-season? While it’s not always easy, it can be fun. For those new to campus, this is a chance to discover Newbury Street and the Prudential Center which is located steps away from NU. The rest of you might know the shopping around campus, but there are other neighborhoods to discover. Here’s a cheat sheet for fall fashion 2003. Just two or three of these now essentials can update your look: 1. A shorter, more fitted coat 2. A mock croc bag 3. Glamorous gloves 4. Something with fringe 5. A deeply pleated skirt 6. A lingerie-inspired top 7. A white and black geometric print 8. A faux fur collar 9. Boots with buckles, zipper or studs 10. A sweater with an argyle design 11. A dress or top with ribbons 12. Skinny pants or leggings 13. A tweed jacket 14. Opaque tights 15. A mini if you have the legs for it