Holiday style doesn’t have to mean snowflake sweaters and Santa earrings.

Dress your best this holiday season with the latest trends. This winter is all about accessories and mixing them with essential pieces. Cozy up with the trendy new accessory: the infinity scarf. It is a single knit loop that you can wear in numerous ways: as a hood, worn over the shoulders or loosely wrapped once or multiple times around the neck. The infinity scarf looks good with almost any top, a basic tee or long sleeves. Longer sleeves work best but it is not wise to mix it with any wool or fur because it can come off as chunky.

With attention to the recent snowfall, boots are a must-have for every girl. To update the regular look, the styling trick is to pair them with mid-thigh socks. They should be opaque or cotton and try staying with neutral shades like black, brown or gray, depending on the boots. The next step is how to wear them. By folding the socks below the knee, it will create a comfy, thick texture. However, when keeping them at mid-thigh, it will generate a slimming effect. The higher you pull them, the more dramatic the look will be. In addition, this look works best coupled with a mid-length dress or skirt.

Next, when you are shopping for a winter jacket, instead of grabbing the typical coat, try looking for a short-sleeved one. It may sound odd, but cropped sleeves in the winter are sort of practical because you can wear your thickest sweater without worrying about the sleeves bunching up. They are just insanely cute.

Meanwhile, what color comes to mind when thinking of the holidays? Red, of course. We are all introduced to red at a very young age; it is one of the primary colors that we learned about in art class. Yet red often gets neglected because it comes off as too daring or not suitable for many body types. The color red makes a bold statement without doing anything, so even Santa is always in fashion. This Christmas season is the most appropriate time to wear the color. Just look into any store, and there will be an abundance of red sweaters, shirts and dresses. If a jolly old fat man can wear red, I believe just about anyone can.

Often it is easy to feel guilty while shopping for yourself this time of year because we feel we should only be shopping for others. There is, however, a gift that can relieve the guilt. When you buy a “Rain Love on Manila” shirt, you are making a donation to the surviving families of super-typhoons. Rain Love on Manila is a non-profit design to raise awareness and contribute to victims of the devastating typhoons that hit the Philippines in September. When you purchase a shirt, you are also donating to the list of beneficiaries and helping to ship care packages to them. Doesn’t it feel good to give back and also look cute at the same time?

Check out more information on Rain Love on Manila at www.rainloveonmanila.blogspot.com.

When students think of Brookings, shopping isn’t usually the first thing that comes to mind. Often, we decide to drive at least an hour to get to the closest mall or our favorite retailer. Skip that car ride and stay in town. We might not always realize it, but Brookings does have a lot to offer.

One example is the relatively new clothing store, Glik’s. It is a clothing retailer that was founded by Joseph Glik more than a century ago when he sold merchandise from a horse-drawn wagon. The company now has more than 53 locations in Missouri, Michigan, Minnesota, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin and South Dakota. The company positions its stores in smaller cities to bring fashion into small towns. The apparel featured is an East Coast-meets-West Coast look that is not seen often around here, which is why it’s tailored to the Midwest.

Glik’s is committed to having the latest styles and new trends. These are based around name brands like Quicksilver, Roxy, Hurley, Billabong and The North Face. Erin, the store manager at Glik’s, says their store’s most important sales in the men’s department is Hurley and in the women’s, Sinful and Miss Me. She describes the company culture as bringing fashion to small towns. The company has easy access to higher fashion from vendors in big cities and fashion shows while still remaining affordable.

Main target customers are students in high school and college. The fashion choices the company brings are popular with teens and people in their early 20s. Glik’s is one of the oldest family-owned companies in the United States. During a time like this when most family chained stores have fallen victim to the declining retail market, Glik’s is moving forward.

Erin said, “I see Glik’s expanding more. They added four stores in South Dakota all in six months.” The company’s success is credited to its flexibility, niche in hometown retail and dedication to customer service.

When asked about what she liked most about working there, Cortney, an associate at Glik’s responded by saying, “I like helping customers and selling quality clothing. When that one customer comes in who hates her body and can’t ever find anything, it’s the best feeling ever when they do find something here that fits and looks good on them.”

So instead of taking a long trip to the big city just to go shopping, keep it local and shop Glik’s. Glik’s is located on 22nd Avenue between Felicity and Rage.

Leaves are falling, colors are changing and the cold weather is slowly creeping up on us. However, that doesn’t mean we need to pack our summer apparel away and pull out the bulky sweatshirts and sweatpants just yet.

The top trends for fall have arrived, and layering is a key item. Keep those summer dresses and tank tops out and add a long sleeve underneath or throw a blazer over it. This look is cute and will also keep you warm at the same time. Military jackets, also known as band jackets, are rising in popularity right now. The late Michael Jackson rocked the style for years and now it’s back. Military jackets are very masculine so to keep this look feminine, it is better to pair it with skinny jeans, dresses or tights. Boyfriend or boot-cut jeans will make this look too militant.

Lately, studs have been slowly making a comeback. Perhaps the death of Michael Jackson subconsciously made this trend blow up too. They are on everything this fall, but you don’t need to go all-out rocker chic to wear them. To keep this look subtle, choose only one piece. A studded belt or handbag is a more elusive way to wear this look. If you’re not afraid to take this trend to the next level, you definitely need studded boots, a studded jacket and whatever else studded that you can get your hands on.

To avoid shiny overload, only wear two pieces at the same time. Adding something studded updates any wardrobe and gives you an edgier vibe. A nice change from the denim we’re used to wearing is gray. Gray jeans are sleek and sophisticated yet simultaneously fun. To pull this off, find a tight-fitting pair. They don’t have to be skinny ones, but select a cut that is close-fitting to your waist and thighs. The type of top depends on the style of the jeans, but colors that work best with them are black, white, purple and pink.

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