“As the temperature slowly but steadily falls, it becomes more and more apparent that autumn is right around the corner. Yes, that wonderfully delicious time of year when the leaves take on brilliant shades of reds, golds and oranges is quickly approaching.”
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As the temperature slowly but steadily falls, it becomes more and more apparent that autumn is right around the corner.

Yes, that wonderfully delicious time of year when the leaves take on brilliant shades of reds, golds and oranges is quickly approaching.

And while September beckons so does one’s instinct to shop.

With the shift of weather from sweltering to brisk comes the time to store away skimpy T-shirts and cut-away shorts meant for the muggiest of summer days and move on to light but cozy sweaters and jackets.

While traditional mall stores may always be counted on to have perfectly lovely fall basics-particularly cushy cashmere sweaters-these same retailers also frequently charge exorbitant prices.

If one wants to take a more economic approach to shopping and score some truly unique seasonal wardrobe additions while doing so, the local vintage stores offer fabulously funky pieces that can add spice to any outfit.

Just mere minutes from campus off Grant Street, the Funky Hippy is a psychedelic paradise that has an atmosphere that can fool anyone into believing that they are in the Haight circa 1967.

Vintage posters plaster the walls and groovy beaded door curtains hang wildly, providing a perfect backdrop for the clothes, which are properly organized into female and male sections.

Fully dedicated to the bohemian styles of the ’60s and ’70s, the boutique is stocked with authentic retro threads.

From two-piece leisure suits and insanely printed button-downs for men to outrageous collared house-dresses and flowy strapless floral gowns for women.

If full-on polyester isn’t up one’s alley, there are also pieces that can be effortlessly mixed into any contemporary look.

Racks of glamorous leather hippie jackets for both sexes stand at either end of the store, many which are as timely now as they were in the days of Woodstock.

Even better, a good percentage of these toppers barely clock in at the $20 mark.

Also, the boutique boasts a phenomenal collection of vintage sunglasses, everything from aviators to new wave, all of which can add hip dash to any outfit.

What makes shopping at the Funky Hippy most exciting though, is the supercool rewards system: the Groovy Club Card allows any customer to get $10 in merchandise free when every $50 is spent, so, in some cases, a whole outfit can be bought for well under one dollar.

Also very close to campus, along the row of very young and hopping Highland Square shops, restaurants and bars, is the part-vintage, part-current boutique Revival.

Ran by a brother-and-sister duo, Revival deals in both higher-end designer clothes and sassy, fun mostly ’70s and ’80s vintage.

Sometimes there are also newer, barely worn items like Levi’s jeans for a fraction of the retail price.

Like the Funky Hippy, the boutique is clearly divided by clothes for either sex, with the men’s section on one side of the store and the women’s section on the other.

While there are many covetable pieces at Revival for all seasons, the best fall fashions on hand are, arguably, the ’80s-tinged sweaters and jackets.

Right now, the fashion world is seeing a massive surge in everything ’80s – think lightbright shades and loads of black leather – and the authentic hard-edge leather jackets and quirky knits the boutique possesses align perfectly with this raging trend.

Making a trip to Revival doesn’t always mean shelling out cash, though.

In fact, the owners often purchase gently used clothes from customers and offer either the option of buyer credit or cash, thus one can simply trade dowdy unwanted clothes in for some swank vintage apparel.

Last but certainly not least is the Hidden Pearl, a stuffed-full vintage mecca specializing in items from the Victorian period through the 1970s.

It is nestled away in the shops along Front Street in Cuyahoga Falls.

Whether one is drawn to furs-rabbit, coyote, fox, mink, faux leopard-costume jewelry-minimal, ornate, crystal, silver, gold, rings, bracelets, necklaces-or hats-netted, feathered, fur, beaded-the Hidden Pearl has it.

For fall in particular, any of the furs are just divine, as they are both warm and elegant.

Though the boutique consists mostly of vintage wear for women, there is a small section of très cool jackets for men, including Hugh Hefner house-robes and soigné dinner jackets from the early-’60s.

Even if buying isn’t on the mind, the Hidden Pearl is an excellent shop just to spend the day looking around.

It’s jam-packed with the most extraordinary of fashionable ornaments.

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