By Amanda Powell

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The mall at Lexington Green is currently working on a major redevelopment to gear toward more fashion retail, according to mall manager Jennifer James.

Anthropologie opened on Jan. 18 and Ann Taylor LOFT will open on March 8.

Students seem to be more intrigued about the opening of LOFT and less enthused about Anthropologie.

But this is the first Anthropologie store in Lexington, so it’s more of an unknown brand.

“People have been coming in just to check it out since it’s new to the area. People haven’t had the experience of being in the store even if they’ve been shopping online,” Alex Keiper, the home department supervisor at Anthropologie said.

Dietetics administration graduate student Whitney Asher said she visited the store recently.

“I went for the first time a few weeks ago and it’s so expensive, but I liked everything in there. I couldn’t afford anything though,” Asher said.

Anthropologie is a lot like a high-end Urban Outfitters, so the clothes are typically out of a college student’s price range. Asher, along with fellow dietetics administration graduate students, Brittany Murray and Laura Tincher, said they are strict sale and clearance rack shoppers.

Collectively, the three of them said they shop at Gap, Old Navy, Target, DSW and Express.

“I get a lot of workout stuff from Target and T.J.Maxx,” Murray said. They also like Francesca’s, where they feel merchandise is similar to Anthropologie, but prices are lower. “It’s all about digging for the sales,” Asher said. “Buy your spring stuff in the winter; buy your winter stuff in the spring.”

Pre-nursing freshman Mia Jackson said she shops at thrift stores, such as Street Scene, to save money.

“I bought high-waisted pants and different button up tops and sweaters that were $2 or $3,” Jackson said.

Jackson plans to travel for spring break and said she buys her bathing suits from Forever 21 because they’re pretty cheap. She said she typically spends around $12.

Pre-nursing freshmen Jordyn Daws and Jenna Ferrante said they like shopping at J.Crew, Francesca’s and Bluetique. They hadn’t heard of Anthropologie, but Daws said she goes to Ann Taylor LOFT, located in Hamburg, all the time.

“I have tons of stuff from there, actually,” Daws said. Asher said she shopped on the clearance rack at LOFT last weekend, buying sweaters for around $10. “That’s somewhere I always say, ‘When I graduate, that’s where I’ll get my work clothes,’” Murray said about LOFT.

James said White House Black Market and Chico’s will be coming to the Lexington Center sometime around June. She said they want to cater to women in general, not necessarily any specific age group.

Worlds Apart, also located at Lexington Green, currently has some reasonable markdowns for sale shoppers, including some discounted BCBG items.

And even though Anthropologie is pricey, I still suggest taking a look inside at the decorations. A giant, pink flower made from papier-mâché is currently at the entrance of the store.

Sales associate Angie Aschenbrenner said, “My sister-in-law was head of the visual team and she’s from Milwaukee, Wis.. Another [team member] flew in from Philadelphia. They came from all over the country and they worked 14-hour days, ten days straight, non-stop.”

Affording the latest trends can be tough, but with advice from campus fashionistas and sales around Lexington, you can stop breaking the bank.