School’s starting again and every girl knows what that means!

Boys!

… Okay, maybe some boys, but really, I think you know what I’m talking about.

Clothes.

I wouldn’t call myself a fashionista, a regular reader of Elle, Glamour, W, or any other fashion or women’s magazine (I tend to stick to Gourmet and The New Yorker), but I do love clothes, and I take exceptional care in choosing items that fit within my own, unique sense of style (cue red velvet blazers, ripped cuffed jeans and equestrian boots with ribbed knit tights). I think I’ll actually admit something personal. Okay, ahem, here goes – I was voted Most Fashionable my Senior year of High School. Alright, I said it, nothing to be ashamed of, even though I was wearing something really awful and preppy – some long, too large, sweater coat with jean skirt and tall blunt toe black boots -, and my hair was dyed a strange toast sienna meets distilled wine the day they chose to take my picture for the yearbook. And, it was exceptionally bright and unflattering outside that day, with high noon sun bearing straight down, so my normally pale and washed out face succeeded in turning perfectly into a reflective white mirror. Histrionics, aside, though, I still love clothes to this day and I’d like to think I have some immeasurable skill in dressing myself apart from the usual college humdrum of sweatshirt (Go Slugs! Or Cyclones! or Bears! Whatever you may be), bootcut jeans, puma sneakers, and shorts that, for some reason still unknown to me, have the name of your college plastered on the backside. Hmm, perhaps this really is about boys.

Since college tends to take the limelight of time when you’re a student – as it should -, clothes shopping, money, and yes, even boys, tend to take a backseat to those other collegiate pursuits. Taking the time to browse through clothing stores and try on various outfits takes a long time, and with the most popular and available stores being places like Urban Outfitters, it’s hard to remain frugal when the chintziest and most raggedy of t-shirts (ripped and ragged for fashion, of course) cost somewhere in the $30 and above range. That’s several meals, a true necessity for the brain-growing college student. So, what’s a girl to do?

Seventeen Fashion Finder is this cool iPhone app by NearbyNow Inc., that acts as a personal stylist and shopper, offering the hottest trends and latest young adult fashions for women. It’s hard to keep up with seasonal trends, so this app keeps you up to date and looking fine – in a Seventeen Magazine kind of way. If you’re young and hip, and possibly a girl, this iPhone app may just be a savior to your fashion sense, even if you spend most of the day in that dusty, lonely stretch of library known as the Celtic Studies ward.

The fashion app makes it easy to search for clothes and accessories in various ways. You may shop by item, things like jeans, tops, shoes, bags, each with their own hip picture; by brand, with labels like American Eagle, BKE, Victoria’s Secret Pink, Delias, Converse, DKNY Jeans Juniors, Forever 21, Rampage, and other relatively affordable ones; by color – a really clever feature, I might add -; by price, ranging from “under $25″ to $100 – $250″ being the maximum; and you may even shop by what Seventeen Fashion Finder refers to as “vibe,” i.e. Rocker, Boho, Girly, and Classic. Recently, I’ve noticed a trend toward adopting early 90′s fashion sensibilities, with plaid, acid washed jeans, neon colored socks, baggy sweaters, those floral dresses with black backgrounds, and, yes, even turtlenecks making a noticeable comeback – truly a testament to my mid-20s age that I can remember people wearing these items. So, obviously, any of the “vibes” in this Fashion Finder app will most assuredly reflect the current de rigueur fashion; those seeking more understated and less sensational – dare I say, hipster – clothing choices, should really look elsewhere. Seventeen Fashion Finder truly caters to the cropped bang, skinny jeans-wearing, sparkle-loving, bright pink lip gloss touting super girl.

After searching in whatever category you choose, a results screen will pop up with thumbnail size pictures, that you may tap to enlarge and receive more information on. Every now and then a result will have a pink and yellow star affixed to it, with the phrase “Cover Star Pick!” Each of these, apparently, is endorsed by the current Cover Girl of Seventeen Magazine, and is usually described in a sugary sweet quote by said girl. Whenever you select an item its description will be included along with the price, the label and a range of sizes to choose from. Tap on the white background and all the writing will fade from view, with only the clothing item remaining on screen for you to better scrutinize – “hmmm, do I really want to adopt the plaid, Western girl motif?” If you like the item, you may tap either the “Find It Online” button or the “Find It Near Me” button, which will show all nearby stores, their distance, a map, and even a query for if it’s currently in stock at a particular store. This is particularly advantageous for the busy college student, as this way she knows whether going to the store will be worthwhile or not – don’t you just hate browsing for half an hour, trying to find that sweet, vintage-like green sweater, with fluttery sleeves, and string waist cincher? The “In Stock” page will prompt you with preferences – item color, size – and will even allow you to place a hold on the item if it’s in stock (awesome!). The store can contact you by email, or if you just think this shirt or jacket or skirt is just too rad to remain silent about, tap the mail icon to send the picture to a friend, with the catchphrase, “Check out this great product I found.”

I may not be a big follower of trends – I tend to be a bit more classic in my look – but granted most of the girls I’ve seen throughout my life heavily follow seasonal fashion trends, whether they be pointed toe flats, long vests, skinny jeans, high-waisted jeans, coral fingernails, Seventeen Fashion Finder is definitely suitable and useful for the majority of young women out there. I do wish there would be a bit more variety in their fashion choices – not every girl wants to have perfectly coiffed hair and wear those strange, ankle bootie things -, but at the same time, this is Seventen Magazine. I’m just a wee bit more inclined toward J.Crew and Anthropologie, maybe a little Sundance.

Bottom line is, finding affordable and chic clothes can often be a chore, and if there’s a fashion app that will help college girls look hot for cheap, then girls will be clamoring for this app much like they clamor for dresses from TopShop and Betsey Johnson.