A

Armstrongs
The Granddaddy of vintage in Edinburgh, no true vintage lover could pass by this historic shop. The prices are very reasonable and all the clothes are arranged by decade. Prepare to miss your lectures as you get lost in the world of years gone by.

B

Belts, bangles and beads
An instant fix to any outfit. Girls; pile on the jewellery as if it is going out of fashion and guys; a snazzy belt or hat will instantly perk you up for a night out.

C

Charity Shops
A student staple, there's no escape. You'll find the best bargains in Glasgow's West End or Edinburgh's Newington. Don't forget Barnardo's Boutiques where someone else has picked out the best vintage gems for you, and might even have sewn the buttons back on.

D

Denim
We know it can be boring, but think about how your favourite pair of jeans makes you feel. Girls can afford to buy often and cheaply, the styles are constantly changing but boys should invest in some good quality Levi's or vintage styles. You won't wear them out and, better still, pure denim only needs washing about twice a year. Bonus!

E

Ethical
It's not easy being green, especially when you're a student, but New Look, H&M and Gap all have squeaky clean ethical and organic ranges which are equally as clean on your pocket. Extra ethical American Apparel has just opened its first store on Nelson Mandela Place in Glasgow's city centre. Stock up on underwear, T-shirts and hoodies while feeling smug about your contribution to the world’s economy.

F

Fancy Dress
You're going to have to dress up at some point, face it, you're a fun loving student. Ditch your pride and take it to the next level: trawl charity shops, markets and your friends wardrobes for prize winning guises. Past winners have included Where's Wally?, Lara Croft and a gang of Neds.

G

Guyliner
You'd have to be brave to try it but Superdrug have just launched a range of make up for men. Products such as ‘Guyliner’ and ‘Manscara’ have been popular already but it might be a wise idea to stop before you're wearing more than your girlfriend.

H

Hiring
Suits, dresses, kilts, fancy dress costumes, prices start from around £40 so it could be cheaper to hire a new outfit for a big event than buying one to wear once. Tuxedoes and prom dresses are the obvious choices for your end of year ball, but you can hire anything from shoes and kilts to designer handbags and hats, you will always look as though you have something new and right on trend.

I

Internet
There is always a bargain to be found on here. Old faithful eBay will always be worth a mention, you don't need us to tell you about the weird and wonderful things you'll find. Many auctions begin on a Thursday for 10 days so look out for new arrivals with low starting prices then. Also ASOS has an excellent collection of mens and womens styles, just don't copy the outfits exactly, you don't want to look like a clone!

J

Jumpsuits
They are on every model, celebrity, catwalk and high street and although I'm not sure the streets of Glasgow and Edinburgh are ready for the full on billowing catsuit, a more subtle military style might look quite smart if you have the figure (and height, jumpsuits are definitely not for the petite).

K

Kilt
The National dress always looks smart, surprise your parents at a wedding or your friends at a dance with the full Bonnie Prince Charlie. You're in Scotland now, get your knees out.

L

Leather
You probably already have an old favourite leather jacket, if you don't, then start looking for one, it will never go out of fashion and will mould to your body, fitting you like a glove. There are a few excellent, and surprisingly cheap leather shops in the Stockwell Street area of Glasgow.

M

Modify
Grab a needle and thread and start customising. Add buttons, badges or ribbons (ok maybe not one for the boys) to your jeans, shoes or Tshirts. Or make like Gok Wan and add a row of inexpensive corsages to a strapless dress to make sure no one will turn up in the same frock.

N

Never wear
Last nights pants, your boyfriends clothes or the colour lemon. Enough said really but just to clarify, it's not worth the infection, he won't thank you when people start thinking they belong to you, and it only looks good on people under one month old, and even then its dubious.

O

Orange
Brighten up with your autumn wardrobe with an array of orange hues, from cutting edge accessories to dark tan boots, this season bold is very much beautiful.

P

Platforms
The shoe of this season, with no competition. The higher and more colourful the better. Topshop and Office have the best ranges and the biggest student discounts.

Q

Qube
There are two branches of the shoe shop in Glasgow with Converse trainers in every style for boys and the biggest range of ballet pumps for girls in the city.

R

Recycle
Its usually the stuff of urban legend, finding real vintage gems in your mum or grans wardrobe with verifiable, bona fide history with pictures as back up evidence. Well think again, it happens more often than you think, all you have to do is ask. Coats, bags, belts and shoes are staples of hoarding grannies and they'll be only too pleased to donate so that you can breathe some life into their old memories.

S

Shutters
Yes, they have a name, they're called shutter shades, those plastic sunglasses that were originally by Ray Ban but are now worn by Kanye West wannabes all over. You can get cheap copies in every colour in every shop from Top Man and H&M to the pound shop and ASDA.

T

Tshirts
An inevitable staple of your wardrobe but it doesn't have to be a boring one. Try www.threadless.com for some original designs or American Apparel for some good quality plain ones. Oh, and a hint, don't wear a band shirt if you've never heard their music.

U

Umbrellas
Kids ones, clear ones, novelty ones. It's Scotland, you're probably going to need one. Little ladybird or bumble bee ones are cheapest from supermarkets and they're not big enough to share so no one will ask. Sixties clear ones have been back for a while now and they double up as a walking stick if you start to feel tired from all the shopping.

V

Vintage
Glasgow and Edinburgh are vintage heaven for those willing to look closely. Try the West End of Glasgow for Starry, Starry Night a little hidden gem on Ruthven Lane where full military regalia hangs snugly next to ballgowns and flapper dresses, also go to Watermelon on Great Western Road for a finely chosen collection at bargain prices. In Edinburgh, Armstrongs is a given, but keep an eye out for Platform Soul Retro Clothing on Home Street, a little out of town, but worth it for clothing and accessories from the 60s to the 90s.

W

Waste not, want not
What better way to get rid of your old clothes than swapping them for lovely new ones. Get your friends together, get some snacks and drinks, throw your wares in a pile and get trying on. You might be surprised at what other people will throw away.

X

Xtra savings
Milk your student card while you can, you'll miss it when it's gone. You should also shell out the extra £10 for an NUS Extra card, it gives you loads more savings including some on BSM, Ticketmaster and O2.

Y

Yellow
Please remember the earlier comment about lemon, but brighter shades are allowed. There is a hue to suit everyone, hold the item up to your face and be honest with yourself, you will be pleasantly surprised when you find your perfect palette.

Z

Zebra print
Yes, you read that correctly, animal print is big news! If you're not bold enough to go for head to toe zebra, then try some printed shoes, belts or even a scarf to brighten up the greyest of Scottish mornings.