Incoming students may know about the common places to shop in Ames. They may not know, however, some of the local shops Ames has to offer.

Places like Target, WalMart and the shops in North Grand Mall are usually the go-to places for clothing shopping in Ames. Otherwise, many students will make the trip down to Des Moines to visit Jordan Creek Mall.

Many students do not know Ames itself has its own unique places, owned locally, that offer trendy clothes.

According to the Ames Downtown website, for every $100 spent at a locally owned business, $68 will be returned to the community — through taxes and payroll and other expenditures. However, for every $100 spent in a national chain, only $43 will stay within that local community. If you spend that money online, absolutely nothing comes back to the community.

It’s easy to support our local Ames community with so many great local places to shop.

If you’re looking for some great Iowa State gear at a place other than the two bookstores in Ames, Dogtown and Sigler on Main both offer a variety of options. From T-shirts and sweatshirts to cute Iowa State tanks and dresses, both are great places to look.

For those looking for an outfit for the weekend, look no farther than here in Ames. Teal & Tenacious, Lyla’s Boutique & More, It’s All About Me! and Ayden Lee offer clothing items for a night on the town or accessories to spruce up your outfit.

Teal & Tenacious and It’s All About Me! are both located on Main Street. Teal & Tenacious offers a variety of women’s clothing, while It’s All About Me! offers an assortment of jewelry, handbags and purses along with cosmetic supplies.

For college girls looking for a new outfit to wear the upcoming weekend, Lyla’s Boutique & More, also on Main Street, is the place to go.

Kinsey Lehrkamp, manager of Lyla’s, said there is a variety of accessories, dresses, tops and bottoms offered in the shop.

“A lot of people come in here looking for dresses,” Lehrkamp said. “College girls come in here when they’re looking for something to go out in that weekend and colored jeans are pretty popular right now.”

Ayden Lee is another popular place with some college students in Ames. Ayden Lee is a unique store with items for both men and women.

Tia Ricklefs, owner of the store, said that the store offers almost everything when it comes to clothing.

“We have our own label, our own brand name, our own designs, and we also have local artists who design our jewelry and accessories.”

Most popular with customers at Ayden Lee are dresses, purses and earrings.

Items for men can also be found in Ames. From suits, dress shirts and ties to khakis and jeans, there is a broad assortment to choose from.

“We have trendy clothes at a low price,” Ricklefs said. Who can resist that?

Other great options for all types of looks include Miss Meyer’s Consignment Store and The Loft.

The Loft, a popular and unique resale store, is located on Main Street. Owned by Amy and Eric Abrams and Jackie Reisetter, The Loft opened after the group purchased Duck Worth Wearing, a children and maternity resale shop.

The owners then realized the need for a trendy consignment store for young adults and teenagers and opened The Loft consignment shop.

The Loft carries high quality brand name clothing, at affordable prices. Brands often found at the shop include Hollister, Abercrombie & Fitch and the Gap.

Shoppers can find clothes ranging from casual to formalwear and prom attire. All clothing sold at the shop is not only current but stylish as well.

With people constantly bringing in their own gently-used clothing, shoppers can find something new each and every day.

Another popular, stylish and trendy consignment store found in Ames is Miss Meyer’s consignment shop. This store sells consignment that fall into their guidelines of the three Cs: Current, Clean and Cute.

Katherine Kerns, owner of Miss Meyer’s said it is important to shop consignment for several reasons. “You’re more conscious of the money you’re spending, and you can make your budget go further,” Kerns said. “Also, if you’re a creative person, it’s a way to mix and match brands and pieces and be able to create your own style that way.”

Miss Meyer’s is a consignment store selling gently-used clothing, but upon stepping in, a shopper may not guess. “Every day we have at least one person ask if it’s consignment because it doesn’t seem that way,” Kerns said. “It’s not just racks and racks of clothing, and it’s not your typical consignment store.”

Clothing in the store is separated by colors and sizes, which makes it especially easy on those women who only have a short amount of time to shop.

“I think when women go into department stores or bigger stores it gets overwhelming because they don’t have enough time to dig through everything,” Kerns said. “It’s chaotic and not organized very well. That’s how we compete with those stores. We’re organized.”

Kerns said that she believes what sets them apart from other stores, both consignment and new, is that they put a lot of time in the presentation of their clothing. “I think people love the displays at our store. It doesn’t seem like a used clothing store, it seems like a hip and trendy clothing store.”

Whether you’re looking for a sporty T-shirt or an outfit for a night on the town, you can find it in Ames.