With Christmas around the corner and finals looming, it may be hard for fashion-conscious students to find time to scout out the latest fashion and hairstyle trends for the holiday season.

“The students in Ames are very up-to-date with their fashions,” said Mandie Jensen, manager of The Buckle in North Grand Mall, 2801 Grand Ave. “Our store carries a variety of clothes for the traditional, the funky and the modern.”

Wide-leg denim, boot-cut denim and stove-pipe jeans are the current fashion for men, Jensen said, as well as cargo pants.

“These are khaki worker pants with cargo pockets on the side of them,” said Bryan Dooley, assistant manager of American Eagle Outfitters.

For girls, Jensen said flares, a type of jeans, are “definitely in,” along with sweaters and vests for the season.

“Flares have really taken off for the girls over the past few months,” Jensen said. “But for guys, their fashions have relatively been steady.”

For women, “chenille sweaters, velour leggings and tops are current trends,” said Laurie Merkley, manager of Compagnie International Express. Chenille is a mix of rayon and acrylic, while velour is a soft velvet material, Merkley said. She said wool sweaters also are in style.

Floral skirts are still popular from last season, and “shimmery cardigans are really in,” Merkley said. Even though it is cold outside, tanks are also still a favorite. They are usually worn underneath jackets at this time of year, she said.

Brighter colors are back, according to Jensen. “We see a lot of burnt orange and avocado green, as well as earth tones,” she said. “The colors that are in are basically similar to the ones for summer, except that they have to be toned down for winter.”

Jensen added that classic colors like navy and black are still very popular.

Sweaters in bolder, brighter colors like lime green are the trend, Dooley said. He also said shirts with racing stripes are in style, and those with surf boarding motifs are big, “especially in brighter colors.”

As we come closer to welcoming the new year, Merkley said the ’70s are going to be out while the ’80s are going to be in.

“Things like polyester tops with regular collars are going to be in fashion next year,” Merkley said. She said boot cut jeans and flare jeans would still be in vogue in 1998.

Jensen agreed, saying the fashions that are in now, such as denims, will stay popular.

“Things are probably going retro next year like wide-legs,” Dooley predicted. “Odd colors like the stuff you see on the Brady Bunch are going to be in.”

Dooley said tighter jeans are not fashionable anymore.

Jensen also said sales of classic tapered jeans at the store have been rather slow and are gradually being