Now that Mother Nature has turned a chilly shoulder to the Midwest, Iowa State students are going to have to dress accordingly.

Not with Gore-Tex parkas and wool mittens, though we’ll need those all too soon. Rather, Cyclones are snatching up the latest fashions at the newly expanded North Grand Mall, and here’s the scoop on what’s the hottest.

The staples of the fall season—like flannels, jeans, sweaters, turtlenecks, waffle shirts—are piled high at places like Eddie Bauer and American Eagle Outfitters, two popular student stops.

As Darcey Mulvihill, manager at Eddie Bauer, said, “It’s pretty much the same as last year.”

Wayne Hower, manager of American Eagle Outfitters, has noticed a pick-up in sales since we waved goodbye to 80-degree days. However, just a few people have jumped the gun and bought heavy coats so far; they’re mostly waiting for the lighter shirts, sweaters and jackets, which are easy to pile on for the walk to campus, and then take off once inside a steamy lecture hall.

“We’ve sold some [heavy outerwear], but mostly the layering items more than the actual coats,” he said. “[Customers] can add three or four things instead of just one big coat.”

In preparation for harsher weather, Eddie Bauer is starting to stock the shelves with thicker wool sweaters, and they just got in an outerwear collection, EB TEK, that Mulvihill expects “to do real well,” as soon as the weather warrants heavy-duty protection against Iowa winters.

Until those blizzards arrive, though, customers are making do with lighter gear, especially overalls and jeans, both in the customary denim — which Hower said is always popular — and in some born-again fabrics.

“And corduroy has been real hot this year,” he said. “Thick wale, thinner wale, just [as long as it’s] corduroy. Men’s and women’s both, but a lot of women buy the men’s, too, so it’s kinda hard to judge.”

Despite the many stores and their completely different styles, the common corduroy thread has weaved its way through them all. From Vanity, to Express, to County Seat, every shop had its own version of ‘roys. Even Victoria’s Secret boasted pajamas in the fabric.

The former Toughskins fabric is no longer confined to pants, though. Shirts, overalls and jackets are also getting the plush treatment.

Hower also said that another fabric we wore back in third grade, in addition to cords, is making a comeback.

“We actually have been doing fairly well with velour,” he said. “It hasn’t been doing too bad. Way throwback to the 70s. [Velour shirts] are not big, big sellers, but they’re doing a lot better than I ever expected.

“The feel is good. ‘Course, there again, you’ve got the 70s: corduroy and the velour.”

Hower attributes the success of cords and velour to their softness “and a big nostalgia thing for the disco era.”

“None of our customers know what that is, but their parents do. I think that’s the thing with the corduroy especially. Plus, it’s a softer corduroy. When you walk, your legs don’t make that noise. It’s not your 5-year-old-kid corduroy.”

In addition to the cotton-rich fabrics, synthetics are also hot. Shiny, satiny blouses, skirts and dresses are all the rage at places like Vanity.

And for tromping through fallen leaves on campus sidewalks, the old standbys are still cool this fall. Doc Martens, both boots and shoes, clogs for both men and women, and just warm boots in general are getting a lot of hype for the cooling-off season.

“Right now, we’re still having a lot of people who want Birkenstocks, which is kinda weird,” Hower said.

“But the boots are picking up.”