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Urban Outfitters, American Apparel and Forever 21 are some of senior Kerensa Cadenas’ favorite brands, yet Athens noticeably lacks the stores that carry them. So where does Cadenas go when she finds the urge to splurge on a new Urban Outfitters dress or an American Apparel tee? She sits down in front of a computer screen and surfs the Web.

Because she does not own a car, Cadenas rarely has the opportunity to go out of town to shop. Though she does shop at certain stores Uptown, such as The Other Place, she is not always able to find the brands or trends she is looking for.

“If I want something different than what the three stores Uptown offer, I have to get it online,” she said.

Sophomore Tara Melvin recognizes that it is cheaper to buy clothes in-store. But Athens’ lack of shopping options forces her to look online as an alternative. However, she makes sure to restrict how much she spends on every online purchase. She never spends more than $80 on a complete outfit.

Melvin said that she mostly wears secondhand and vintage clothing and that her sense of style cannot be defined. There are online stores that specialize in these types of clothing, including Melvin’s personal favorite, www.mamastonevintage.com.

“I don’t have a particular style,” she said. “I wear what I like — what I think is cute. It doesn’t fit into a specific category.”

Melvin said that online shopping is the best bet for those Ohio University students who have an interest in fashion.

“If you care about fashion, it’s your only option,” she said.

And then there are some online shoppers who can’t seem to stop spending.

Sophomore Jarrell Cunningham admits that when he got his first credit card, he spent over $400 on cologne, and online shopping became an addiction. Although he has since learned how to control his spending, he still finds himself buying apparel online that he knows he will probably never wear.

“It’s just an impulse that I buy things — I really don’t (wear) them,” he said.

Cunningham said that he chooses to shop online because Athens has nothing to offer him when it comes to shopping. He added that his online clothing purchases are motivated mostly by comfort.

“I’m not a picky shopper,” he said. “I don’t have a style. I like whatever is comfortable.”

In contrast, Cadenas has a style she describes as “watered-down Audrey Hepburn” and admits that she dresses a little different from most. She hardly ever wears jeans, instead opting to wear dresses or a skirt-and-cardigan combo.

She goes online for style inspiration, browsing fashion blogs and sites such as www.style.com, the online home of magazines Vogue and W. Cadenas also keeps a close eye on what celebrities are wearing, naming Kate Moss and Chloë Sevigny as two of her current fashion icons.

“I like to look to people who are more unique,” she said.

Though online shopping provides a diverse fashion market, it also means that shoppers must fork out extra money for shipping fees.

The Other Place, 43 S. Court St., does attempt to cater to online shoppers with its Web site, but the actual store has more success with sales, said store manager Sara Berquist.

“Customers need to touch, feel the fabric, try it on,” she said.

Another advantage of shopping in-store is that employees are able to offer customers a personalized shopping experience. Every employee at The Other Place is educated about the different lines carried in the store. They learn about the history and quality of the lines and also are up to date on current trends and what celebrities are wearing, Berquist said.

Prices on brands at the store are also marked down by a couple of dollars to make it cheaper to purchase brands in-store than from other online shops. By shopping in-store, customers also don’t have to worry about shipping charges, Berquist said.