I heart trendy T-shirts

Through the glass windows near the intersection of Kirkwood and Indiana, you can see more than just offbeat clothes and high-fashion denim -- you can see a store catering to all the needs of the newly independent college student. It's here you can find Christmas lights shaped like the leg-lamp from "A Christmas Story," futuristic chairs, chic wine glasses, '70s retro alarm clocks and even wallpaper murals. Urban Outfitters can make your apartment try just as hard as you do to look cool.\nStore manager Christy Siebert credits Urban Outfitters' popularity to a growing fashion consciousness on campus, especially on the part of Bloomington guys. Though the store is the second-smallest in the national chain, its popularity has been on the rise since it opened in 1998.\nThere's no doubt that it's ubiquitous: if you see a "Getting lucky in Kentucky" shirt on campus, it came from this store, as did those shirts proclaiming "Everyone loves a Jewish girl," "I get it on with boys that vote" and the like. However, Urban Outfitters also sells a veritable boatload of Puma sneakers and Diesel jeans, which can look pretty damn stylish if you've got the necessary cash. Women's denim includes Diesel as well as Lux and Hudson; the women's fashion section stands out because of its off-kilter T-shirts and an immense variety of tops ranging from campy to classy.\nConsidering it's about to get cold enough to form ice sheets on your humongous sunglasses, ladies might pick up some Icelandic felt boots, the kind that go all the way up your shins. You can also find moccasins in a wide range of colors. You can even get wool slippers with a dainty detachable flower on each foot. I just wouldn't recommend you wear them to class lest your daintiness reach critical mass.\nMen's fashion seems decidedly less dressy, but the mannequins in the window reveal the selection of blazers available -- everything from tweed to denim to velvet, all replete with a broken-in vintage feel that can make you look like you're in The Strokes if you wear it right. Diesel jeans are here for men, too, and they're awesome.\nRetro track jackets and hoodies are also present (and can be extremely good buys, depending on which ones you choose). Button-down shirts range in styles from a lumberjack plaid to a fashion-plate white stripe -- believe it or not, you can buy Lacoste shirts that aren't polos, and their collars might be less prone to being popped up by the wind or your horrible fashion sense.\nGuys' shoes are flat-out cool. You'll probably pay between $80-120, but they've got Pumas and Adidases to wear on the street and some high-class looking leather varieties to impress your grandparents at Thanksgiving.\nThe best part about Urban Outfitters, however, is the wide selection of accessories -- it's listed as "apartment" on its Web site -- which offers everyday solutions for post-modern hipsters and people seeking more kitsch in their lives. If you need a Playboy-brand martini shaker or edible candy cane shot glasses, you'll find them here; you'll also find some extremely cool and colorful drapes (for less than $40), as well as '60s-esque "modern" furniture (in colors like lime).\nAlso, while not stunningly cheap, the accessories aren't painfully expensive, either. You can decorate your house, apartment or room on a budget, and at the end of the day it will look like something between a hippie's smokehouse and Andy Warhol's bathroom. Urban Outfitters is like a slightly more daring and colorful Bed, Bath & Beyond, and it probably has the best location of any store near campus.\nFreshman shopper Gwyn Beck, a freshman, said the women's clothes weren't her style, but she liked the non-wearable items the most.\n"I like their accessories, their books and candles," Beck said. "It;s really eclectic. The girls' clothes are kinda out there, but they have really cute guys' clothes."\nYou'll find Urban Outfitters at 530 E. Kirkwood Ave. Bring an open mind and a bountiful wallet.