North Face jackets are everywhere.

I cannot go a single day without seeing one as I walk across the Quad.

I do not own a North Face jacket myself, but they appear to be an unnecessarily expensive fleece covering.

I don’t want to criticize those who wear these coats, but there are less pricey alternatives to be stylish in downtown Champaign.

I decided to take a trip to the North side of town to see what eclectic vintage wear is waiting to be snatched up.

Carrie’s, 204 N. Neil St., was the first store to catch my eye and boasted vintage clothing, jewelry, antiques and other resale merchandise. The shelves were packed and each rack was so full it was hard to admire every item.

There was a plethora of hats, purses, jackets, framed art and even a 10 dollar shoe cart. The clothing did not seem to be strictly vintage, but there was an overwhelming variety of knickknacks and outerwear to sift through.

If you ever need a sequined dress, Carrie’s is the place to go. There was almost an entire rack devoted to the shiny circles, covering jackets and skirts.

For more things shiny, there was an impressive jewelry section that housed expensive crystal and antique jewelry along with a few gold necklaces designed by Joan Rivers.

One of the more interesting items in the store was vintage lorgnettes, a pair of glasses held up with one hand that are typically used at the opera, for 25 dollars.

None of the prices seemed extravagant and Carrie’s is a good place to go if you are looking for random vintage accessories or trinkets, but the owner declined an interview for more information.

The next stop on my quest was Dandelion, 9 E. Taylor St., a small shop named the best vintage store of 2005 by Hub magazine.

There were impressive collections of cowboy boots, belts and suspenders, with hats lining the walls and clothing racks in nearly every square inch of the store. The store even boasted an impressive male clothing selection with plenty of diverse suit coats.

The employees were also very friendly and helpful. According to Katrina Catizone, an employee of Dandelion since May 2004, Dandelion mostly carries vintage items but also sells some newer resale pieces.

“We have very cool stuff,” she said. “It’s pretty much all unique.”

The owner of Dandelion finds all the pieces for the store herself, Catizone said. They also accept clothing donations, but only the best pieces actually make it into the store.

Aside from its already great pricing, Dandelion also offers two big sales twice a year, right before the start of spring and fall, where everything in the store is 50 percent off.

Catizone said there are several reasons students should shop vintage.

“You don’t want everybody walking around wearing the same thing,” she said. “And recycling is very important. Everything comes back in style at some point. And for people who aren’t rich and can’t buy designer clothes, they can still have nice things.”

For other designer things, head over to Ten Thousand Villages, 105 N. Walnut St., the oldest fair trade organization in North America and pick up handmade crafts from various artisans across the globe.

According to the Ten Thousand Villages’ mission statement, the store provides “vital, fair income to Third World people by marketing their handicrafts and telling their stories in North America.”

With 120 locations in the United States alone, Ten Thousand Villages is a member of the International Fair Trade Association and works with artisans who would otherwise be unemployed, according to Reba King, assistant manager of the store.

Upon entering Ten Thousand Villages, I was greeted with world music. However, once I discovered that everything in the store, aside from the music CD’s and books, was handmade, each handicraft reached a whole new level of beauty.

There were musical instruments, wind chimes made out of bamboo, cloth shower curtains and palm leaf woven rings from Bangladesh. Everything in the store caught my eye and caused my hand to reach for my pocketbook.

According to King, each purchase at Ten Thousand Villages directly helps the artisan who made the craft. Fair trade means that artisans receive up to 50 percent in cash advances when an order is placed and payment in full when an order is shipped.

Furthermore, the artisans set their own price, which covers all labor and materials and gives them a decent living.

“We seek artisans who are underpaid and unemployed,” King said. “You are basically giving them a living wage.”

The location in Champaign has been helping artisans and educating customers for more than 20 years.

Annelise Morris, freshman in LAS, said she loved everything in Ten Thousand Villages, especially their unique earrings and scarves.

“I would definitely go back again,” she said. “It feels so good to know that the cool stuff I’m buying is helping people out.”

Ten Thousand Villages will hold its annual rug event, where rugs made in Pakistan will be showcased throughout the store for purchase, March 8-11.

King stressed the importance of such events for getting the word out about how to help underpaid artisans.

“The things here are unique,” she said. “You are not just purchasing an item; you are helping someone make a living.”

So perk up your North Face jackets with some old time vintage flair or ethnic accessories from India and get inspired to break away from the crowd while helping those who need it most.