In the Arizona summer, less is more. When monsoon season kicks in, the dry heat suddenly turns into a sticky one. UA students try to avoid sweating in class by keeping their attire simple. Light cotton and linen fabrics prove to be the best choice for keeping cool while still looking great.

Regardless of the Tucson heat, UA students still find a way to keep their cool – and their style.

Kristen Maryn, a senior majoring in business management and sociology, is wearing a dress by designer Anna Sui, shoes from Divaz and is carrying a purse from Urban Outfitters. The light and airy fabric of the dress makes it a perfect choice for hot summer days. She found the colorful piece at Anthropologie in La Encantada, 2905 E. Skyline Drive, where she is a manager.

Maryn said working at the trendy, vintage-inspired store has opened her up to fashion.

“”I didn’t care about clothes until I started working there,”” she said. “”It becomes a part of you because you have to represent style.””

Maryn recently experienced what some UA students would call a clothes tragedy; the roof in her closet flooded after a monsoon, leaving her with heaps of wet, muddy clothing.

“”It forced me to get rid of a lot of stuff I didn’t wear,”” she said.

What did Maryn keep around? Dresses, dresses and more dresses.

“”I really only wear what makes me comfortable, and in Tucson that means dresses,”” she said.

Maryn said she loves to shop at Anthropologie and its sister store, Urban Outfitters, but also finds great dresses and trendy tanks at stores like Forever 21 and at thrift stores.

One of her favorite places to shop is The Basement, in her hometown of Flagstaff. She also likes independent boutiques like Local 35 in Portland, Ore., where she purchased her favorite accessory, a silver cassette tape necklace.

“”I call it my mix tape,”” Maryn said. “”I rarely take it off.””

Maryn’s fashion focus is clearly on comfort and simplicity, especially in the summer heat.

Arman Ghosh, a marketing senior, longboards to class from his house north of Speedway Boulevard.

Like Maryn, he dresses for comfort.

“”I’m really laid-back and casual when it comes to dressing for class,”” he said.

He stressed that it is important for UA students to always be able to do everyday activities, like longboarding, without sweating through their clothes. That’s why he sticks with shorts, rather than sporting jeans, to class.

Ghosh is wearing Vans slip-on shoes and a colorful RVCA hat. He sticks to neutral colors, like the beige in his shirt, which his sister gave him. The light cotton doesn’t weigh him down in the Tucson sun.

“”This is definitely my favorite shirt,”” he said.

Ghosh, whose hometown is San Diego, enjoys shopping in California and purchased much of his outfit at stores like Becker in Orange County.