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Under the same management as the clothing shop across the street, Second Time Around Living holds its pieces to the highest standards: furniture must be in perfect condition and less than 5 years old. Tables go for $100-300, wardrobes $100+, and sofas $300+. Several racks of contemporary if conservative clothing sold at four price brackets ($5, $10, $20, $50). This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

In the heart of Harvard Square, Calliope has been amusing shoppers with its whimsical and highly entertaining windows for years. Displays feature stuffed animals as "interior duckerators" and the "Lizards of Oz". Windows outside; adorable clothes inside. Calliope offers outerwear and everyday wear in fabrics and patterns that are bright and cheerful, for children size newborn to 6X. Accessories, such as hats, mittens, hair stuff, and mini baubles abound. The store carries the popular Elephaten line of shoes, and the staff is helpful about sizes and recommendations. It is impossible to ignore the extensive collection of stuffed animals and puppets. Calliope also carries selected infant toys and Brio; the toys and animals occupy half of this little store. The clothes are great, but the inventory is rather small.

Monella is a boutique in Harvard Square dedicated to clothing women in bright colors and fun fabrics. Offering everything from cocktail dresses to hanky pankies, Monella brings a breath of fresh air to Harvard Square.

If you've got just an hour to find an outfit for the formal, look no further than Jasmine Sola. Featuring a smattering of designers such as Juicy Couture and Theory, Jasmine Sola has a variety of dresses ($150-350) as well as jewelry, cosmetics, and accessories. Permanent sale racks offer permanent (false) hope of a bargain in this pricey, if not extortionate, boutique. The Jasmine Shoes around the corner caters to men and women, stocking everything from Diesel to Chinese Laundry. Strict return policy: returns within 7 days with receipt for store credit only. Look for Jasmine at 329 Newbury St. (617-437-8465). This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

There's a rigorous admissions process for this consignment shop's merchandise: clothes must have designer labels and be no more than 2 years old. Friendly staff, reasonable prices, and an extensive selection of styles make this one of the nicest second-hand experiences in the Square. Head to the back for a tempting array of shoes and a small men's section. Call or e-mail (consign@secondtimearound.net) to make an appointment to sell something of your own for a 50/50 split of the sale price, which starts around 1/3 of the original price and drops over the max. 90 days of shelf life; you will receive payment after the item is sold. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

Descend the stairs into a non-profit mecca for thrift store shoppers with a conscience: proceeds from the sale of donated clothing help fund grassroots programs in Africa, India, and Latin America. Items are organized by type and also often by color. Look for an impressive collection of colorful vintage t-shirts among the random assortment of Gap sweaters and matronly dresses. Most clothes $5-8, higher quality shirts and jeans $12-20. Find items with the color tag of the day and save 50%. A Customer Club card is available for frequent buyers—10 $10 stamps gets you $15 store credit. With its quirky assortment of unusual apparel, Planet Aid is a funky interruption to the increasingly homogenous retail world of Harvard Square. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

At the alterna-chic Hootenanny, slick designer brands such as mod-bod Ben Sherman (shirts $59-80), retro-Brit Fred Perry (a whopping $70 for a polo shirt), and monkey-face Paul Frank (shirts $20) abound, complemented by lashings of Dickies pants, Levi's bags, and Diesel shoes. The store shows its real wild side in the back section, however, with black-and-red PVC and lace-trimmed outfits (men's and women's) for that S&M/goth look you like to wear once in a while. Nowhere else in the Square will you find full fishnet-stocking Buddhists ($6-10)—we hope. Wigs ($15-35), angel wings ($60), and cheap hair-dye/make-up/jewelry also available for quick costume party fixes. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

Quit Stalin and head over to Proletariat, recently relocated to the Garage. Proletariat delivers to upscale vintage connoisseurs, with a variety of Lacoste polos, Michael Jackson t-shirts, and '80s bomber jackets at reasonable prices (t-shirts $11+). If wearing someone else's used clothing doesn't appeal to you, Proletariat also sells new items from up-and-coming (read: avant garde) designers, skate-boarding merchandise, and graffiti supplies. Other services include screen printing and iron-on letters for t-shirts. The people have it: Proletariat is the place to go to for designer vintage finds at a fraction of the original price. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

The Hempest is a clothing store featuring natural organic style clothing- mainly from the plant by-product hemp. For the record, please don't light your clothing on fire ... it doesn't work.