As a former sorority girl who once also had a set budget that was only supposed to cover food and books, buying clothes at a local boutique to wear on a night out or to a themed party was nearly impossible due to the unattainably high prices.

If you've been shopping for bargain items on Temu or Shein, brace yourself. Recent US tariff changes are sending prices soaring. Starting in late April, the Chinese e-commerce giants announced significant price hikes,