Student days are often lean times for many. But you wouldn't have thought a supermodel would have to scrimp and save.

Lily Cole looks like she's preparing for a cash-strapped university life by making dresses out of curtains.

Even if she didn't have a Luis Vuitton she might have been able to afford more than a plastic carrier bag. And those flip flops do not look like Jimmy Choo's

Lily Cole in New York showing even supermodels get it wrong sometimes

Perhaps she is off to a 1970s party - but where did she get that dress? Lily's bosses at Marks and Spencer have had a reputation for creating frumpy dresses but even they wouldn't have decked her out in this one.

The 20-year-old was caught out and about in this hippy-style ensemble in East Village, New York, this week.

Lily struggles with her old-fashioned glasses cord

Devon-born Lily recently announced she will put her movie career on hold to study social and political sciences at Cambridge University's King's College later this year.

She has already taken two gap years and just finished filming Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium Of Dr Parnassus.

She will concentrate on modeling over the summer before starting on her course.

Lily achieved straight As in her A-levels, gaining top grades in English, philosophy and ethics, and politics at Latymer Upper School in West London.

Unfortunately, the normally glamorous Lily does not score an A for this outfit.

Lily being her more usual glamorous self in New York