After hearing the rumors of an unusually warm New York City winter, Mother Nature decided to pull one over on us, skipping fall and raining in the wintry temperatures overnight.
While this meant a skimp on our days of jacketless outfits and light sweaters, pulling our cold-weather wardrobes from their hibernation is a sign that the (arguably best) season of cozy, bundled outfits has officially returned.
Contrary to popular belief, winter temperatures don’t mean you have to trade style at the expense of warmth. The myth of the puffer being dubbed as an “outfit-ruiner” is only as valid if you choose to make it so. The colder months make styling an outfit all the more critical.
In terms of coats this season, a new option (not the Aritzia Superpuff) takes the cake for trending outerwear. Although this isn’t new to the corporate side of NYC, wool trench coats have flooded campus, replacing many students’ previous years of loyal puffer use.
The wool trench coat is the cooler, older sister of the puffer, bringing a certain level of chic to a New York City winter, especially when paired with a scarf knotted around the neck. Together, they create a look that is effortless, yet seemingly intentional. And honestly, oversized, plush scarves are a winter savior in themselves — nearly swallowing faces whole — but it’s the ultimate statement piece, and easy to grab on the go.
For college students entering the craze of finals season, the cold weather and stress often mean forgoing a nicer outfit in favor of hoodies for long days at the library. But a classy wool coat thrown on top of a sweat set instantly takes the look from “just rolled out of bed” to something that still feels put-together. Tack on a thick scarf and the comfiest study-day outfit suddenly looks deliberate — proof that warmth and style really can coexist.
Aside from scarves and trench coats, campus winter style has taken its own identity. Dark reds, burgundies and deep plum have become the unofficial color palette of the season, grounding outfits in something rich and moody. Recently, campus style has mixed in pops of pattern. Tortoise-print accessories, such as phone cases, glasses and scarves, appear alongside the still ongoing cheetah-print trend.
Footwear has followed suit, with standard sneakers for class, but also tall, black boots for an elevated, chicer look. While these boots don’t tend to make an appearance in class, as soon as an evening trip to Manhattan is planned, the classic black boot-and-mini-skirt uniform is laid out and then seen making the journey toward the Metro-North station. Something about the combo has a certain touch of “New York-ness.”
Though somewhere along the way, winter dressing has started to feel … grown up. As temperatures drop, campus closets seemingly undergo an “adultification.” Yes, wintertime means clothes naturally fall more modestly, but it’s more than trading in tank tops for sweaters. At the weird transition between being a teenager and a 20-something, our wardrobes teeter on the line between which world of dress we belong in. So when summertime ends, we put away our youthful clothes and experiment with the transition to adulthood. Boots and loafers mix in with sneakers, and clothes increasingly lean minimalistic.
Suddenly, neutral palettes take over, and simple silhouettes feel more appealing than loud pieces. Even accessories follow suit: leather bags instead of backpacks, and dainty jewelry instead of thick bracelet stacks. For young adults in school, and still feeling like kids, it’s a winter nudge toward a quieter, more refined version of themselves.
But even with this newfound sophistication, not every winter trend deserves a revival. The tall Ugg boots, unfortunately, should stay in the closets of our 14-year-old selves where they belong. While cozy, until skinny jeans return, they don’t make sense to squeeze under wide-leg jeans and sweatpants. Mini Uggs and slippers provide a similar warmth, without the added bulkiness.
In terms of bulkiness … though structured coats are in, puffer jackets are essential for living in a cold city like New York. The Aritzia Superpuff has helped ease the annoyance of building an outfit, only to cover it with a Michelin Man silhouette, but even so, it hasn’t fully solved the problem. And for many students, this frustration is beyond aesthetics; hereinto the eternal tote-bag-on-a-puffer struggle. The slipping, sliding, constantly readjusting, one swing of the shoulder, and the strap is halfway to the floor. Sometimes practicality comes at the cost of sanity, and it’s enough to make a student reach for a wool coat instead.
Winter fashion is a thing in itself, but for Fordham University students, it’s vastly different. We don’t just live on a college campus — we live in NYC. Our winter wardrobes balance the rush of college life while toying with the wonderful world of the New York City fashion scene.
