The days are getting shorter and the weather is getting cooler, signifying that summer is coming to a close. While this may be sad news for college students with workloads piling up and midterms quickly approaching, fall is also an exciting time. There are countless fall activities college students can enjoy before it becomes too cold to stand outside for more than a few minutes — which is why it’s highly encouraged to take advantage of the cool, crisp fall weather by partaking in fall-themed activities.
Along with the excitement of fall activities comes the all-important task of choosing what outfit to wear. This transition period is a little hard to dress for because of the variation in temperature between morning and evening. It’s still too warm to be wearing a bulky jacket or sweatshirt during the day, but it turns out to be the perfect outfit for the evening. This dilemma, along with the question of which outfit is appropriate for which occasion, might make it hard to decide what outfits to wear during the fall. If you’re someone who can relate to these struggles, here are five outfits for five common college occasions worth investing in:
1. Studying at the library
The first one may be fairly obvious. Even though it’s a little sad to think about spending time cooped up in the library while the leaves change color and the weather is sunny and beautiful outside, all college students spend some portion of their time studying, often at the library. One way to make this tedious part of your fall routine a little more exciting is choosing a cute but comfortable outfit to study in. Even if you’re tempted to wear sweatpants most of the time, try opting for a more put-together outfit once in a while. It will help you feel more motivated to work, and will ensure that you’re not too comfortable that you might doze off. A simple outfit idea is taking a basic sweatshirt and flared jeans and elevating it by adding your favorite jewelry and accessories. And if your sweatshirt has a cute logo or print, it’ll automatically be a cute outfit.
2. Picnic at the park
Whether it’s Central Park or Riverside Park, it’s no question that parks in New York City are beautiful in the fall. The leaves are dappled with red and golden hues under a radiant sun and a sky of bright blue. Under these ideal circumstances, you probably want to wear an outfit that matches this warm and bright scenery. An outfit that comes to mind is a tank top or crop top with a silky maxi skirt. Add a jacket to the outfit — leather, denim, or any other kind of jacket — and it automatically alters the outfit from summer to fall-appropriate. To finish, wear a pair of comfortable white sneakers so that you won’t be too tired from walking around the park.
3. Coffee date
There is something about fall that calls for a cozy coffee date, perhaps with a cinnamon or pumpkin-flavored drink. It’s time to swap your iced coffee order for a hot cup of coffee or tea, and it’s also time to swap your go-to summer outfit for coffee dates with a more fall-appropriate one. For a coffee date with friends or significant other, wear something cozy but comfortable that will get you into the fall mood. An ideal outfit for the occasion would be a loose neutral-colored sweater and a short skirt. A beige sweater with a plaid skirt or a white sweater with a ruffled skirt and boots are examples of options that might work.
4. Farmers’ market outing
Fall also calls for an outing to the farmers’ market, which is not hard to do in New York City. Sunday is the perfect day to go to the farmers’ market and secure cheap, good-quality groceries, as well as browse the area and spend time with friends. For the ideal outfit for going to the farmers’ market, opt for a sweater vest paired over a long-sleeve shirt. Tuck your shirt into a pair of jeans or a short tennis skirt, depending on the weather and your mood. Fall is the perfect time to bust out your sweater vests, so make sure to take advantage of this weather before it becomes too cold to wear a sweater vest on its own. It’s hard to showcase the cute pattern of your sweater vests in the winter, when you have to wear bulky coats or parkas over them.
5. Night out
Of course, college students need outfits for a night out no matter what season it is. But it’s still worth including this occasion because there are certain night out outfits that are perfect for the fall. Again, because it’s the last time students can wear lighter, shorter clothing before it gets too cold, it might be nice to pull out all of your minidresses before the weather suddenly gets cold. A minidress, whether it’s long-sleeved, short-sleeved, or tank, always succeeds when paired with a black blazer or black leather jacket. Combine these with a pair of black boots, and you have a great fall outfit for a night out.