We can easily notice the transition from summer to winter clothes during the daytime as girls wear comfy sweaters and leggings instead of graphic tees and high-waisted shorts. But when the sun sets, it becomes less obvious whether a college girl is going out in September or December.
 “Its stupid that people wear short sleeves in the winter,” said sophomore Becky Warman, psychology major. “It’s freezing cold out, and I’m not trying to end up numb.”
Part of the reason girls tend to wear summer cuts all year round, could be because that is what is primarily marketed to them in stores. Many stores seem to offer a significant amount of sleeveless shirts in the wintertime.
Tobi, a popular clothing website for young women, advertises that they have new arrivals daily. On an average November day, 53 out of 120 shirts on the first page of their “Tops” section are sleeveless or cropped, with dozens of others that have completely open backs.
On the same day, 27 out of 40 shirts on the first page of Forever 21’s “Tops” section were either sleeveless or cropped. 48 out of 100 shirts on the first page of NastyGal’s “Tops” section were sleeveless or cropped. Even higher end boutiques such as BCBGeneration fall victim. 10 out of 18 shirts in their “Blouses” section were sleeveless.
Odds like these make it difficult for girls to find appropriate shirts to go out in at night when it’s cold. “When you find a cute long sleeved shirt to wear out, it pays off,” said Warman.
“Even if warmer clothing were marketed for winter, many girls would still have problems, and choose to wear short sleeves,” said junior Rachel Miller, psychology major.
“It’s really crowded and hot inside… so if we were wearing long sleeves, we would sweat to death,” said Miller. “We suck it up when were outside so we [can be] comfortable inside.”
84 percent of respondents to a survey of 100 UMD girls said they wear cropped or sleeveless shirts more than half the time when they go out at nighttime during the colder months.
A simple solution to this problem is what is commonly called a “fracket” or a frat jacket that can be taken off as soon as a girl enters a party or bar. But many girls still do not take advantage of this innovation. 51 percent of respondents to the same survey said that they rarely wear a “fracket” if at all.
“Things get stolen or lost or ruined, and I wouldn’t want to waste a perfectly good sweatshirt,” said Miller.
Finding clothes to wear in the winter is a lose-lose situation according to sophomore community health major Lauren Eisner. “We either freeze outside, be really hot inside, or most likely ruin a cardigan,” said Eisner. “Dressing in the summer is so easy. But going out at night is always a problem because I can never figure out what to wear that makes the most sense.”
According to Eisner, a good solution to the problem would be to have specific areas in frat houses and bars that girls, and even boys if they choose, to put a jacket where it won’t be stolen or ruined.
 It is a problem when students are walking around in the cold in clothing meant for summer. This behavior needs to be changed, and it starts with the merchandise being sold at popular retailers.Â