All across the city, crinkling leaves decorate the green and gold grasses. The temperature is dropping day by day as the autumn sweeps over us. The great debate between the pumpkin spice and apple cider legions rises again, dividing families. Spooky memes are popping up all over the internet, stretching far and wide to announce the arrival of the Halloween spirit. The campus plague can be heard in the chorus of sniffles reverberating throughout the library. Winter is coming, and it will not take six or seven seasons to arrive. However, no mystical act of nature can stop hordes of college students gathering in damp basements or overcrowded bars to drown in the sorrows of midterms. Here are ten hacks to look (and feel) hot in this cold weather.
1. Tights and leggings are your best friend
The easiest way to stay warm in short dresses is to add tights under them. This keeps the appeal of showing off your legs while allowing you to feel cozy at the same time. Additionally, try
wearing leggings under your tights that are the same color and somewhat sheer (gray on gray, black on black, etc.). Add a pair of booties and no one will notice the cuff where your leggings end or that you’re wearing them at all. This hack also applies to rompers and shorts, extending their wear to all year round. One or two pairs of tights can expand your outfit choices exponentially for the fall and winter seasons. Leggings can even go under jeans, making them super comfortable without anyone knowing!
2. Bring a jacket and hide it
Once it gets later into fall and winter, bringing a jacket is unavoidable some nights. Find a snazzy, inexpensive jacket specifically for parties and bars that won’t break your heart to lose—similar to that pair of heels or converse strictly reserved for basement parties. My recommendation is a pleather or jean jacket that can go with multiple outfits. Once you arrive, hide your jacket some place only you will find it, and tell a friend to remind you to take it home. Good places are behind the couch or in a corner vacant of many people.
3. Utilize tall boots
When it comes to boots, it’s the higher the better. Knee-high or thigh-high boots can provide a surprising amount of warmth when paired with a dress or jeans. One pair of brown and one pair of black is sufficient to match almost anything.
4. Layer crop tops and bralettes with flannels or jackets
Someone with a flannel around the waist paired with a crop top and jeans can be found on almost any Friday night. This is a classic look, but it’s also very functional. Crowded apartments get hot very easily, so having layers to take off is a godsend. For extra warmth in flannels, try buying men’s flannels. They are typically much better in quality and thicker than women’s.
5. Wear a sweatshirt/hoodie dress
Sweatshirt dresses are definitely on-trend for fall 2017, and they are extremely soft and snuggly. They range from cut-off style to long sleeve. Add a choker and some Chucks, and you’ll be the version of yourself that middle school you could only dream of. These dresses keep it casual but fresh.
6. Scarves will save you
Feeling chilly? Wear a scarf. Think you may get chilly later? Wear a scarf. Don’t want to wear a coat? Bundle up in that big fluffy scarf. You can always hide it like a jacket once you arrive, or keep it on all night as part of your ensemble.
7. Wear a long sleeve or sweatshirt crop top
The 80s are back in many of today’s trends, including sweatshirt crop tops. They provide the warmth of a hoodie and the allure of a crop top, making them the perfect fall fashion item to add to your closet. If you have older sisters or cousins, they may still have theirs from the 80s that they would let you borrow.
8. Steal his sweatshirt/jacket
This might be one of the oldest, most obvious ways to stay warm when you’re out, but it holds true. Many guys will bring backpacks as well, so ask one of your friends to throw in an extra hoodie for you to wear when the night winds down and you’re craving a $6 cheese pizza that’s six blocks away. Alternatively, bring a small purse and throw in a sweater or sweatshirt for yourself.
9. Wear fuzzy socks
Fuzzy socks can come in clutch when you decide to go out in just booties and a dress. Your feet and head are where you lose heat from the fastest, so be sure to bundle your toes up! Fuzzy socks come in a variety of lengths, from ankle socks to knee-highs. You can easily find some that won’t show under your shoes.
10. When all else fails, take Uber
If you’re going from one end of campus to another, sometimes it’s best to give in and spend that extra couple dollars to ride in a car. To keep expenses low, split the Uber between multiple friends. If you take a standard size Uber with four people, that’s under two dollars a person for the minimal fair of seven dollars.
Photo Credit: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11