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Close up image of sweaters and their knit material texture
Close up image of sweaters and their knit material texture
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SBU | Career > Her20s

A Girl And Her Cardigan

Riley Connors Student Contributor, St. Bonaventure University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SBU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Pulling back the pink curtain that attempts to hide the mess of my bedroom closet, a dozen sweaters and cardigans in an array of colors hang before my eyes. 

When I am cold, picking out an outfit for class, or just unsure of what to wear for the day, nine out of ten times I am reaching for one of my colorful, gently-worn sweaters. 

This fun fact about me is not an effort to separate myself from other college students or look “different” from other girls, because I am sure someone else who is reading this article is literally wearing a sweater right now. 

My astonishment with this seemingly small wardrobe change is only understandable if you have context of Riley pre-twenties. 

Throughout my high school and early college years, my school outfits consisted of an oversized sweatshirt, oversized sweatpants (I should mention that matching sets were not popular at this time…I was lucky if I could squeeze a groutfit out of these days) and some slippers or the occasional sneaker. So, my switch to cardigans paired with a nicer pair of wide-legged yoga pants is definitely a step in the right direction in terms of presentable outfits. 

This walk down memory lane of my school outfits is to highlight the fact that I am getting older. I am maturing, changing my day-to-day clothing and making an effort to look a little bit more “adult” (although I’m not sure if cardigans are the sole answer to adulthood…I’ll update you all when I figure it out). 

And while I tend to think of my future and cringe at the thought of having to pack up my life here and “grow up,” I can look at my cardigans and take a deep breath.

I love to have a nice sweater to wear for the day; I thoroughly enjoy wrapping myself in a buttoned-up piece of wool and pairing it with a pair of long, flowy pants. 

My cardigans remind me that growing up is not all sudden and scary. You can grow up gradually, without even noticing, and still enjoy every step of the way.

I now glance at the few sweatshirts carefully folded in my bottom drawer that have barely seen the light of day since moving into my room in August. They are still a part of me and remind me of my time when I was a senior in high school, anxiously awaiting college decisions and drying my tears on the torn cuffs when I had to put my deposit down at a school I did not want to go to (that school was Bonaventure by the way…you can see how wonderfully that turned out).

I’m sure in five or ten years I’ll have a new outfit fixation that will signal I am even older than I am today (although, as a teacher, I’m not sure cardigans will ever quite leave my wardrobe). But I know that that new staple piece will signal to me that growing up does not always have to be filled with feelings of sadness and reluctance.

My cardigans remind me that I am older, and that is wonderful, while my sweatshirts give me something to look back on with love and nostalgia. 

Neither one is better, they just serve different purposes, and as I sit, writing this in my newest cream sweater, I could not be more thankful for that reminder.

Riley Connors

SBU '25

Riley Connors is a member of the St. Bonaventure chapter of Her Campus and plans to write about college, careers, movies and just about anything that comes to her mind that week.

She is a senior Adolescent Education and English double major. Outside of Her Campus, Riley is a member of the SBU Dance Team and is a part of SBU College Democrats. She also has a radio show with her roommates on St. Bonaventure's radio station, WSBU-FM.

In her free time, Riley enjoys hanging out with her friends and girlfriend, spending time outside in the sun and listening to any song by Boygenius, Hozier or Lizzy McAlpine. She cherishes her time spent at home with her family and dog but loves her St. Bonaventure family that she has created in her three years of college.