Picture this: you wake up early, do your hair and makeup, put on an outfit that makes you feel great, and strut your way to campus. You’re feeling good. As you approach the library, you notice your steps slow down ever-so-slightly, then it hits you. Your hair flies back, your eyelashes hold open your eyes, and your jacket puffs out so big it looks like you’ve got wings.The W.E.B. Du Bois wind tunnel, (also referred to as Da Bweeze) ruins your outfit, and day, in a second.
Various aesthetics and trends circulate around campus, sometimes making the streets of Amherst look like a fashion show. Platform boots, mini skirts, puffer jackets, scarves, and more make the words, “I love your outfit,” a common occurrence around campus. But once it hits November and the wind picks up speed, the it-girl outfits go into hibernation.
As the new semester begins and cold weather persists, getting around campus gets harder and harder. Yet, the buzz and excitement of a new semester brings events to get to and late nights to be had. In the age of ootd’s and get-ready-with-me’s, we see now more than ever that we can have form and function in the everchanging New England weather. Here are some tips to prep for the weather, and save your outfit from total fashion failure.
Bring Back Skorts
A timeless classic said to have first originated in the 1890s, skorts provide an extra layer of security for skirt lovers all around. Yes, I think skorts are awesome and should not be forgotten, but it’s the concept of base layers that make skorts so useful.
Base layering through shorts, leggings, and thermal tops is a great way to get an extra layer on your body as the temperature drops. Getting out of bed and on the way to class is a lost cause when you know you’ll be shivering your whole way there, but putting on those extra layers ensures an added shield of protection from the icy winds. Sheer black tights over nude leggings are a surprisingly sneaky way to keep your legs goose-bump free while rocking skirts during the first few frigid weeks of class.
But layers don’t stop at the base. Jackets-on-jackets-on-sweaters-on-tops seems silly when you can barely get your backpack on. But the warmth heating your core when you walk through the frosty air to the dining hall makes it all worth it. When layering-up for the cross-campus trek, it’s important to remember that if you get too hot, you can take layers off; but if you get cold, you’re stuck with what you’ve got.
Accessories Are (and should always have been) you’re new best friend
For fashion lovers new and old it’s no secret that accessories make or break an outfit. The decision between sneakers and heels completely changes the trajectory of your outfit and should not be taken lightly. Functional accessories, such as socks, scarves, and boots, are rightfully taking over campus.
Plaid, solid, striped, and dotted scarves are appearing in large numbers all around UMass. Some may say it’s just the latest winter trend, but I say it’s one that should be here to stay. When walking through the blast of the Pioneer Valley wind, scarves can be used to shield your face from the gusts. For many, having a go-to neutral color winter jacket is a must to prevent color clashing. Scarves are a fun way to add a new dimension to your outfit through color and texture.
There’s nothing worse than waiting in the biting cold with the only thoughts in your head being I can’t feel my fingers, or toes, or ears. Hats, gloves, and warm wooly socks keep the outer parts of your body nice and toasty as you wait for the PVTA while the sun sets at 5 PM. Unless you want your brimmed hat to catch flight in these winter winds, beanies and earmuffs are a great option to keep your ears from freezing.
Form and Function Forever As One
As the early semester energy keeps us going to class, it’s important to remember that February and March are packed with surprise storms and fluctuating weather. One weekend the melting snow turns the ground into a muddy slip and slide, and the next it’s back to a frozen tundra. It’s inevitable that some early winter trends will be so-last-year (literally) come March (not you scarves), and replaced by the next-big-thing on Pinterest. But remember the ol’ reliable’s (layers-on-layers-on-gloves-on-hats) and we’ll be looking at a semester where Du Bois can’t ruin your outfit.
Can’t get enough of HC UMass Amherst? Be sure to follow us on Instagram, listen to us on Spotify, like us on Facebook, and read our latest Tweets!