Photo Credit: Olivia Halle, Pinterest
How to layer for fall
Zoe Zusman, Staff Writer
It’s that time of the year again. Leaves are falling and the cool breeze passes through your hair — fall is here! I know we’ve had some unpredictable weather, but I feel like Toronto is just weird like that. Nevertheless, fall has finally set in around campus and I don’t know about you, but I’m so excited to get cute and cozy. With all these changes to the atmosphere, I’m sure you’re wondering: “But Zoe, how am I supposed to be stylish in the months leading up to winter? Some days it’s 24 degrees and others it’s 9 degrees with rain — how am I supposed to adjust to this weather?”
Well, don’t you worry: I’m here for you. I’ve had my fair share of unfortunate fashion choices that either resulted in me overheating while lugging around a fur coat or freezing every part of my body because I wore a skirt in negative-10-degree weather. In this article, I’m sharing some tips and items that are very helpful for the next few months — some stylish and some practical. Hopefully, you can incorporate at least one of these pieces into your colder season wardrobe.
The first item is purely practical and not in style by any means. It is thermal leggings, specifically men’s thermal leggings. You may be thinking of those figure-skating tights that are super thick and fluffy on the inside. And although these keep you warm on their own, wearing them under anything can feel suffocating and sometimes way too hot indoors. Thermal tights, on the other hand, are made from a waffle knit fabric and almost resemble tighter sweatpants. In my opinion, they’re comfortable under baggy pants, long skirts, and dresses. It’s perfect because you can still wear anything you want, but you get to be comfortable underneath in a loungewear-like garment.
The next two items have been very on trend in the past few years — arm and leg warmers. Honestly, I think they’re a perfect way to transition between seasons and still stay warm. If you’re ever wearing any length of skirt, leg warmers add extra coziness to your calves. Also, since they’re usually made of a knit material, they can keep you very warm. For arm warmers, there are so many styles and materials that you can customize them to any fashion style you want. In the past, I’ve made some using a felt-like fabric, and I love them! Although my fingers aren’t the warmest, my hands stay nice and toasty.
Although there are so many more suggestions for staying warm in this cold weather, I think one last one is layering jackets. I’ve seen this a lot on Pinterest, the idea of taking one of your lighter, tighter-fitting fall jackets and layering it under a bulkier, heavier coat. This idea mixes so many cool textures and fabrics — for example, leather and denim, or corduroy and fur; the possibilities are endless. This is a great way to get lots of use out of all your jackets through the stretch of cold months.
Now I could talk about so many more tricks and pieces that, for me, maximize my warmth in the colder months. There’s thermal socks, a tight, skinny scarf, tall, insulated boots, and even fur hats that I love to wear. But I hope you can take away at least one of these ideas to help keep you cozy this season.
