The Collegiate Wardrobe Part 1

There are a few things in Collegeland that you can get away with only on campus that should be taken full advantage of as a college student. You should be warned, however, that just like the collegiate excuse you should leave these habits behind when you permanently leave the campus walls. They do not transfer well to real life either. As I said, there are several things to take advantage of while studying at a higher level, but those will be for other days. Today I shall address the one rule that seemingly every college student breaks: The dress for the weather rule.

For collegiate girls, dressing for a particular temperature a month before that temperature actually arrives is a must. You see, when you were growing up your mother always told you that you couldn’t wear that knit hat until November because you would look ridiculous. And since the fall/winter Urban Outfitters catalogue arrives in August it is almost as if your brain cannot even recall what you wore all summer. After looking at pages and pages of wool skirt and tight combos or pea coats with skinny jeans, wearing a tank and shorts really has no appeal. Well, being that there are no mothers here and it is not like you aren’t looking both ways before you cross the street, you should wear whatever floats your boat. In fact, you could even wear a beanie on a boat if you wanted to.

For collegiate guys, I have observed the opposite trend: they hang on to the current season as long as they possibly can. Even if the wind is cold, if the sun is still out and shining, it is okay to wear basketball shorts and a t-shirt. Naturally, this is easier and faster to put on in the morning than jeans and long sleeves. That is the only reason I can think of unless a winter coat signifies that your body is not adequately producing its own heat and must be compensated by wearing a coat and maybe that does not appeal to the male gender. However, by not putting on your coat you make the girls in September look even more ridiculous and this clear lack of consideration is not usually appreciated.

If you are visiting a campus and you are not a college student, you may observe and be confused by the mix of seasons covering the student body population. Rest assured that we do not view you as an outsider merely for your season-appropriate clothes (for other reasons, yes). We know that here in Collegeland it is perfectly acceptable to don the attire of any season that exists anywhere else in the US. Is it cold in Maine right now? Then you are allowed to wear a winter coat to class in Oklahoma, if it is cute (if not, wait until it is undoubtedly winter).

An extra tidbit: Another way to take advantage of dressing without outside influences (I speak of mothers again, but weather works here too) is to combine seasons as a way of transferring gracefully from say, fall to winter. Try wearing a tank top with a scarf and skinny jeans and you will fit in wherever you go from August till the temperature actually drops and you should probably add a cardigan.