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Fall fashion feeling frostier

Lindy Reed
Connector Staff

As the first flakes fall and the season shifts towards winter, so does the campus fashion.
This season’s trends show the rising popularity of soft grunge on campus. So, fill your
closet with cozy, comfy clothes in warm neutrals and earthy, organic undertones, and get
ready to bundle up.

Collect Your Colors
Choosing a color palette to guide the overall feel of you style is hugely unnoticed but makes a big difference. If your wardrobe has a coherent color scheme, then your clothes will be easier to mix and match, and your wardrobe will gain a subtle yet important sense of personality.
As the weather gets colder, colors get darker. Choose colors that suit your style best. Trending on South Campus are natural creams, chestnuts and forest greens, mixed with rich burgundies, midnight blues, cool grays, warm whites, and, of course, classic black. North Campus seems to favor inky ebony, slate gray, deep navies, and a rare flash of brown.

Back to Basics
No matter what your style, be it preppy, sporty, chic, hippie or edgy, start with a plain shirt paired with dark wash jeans or leggings. If you opt for the versatile and comfy leggings, ditch the prints. Prints overpower the rest of your outfit, and are tricky to balance. Pulling off prints requires keeping the rest of the outfit extremely simple, and building it around your leggings. It’s much easier and safer to stick to good ol’ denim, unless, of course, your style is edgy and you enjoy pushing boundaries.
Layer Up
The art of durability is the art of layering. If you want to recycle your fall faves, or even summer ones, learn to layer.
A cami or tank you wore with high-waisted cut-offs in June can now become your daily undershirt. Not only will the extra layer keep you slightly warmer, but also doubles up by helping hide your bra. Add a cute cardi or sweater and a military jacket and you’re ready for class and the freezing temperatures.
An emerging trend is the puffer or quilted vest, which looks great over long-sleeve shirts or sweaters and adds another layer to keep you warm. For a polished, preppy, profesh. look, a collared shirt with a crew neck or V-neck is a great go-to combo. A plaid or a chambray would also make perfect alternatives or substitutes for a formal shirt, and would still look stellar under a loose sweater. If you’re running late or you don’t want to dress up, throw on a zip-up and a parka, or a flannel and a sweatshirt, and you’ll stay nice and toasty and comfy all day (no change of clothes for a post-class nap needed).

Play With Proportion
When layering, it is important to keep your proportions in check. Starting from the outermost layer and working your way inward, the length of each layer should get gradually shorter. Keep your shirt about the same length or slightly shorter than your outerwear, with an exception being a shirt with a sweater over it and letting an inch of shirt showing at the bottom. If you’re wearing a cardi, make sure your shirt hits about your waist. If it’s too long or too loose, tuck it into your waistband. You don’t want to look messy or like your clothes don’t fit.

Add Accessories
Accessories are the sprinkles and cherry on top of the ice cream sundae. They add the finishing touches for a polished, put-together outfit. If most of your outfit is plain (solid colors with little to no patterns or dramatic textures), then scarves, jewelry, and hats can add closure. Neutral colors work best for scarves and beanies, and metal jewelry in silver or gold can add dimension.
When picking jewelry, keep in mind the style of the outfit. Is it punk? Is it girly? You don’t want to wear a bejeweled necklace with your leather look, or a spiked cuff with your soft and feminine fashion. Keep the size and pizzazz of the jewelry reasonable. A big statement piece must be balanced with a simple look, while a delicate infinity sign will match with most looks.

Bring on the Boots
Combat and riding boots are a must-have on campus. For guys, Timberlands, loafers, Vans, and Sperry’s are popular. Moccasins are also great, and a pair of chestnut lined boots will go with anything. Remember, anything fuzzy or furry should be waterproofed. It might be a little more money to buy that ten-dollar bottle of waterproofer, but it’s definitely worth it.

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