Despite New York City’s status as a fashion capital, daytime fashion around Washington Square Park suffers undeniably in the winter as students give up individual style in favor of Canada Goose coats and Timberland boots. Nighttime fashion tends to deteriorate as well, as the wintry winds can deter students from going out at all.
CAS senior Elaine Huang admitted that the cold weather is a major factor in her choice to stay in on weekends in the winter.
“I definitely go out more in the fall and spring than in the winter because, once I’m home in the warmth, it’s hard putting on nice clothes and makeup to go out again,” she said. “I’ll wear my giant parka and regular going out clothes underneath. It’s just annoying because it’s the size of another person, so I have to use coat check or carry it with me. Warmer temperatures give me the freedom to wear more outfits that I like and I don’t have to worry about coat check.”
CAS junior Hugo Rubin agreed, citing incidents when frigid weather discouraged his friend group from going out. However, Rubin said that the cold doesn’t discourage him, as he has quite a few tricks up his sleeve to keep himself warm.
“When going out I usually wear a Heattech undershirt beneath a collared shirt or jacket. Usually, I can bear cold legs and wear jeans, but if it gets too cold I wear Heattech tights,” he said.
Staying stylish is the real challenge for Rubin.
“When it gets really cold, I have to wear a thick down parka so it makes it a little harder to style since I only have one,” he said. “I think temperatures in the middle like spring are best. Allows for the most variety of clothes and options when choosing.”
Despite her dislike of below-freezing temperatures, CAS senior Stephannie Yi disagreed because she sees the frosty conditions as an opportunity to spice up her outfit with a variety of layers.
“For example, I like to pair a black Heattech turtleneck with a white button down and a rose gold necklace,” Yi said. “I like to accessorize with a watch and rose gold jewelry to match the necklace. With that, I wear a black corduroy skirt over black tights and black and gold boots, and to top it off, a gray scarf. I wore a parka today because the weather was gross, but if I want to be more stylish, I wear a black cashmere overcoat.”
Whether you appreciate the opportunity to layer or you loathe wintertime limitations on fashion, NYU students won’t have to deal with the cold weather conditions much longer. In the meantime, bundle up and hope for a snow day before the first signs of spring.
Email Hanna McNeila at [email protected].