Layers can help students dress for changing Columbia temperatures
The weather in Columbia can’t seem to make up its mind. This is nothing new, but there seems to be a hot debate on whether it is socially acceptable to wear boots and a shawl when it’s 63 degrees and cloudy outside.
This debate is nothing new. Northerners have been saying for years that people need to suck it up and continue to act as though it is 76 and sunny outside, while Southerners have been saying that it is completely fine to wear warm clothes in cool weather.
As far as the rules of fashion go, dress for the weather. If it is 63, windy and cloudy in South Carolina one day, you dress to warm yourself up. This may or may not include knee high boots. This may or may not also include a sweater. Why should someone’s fashion choice be restricted by the fact that some people just happen to not be cold in that particular weather?
When there are days when Columbia can’t seem to make up its mind regarding weather, layering is always the best way to go. There are days that start off being 61 degrees and windy, and by 1 p.m. are hitting 75 degrees without so much as a breeze. Layering a sweater or scarf over your outfit for the beginning of the day will help you stay warm in the morning, and you can shed them when the weather heats up later.
As for the great debate on whether you should wear jeans or leggings if it’s cold in the morning, if it is supposed to warm up later in the day, you can get away with a skirt, shorts, or a dress. This might mean you’ll be layering more things on top in the morning, but it’ll save you later on in the day. If you’re unsure of what the weather will be like later in the day, pants or leggings are a safe bet. Also, just because you’re wearing pants or leggings doesn’t mean you can’t get creative with what you pair these things with — throw on a neon sweater or layer necklaces to make your outfit stand out from the crowd.
One trend that’s been common on the street and runways for fall is shorts paired with tights. This solves the great debate of whether to wear pants or go with shorts, because you’ve got the best of both worlds. As to whether or not you think you could pull it off, simply visit www.lookbook.nu and search through the thousands of looks featuring shorts paired with tights.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what people are saying when it comes to your personal choice of outfit on a day you consider cold. Whether other people think it feels like 1,000 degrees or 40, wear what you’re comfortable in. There are a lot of great options if you are unsure, and you can always take the opportunity to put a new spin on your wardrobe. Who says the weather has to be the only indecisive one?