If the shorter days and cloudy skies are any indication, it’s no longer tank-top-and-shorts season in Evanston. Students across campus are breaking out their best bulky sweaters and puffy jackets, gearing up for a windy and chilly Illinois winter.
For Weinberg fourth-year graduate student Amaya Mitchell, dressing for colder temperatures hasn’t meant sacrificing style. Mitchell, a California native, said she initially thought she’d “perish” in Chicago winters — but tactful and stylish layering has kept her warm.
“Baggy’s been a thing for the past few years, and it’s great for the winter because I can layer,” Mitchell said. “You would never know if I had 10,000 layers under this.”
Amid Evanston’s harsh winters, Mitchell said her advice to other students is to include unique pieces in outfits and embrace customization. She said her favorite piece to wear in the winter is her oversized leather jacket — which originally belonged to her mom in the ’90s — because of its warmth and style.
Mitchell isn’t alone in preferring secondhand clothing for winter. SESP sophomore Gracie Shaw-Rothberg’s outfit featured two thrifted pieces: a denim jacket from Chicago’s Andersonville suburb and baggy blue jeans embroidered with purple stitching.
Shaw-Rothberg layered the jacket over a HeatTech thermal shirt, which she said she wore because of low forecasted temperatures that day. For her, layering is crucial to staying cute during the winter, especially since she said she’s not a big fan of conventional winter coats.
“I don’t like wearing big, puffy jackets, even though it gets super cold,” Shaw-Rothberg said. “I like to layer up under the jacket — wear leggings under jeans and wear a lot of shirts and sweaters.”
Weinberg freshman Christian Saleh also said he plans to layer up in cold weather this winter, as well as don beanies on colder days.
Like Mitchell, Saleh hails from California and he said he doesn’t know much about staying warm in the Midwest just yet. Nevertheless, he said he looks forward to incorporating a newly-bought pair of Timberland boots into his winter outfits this year.
In the spirit of the season, Communication sophomore Zach Cook layered a North Face puffer over a black sweater emblazoned with pumpkins. Cook said he loves sweaters because they provide the coziness and warmth required for chilly Evanston winters — hence why his closet is full of them.
As far as advice to other students, Cook said he believes cold weather and long commutes to class aren’t an excuse to be unstylish this winter.
“I’m the type of person who won’t compromise fashion for comfort,” Cook said. “Wear whatever you want to wear, you’ll be fine, trust.”
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