Column: Students layer up to level up for the winter weather

I am a weather gatekeeper.

I grew up primarily in the Midwest, so it’s my prerogative. I don’t care how cold it is. If you say it’s cold, I am legally obligated to tell you that it’s not that bad, and where I grew up it was so much worse. (It’s been in the 40s here the last couple days — it really isn’t that bad).

Despite taking a lot of pride in being annoying about the weather, since the semester started I’ve found myself slightly disappointed in winter clothing. I have accumulated too much summer clothing over the last two-and-a-half years in North Carolina to properly layer. It’s too cold to wear tights. How did I dress for the cold for so long?

But apparently, I’m the minority on campus. 

Senior Reagan Domeier said she finds it a lot easier to dress up in the winter, but the colder it gets, the more repetitive it can feel, especially with jackets. She didn’t own a lot of winter clothes until recently.

“I think I went a little stir-crazy, for, ‘cause it’s so hot for so long, and so September it was still really warm, and as soon as we got our first 60-degree day I went and bought a bunch of winter stuff,” Domeier said. 

Shoes: Converse, Tights: Amazon, Skirt: Nordstrom Rack, Leather Jacket: Gift, Vest: Belk, Earrings: Francesca’s 

My favorite thing about this outfit was the black-and-white coordination — as much as I love color, I can respect that even her headphones matched her vest and her shoes. 

First-year Alexis Rodriguez Guzman said he has what he needs for this winter — a ski jacket from Facebook Marketplace that has a fleece and a windbreaker. Similar to Domeier, he said people can dress up more when it’s colder.

Talking to him and Domeier made me realize that along with a coat, the stealth winter accessory is headphones. They protect your ears from the cold. They block out the noise. Throw out your AirPods immediately. 

Sweater: Thrifted in Granada, Spain, Necklace: From a Pilgrimage, Jeans: Kohl’s, Boots: Maybe Nordstrom, Socks: Sam’s Club, Shirt: REI

“Definitely in the winter, you have a lot more area to express yourself with jackets and outerwear that you just can’t do in the summer,” Guzman said. 

Be warned, though, wearing a statement piece of outerwear (like the magenta coat I may or may not own) will cause your friends to text you every time they see you on campus to let you know they found you because of the coat. 

PhD student Claire Roth doesn’t like winter, but she doesn’t mind the clothing. However, she said summer was when she saw people really dressed up around campus. 



Scarf: Depop, Jacket: Depop, Shirt: Sezane, Jeans: Levi’s, Shoes: Rothy’s, Earrings: "Maybe Target," Sunglasses: Target

She was one of the best-dressed people I saw that day. More people should utilize the warm brown and blue color combination. 

“I’m a person who accepts dressing for the temperature that it is, so I just have a lot of layers," Roth said. "I don’t suffer through being cold all winter."

After some thought, I think I do agree with this, even if I get frustrated that all my nice outfits are covered by my equally nice winter coat. I never understood the guys at the bus stop in middle school wearing shorts in the middle of January. I get not wanting to wear a hat — my mom’s anger was worth not getting hat hair — but maybe a tank top is not worth frostbite. Zip up your jacket, it’s cold!

Wait…

Oh, no. North Carolina is getting to me.

@dthlifestyle | lifestyle@dailytarheel.com