Imagine the weather forecast predicts a cool, overcast 60-degree day. Rummaging through your messy wardrobe, you come across the perfect outfit.
With your black ripped jeans, leather jacket, fall colored blouse and black chunky boots, you feel like a true fashion queen – until you glance longingly at your crumpled University of Massachusetts sweatshirt/sweatpants ensemble, yearning for its comfort. Why be super stylish when you can be super cozy?
Now you’re officially in a fashion funk. You want to look cute, but being comfortable is way more appealing at 8 a.m. on a Monday. So what do you do? The clock is ticking. Is it possible to achieve the ultimate feat and be both comfortable and stylish?
As with any season change, fall is met with equal parts excitement and disdain – the latter for the complicated mornings of trying to restructure your wardrobe. It doesn’t help either when the morning’s frosty temps are faced off with an afternoon’s warm breeze.
With comfortable clothes having a huge pull in the fall, and in the defense that they’ll keep you warm, it’s easy to wear the same sweatpants every day. But put on some mood-boosting music and rally! A cute outfit will start your day off on a better foot.
With different layering pieces and styling options, you can be the cutest, most comfortable person gazing at the yearly foliage. It’s all about choosing pieces that look and feel good even, at 8 a.m. on a Monday when nothing else does.
Below we have complied a list, broken down by tops, bottom and shoes that offer advice on clothing pieces to can keep you happy and comfortable, and even potentially becoming a staple for your winter wardrobe.
Tops
Sweaters, sweaters, sweaters! They are essential layering pieces. Sweaters are great because they can range from anywhere from plain Jane to the wackiest prints out there.
Oversized sweaters are great because they are basically a camouflaged blanket. If they’re long enough, they can even be worn as sweater dresses.
Keep an eye out for oversized turtleneck sweaters, “cold shoulder” sweaters and cropped silhouettes this season.
Bottoms
Joggers are the ultimate combination of comfortable and trendy. Sweatpants are perfect leg warmers during the frigid winter months, and they’re obviously a crowd favorite. The only problem is that they aren’t the most flattering pieces of attire. Having something form fitting gives the illusion that effort was put into an outfit, and joggers do just that. They’re a more fitted sweat pant, allowing for a casual and trendy vibe at the same time.
Pairing joggers with a denim, leather or bomber jacket is a great way to have style and comfort all rolled into in one.
Leggings
Leggings are an essential wardrobe pieces for the fall and winter when jeans just seem too stiff and confining. Leggings are soft and typically adorable depending on the brand and purpose. A great place to stock up on bargain leggings is Forever 21.
Try finding a pair of studded or leather leggings this fall season to really stand out in the crowd.
Boots
Black boots are the perfect fall shoes. Not only can they match with any outfit but they’re also quite easy on the feet because they’re often flat without a heel.
Brands like Doc Marten, Steve Madden and Aldo offer a wide array of selections from combat boots to Chelsea boots to ankle boots. All of these foot wear options pair well with oversized sweaters, skinny jeans and flannels.
Sneakers
Nike Roshe, Converse and Adidas are stylish sneakers that go with any outfit. They offer a casual, “model off duty” relaxed feel to an outfit. Plus, walking around campus can get tough, so having sneakers is a must.
Try wearing any of these sneaker options with black overalls or boyfriend jeans to radiate ease in any situation.
It’s great to be comfortable and it’s lovely to be stylish, but, as Hannah Montana once said, it is even better to have the best of both worlds,
There are many options out there that allow you to enjoy both, so who says fashion can’t be cozy?
Cynthia Ntinunu can be reached at [email protected].
