By Darren White
Columnist
It’s finally here. We’re back on our lovely campus and its unpredictable fall weather. Because of this, packing to come back to Haverford is always such a challenge. It’s too warm to include the Polo cable knits or the Balenciaga leather jackets but the girl who brings along her entire cache of short shorts and bikinis needs to reexamine how she managed to get into this institution in the first place. Late summer at a college can be a tricky time but a few simple tricks can make the transition into autumn as effortless as leaf falling in the breeze.
They start with the relationship you have with your retailers—you must take advantage of their stupidity. Stores at this time are trying desperately to get rid of the stuff that made summer unbearably hot—those cute cropped blazers that made you sweat in the scorching heat, the light cardigans that were sumptuous on the hanger but made you envision the flames of hell engulfing your body at the thought of throwing it atop your lightweight tee. These pieces never reflected the ease and airiness that summer wardrobes are supposed to evoke. Now a designer’s flub becomes your gain.Urban Outfitters has racks of jackets and dark colored tees that need to go, including a cropped trench ($39.99) marked down from nearly $100 that can cover you up on chilly September nights and be useful through at least November.
But also take advantage of the retailers prevailing need to give you what you want. J. Crew may have shifted over to the fall/winter collection very early this year, but there are plenty of pieces that can be had now and still are relevant once the snow’s hit the HCA trail. A freshmen impressed me with an ochre-hued corduroy miniskirt from J. Crew that looked great this weekend with a simple v-neck tee and metallic sandals and will still be functional in December matched with grey tights, riding boots, a blue oxford, and a brown wool scarf.
That skirt seems to embody the idea of dressing across seasons. The miniskirt itself is a great item for women that can work almost all year (only for the brave during the icy January nights) just like any pant. A cropped jean, especially black ones, work the same way. Pair it with an off-the-shoulder top now and a light peacoat in November and either way you make Audrey Hepburn proud. Get these items in dark denim, thicker chinos, and lightweight corduroy to make the most of them. And seasonal scarves in wool for November or silk for October can make keep you from looking like you just flew in from southern hemisphere and your luggage was lost along the way.
So the next time you go shopping and you pick up a great deal on a nice cashmere cardigan that you eyed all summer long and will look good with your fall blazer, look your cashier in the eye and say “Haha! I BEAT YOU!” Everyone will look at you like you spent a little too much time in the summer heat and you may get arrested. But at least you’ll know you beat the retailer at his own game, sort of. Once you get out of the cuffs you can claim a full victory.