By Darren White
On my way to a doctor’s appointment today, I stepped outside to encounter some typical, brisk March weather. The sun was out after two days of rain, and I only needed a sweater and maybe a light jacket—the weather was on my side for once this week.
But as I continued to make my way down the Barclay fire escape to meet my mom in her car, something was not quite right with the world; I could sense it in my bones. When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I spotted what had caused my blood to boil before I even knew what had caused it (and from the look on my mother’s face through the windshield, she saw it too) —someone felt it appropriate to wear only a short-sleeve tee and a pair of shorts to class in 50 degree weather.
Do numbers 50 or higher in the weather report somehow signal that it’s time for us to remove our clothes? When the calendar reads “the first day of spring,” are we to abandon all of the fuzzy sweaters, and long pants that kept us warm for the winter months?
When a ray of sunshine passes through the clouds, it is not permissible to immediately reach for the doors of our armoires and pull out the tie-dye and the denim cut-offs (and if you have either of those aforementioned items, you have much larger problems to address first). Designers put jackets, sweaters, and long sleeves on runways for a reason—spring is not a synonym for summer. Spring weather, especially in the unpredictable months of March and April, is perfect for breaking out that sleek trench that was too light to wear in the winter. Trenches are the perfect spring outerwear piece because they go with nearly everything, and they have the versatility of a blazer and a raincoat.
Spring is also the perfect time to show off you prowess for lightweight layering. Ladies—a great way to take on the ever-changing spring weather is to put a great lace tank under a bright cardigan, with a blazer to take you from building to building if it gets chilly outside. Stores like J. Crew, Free People, and the Gap are making tons of lightweight (almost tissue-weight) tees this season in enough colors to fashion a rainbow. If you buy a bunch, you can mix and match with every outfit, and the removal of one tee means the presentation of a new look.
Guys—these same tees (albeit in different colors) are being sold for men in possibly every store that sells casual wear. Throw one on under an oxford, then top it with a v-neck cashmere sweater or a blazer (if you’re feeling particularly stylish, both) and you have a smart look that can take you from day to night and brisk to warm.
Let’s start keeping our clothes on—it’s never okay to start wearing the sundresses outside when it’s clear that it’s about to rain. And in March, that rain could turn into snow. I’m tired of hearing my friends from Southern California and other warm places tell me that they don’t know how to dress for this weather. Guess what? Learn. You don’t need to wear shorts in February to let us know that you’re from SoCal. I can use the online directory instead of listening to who has the loudest cough from pneumonia.
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Editor's note: Articles that appear in the Last Word section are works of satire.
