How to Transform Your Summer Clothes into a Winter Wardrobe
Graphic by Angela Cheng
As you may have noticed, summer in Chicago is over. We kissed goodbye to the constant sun, humidity, and flourishing nature. We have reached the season of fall: the point of no return. The leaves on Sheridan Road are changing colors and creating beautiful scenery as you walk down campus. And along with this change in scenery comes a change in clothing. As the weather continuously drops throughout the week, our outfits have adapted.
One of my least favorite things about the seasons changing is that we have to say goodbye to summer clothes: no more crop tops, skirts, and dresses. Or so we thought. Since moving from Los Angeles to Evanston, I have learned to use every bit of clothing I own, in every season. Because the weather in California is warm eighty percent of the time, I was accustomed to wearing summer clothing all year around. My wardrobe consisted of warm weather pieces and I didn’t want to say goodbye to them.
My first two years at Northwestern taught me how to reuse my summer clothing and wear them during the winter. The major key? Layering.
I was a huge fan of wearing baggy graphic t-shirts as dresses this summer. In order to continue wearing my favorite t-shirts, I add a matching turtleneck under my t-shirts, tuck it all into a pair of jeans, and finish it off with a pair of boots or sneakers.
Image via Nia Harris
In California, I constantly wear crop tops. They are one of my favorite types of shirts. In order to wear them during the winter and fall, I layer my crop tops over turtlenecks and long-sleeve shirts. It’s always important to make sure your turtlenecks or long-sleeves are tight as baggy ones can make the outfit look uncoordinated or messy.
Image via Nia Harris
I always love a cute romper! Especially when it gives off the look that you’re wearing a dress, but with shorts - making the outfit ten times more comfortable. With the start of fall, I didn’t want to say goodbye to my rompers. So I layered (again). I threw a turtleneck under my romper and tucked it into a pair of mom jeans. Emphasis on mom jeans. This look will be hard to accomplish with a tighter pair of jeans because the romper won’t tuck into the jeans nicely. With this layering technique, my legs and arms will be covered from the cold, but I’ll still be in style.
Image via Nia Harris
Similar to rompers, I hesitate wearing dresses during the colder months because I hate when my legs and arms are cold. But when I have a cute dress to wear, I can’t resist wearing it. Therefore, I throw on a pair of tights and layer the dress over a sweater.
Image via Nia Harris
My last two transformation tips include layering with turtlenecks again. Like many people, I have a lot of spaghetti strap bodysuits in my wardrobe. They are a staple for my summer outfits, but can be hard to wear in the winter because they don’t offer much coverage. But when you put a turtleneck under the bodysuit and pair it with a pair of jeans, you go from a summer outfit to a winter one. Along with bodysuits, I have my fair share of tie-front crop tops. This top is almost impossible to wear during the winter because there is very little coverage. Yet, when you put a turtleneck under it, the winter possibilities are endless.
Image via Nia Harris
With these techniques, I have almost doubled my outfits with just a few add ons. I have quite a few turtlenecks now and they have really come in handy when I want to be warm and creative with my outfits. Hopefully one of these ideas helps you transform your wardrobe. Have fun, be expressive, and start layering!