With recent weather events leaving Chicago in a Winter Wonder-hell, better known as Chilaska, Chiberia, or Polar Vortex, has the New Trier population been swept off their feet and into a 2nd semester style slump? Or could it be the harsh weather circumstances that make getting out of bed rough and getting dressed even tougher?

Girls are pushing through the front doors of New Trier looking more casual than usual, sporting infinity scarves and Uggs galore.

Waking up in a freezer is anything but ideal (tell my mom to turn the heat on) and when the mission at hand is to get ready for school, one may start to rethink where their priorities lie. Senior Monique Maman pointed to her fuzzy angora sweater: “I’ve worn this 3 out of 5 days this week!” she said.

Junior Kate Wall said of the weather, “I really hate cold, this is throwing off my mojo.” These are the summer kids and you must be very careful of them, for they will attack you with complaining at the mere sight of snow. They go to extreme lengths to stay warm, or as Robert Kennedy, Junior, explained, “The frigid air has altered my apparel choices to maintain proper body temperature.” Some of these clothing choices may include a vest, a nice pair of socks, or as Dayna Nothenagle told me, “I wear multiple pairs of socks.” She also explained that she spent 50 dollars on ear muffs to keep warm in these cruel conditions. “I have to wear leggings under my jeans, and sweatpants over my jeans to walk to school.” Amara Anwar, Junior, spoke of her struggles with wanting to wear a cute outfit, but simultaneously staying warm.

Some students, however, are protesting the cold with resilience and pride; these students are ignoring the frigid temperatures. “I just suck it up because once you get to school it is very warm,” Mia Campolo, junior, explained. “I don’t even check the weather anymore. I just accept it. Hot or cold, I feel like it’s always important to look and dress well. How you dress makes a statement regarding how you would like to be treated by [others],” Junior Justin Zaslavsky said.

Jen Linblad, a junior, when asked about the ruthless process of dressing for school, said, “It hasn’t affected what I wear, just put a coat over it with gloves!” Freddy Kennet, a sophomore, agrees. He said, “It hasn’t really changed what I wear very much. I wear basically the same thing as I would on a normal winter day. I just wear my big coat while I’m outside because I know school will be warm enough.”

Practicalities become an upsetting addition to getting ready for school. “Before I leave home I tie my gym shoes to my backpack.  I wear my Timberlands to school to get through the snow, and upon arriving at school I go to my gym locker to change into my gym shoes; I then change back into my Timberlands to walk home,” said junior  Zack Vlhandreas, of his binding routine to make sure he is comfortable during the school day. “Every morning everyone’s coming in so there’s a puddle of salt, I have to brush my shoes off,” Brooke Carlson, sophomore, said of her morning ritual. 

We have all seen students walking in to school red faced, and eyes teary from walking from their car to the front doors without wearing a coat. “I have been using my locker more because I don’t want to wear my winter jacket all day,” said Will Dellva, a junior. “The locker was meant and invented for use as a storage space for your things while you are at school, so wear your coat into the building!”

“I have to wear a hat sometimes and when my hair is in a bun it’s really a struggle,” Diana Trabaris, a junior, said of her experience with outerwear. This brings up the point that many students find it difficult to dress cute and stay warm. The question remains, how should we dress in negative degree weather?

“Fashion during the colder months becomes more of a sense of comfort over style. The girls and boys who choose to dress more stylishly end up being more cold throughout their school day,” Rachel Goldstein, a senior, said of winter fashion, and especially during this particularly mean winter. “I personally think it’s cute and comfortable to dress in oversized sweaters, jeans, and boots with different accessories,” Rachel advised on how to dress nice without being impractical.

I suggest a beanie, because honestly, what is more cute than looking the same as everyone else? Whatever you do, stay true to you. If your style was insignificant before the snowstorm, my only advice is not to step it up now. Fashion and merchandising teacher Melissa Duffy said of winter fashion, “It’s all about function and fashion, I love to accessorize and winter makes use of cute scarfs, hats, and boots.” And it is possible to continue dressing cute, even with degrees in the negative numbers, through the accommodations of a regular winter only with more layers!

“You can still look cute, but you just have to layer more pieces,” says junior, Ayesha Abassi, “like a flowy blouse under a cropped sweater, I’ve seen lots of vests.”