Downward angle icon An icon in the shape of a downward angle. The author found her style at Yale. Courtesy of Miles Kirkpatrick Growing up in the South, I never had a winter wardrobe or developed a style. As a freshman at Yale, I had to find my winter style on campus. I decided to build a wardrobe inspired by the academic aesthetic.
Though I had heard stories and watched the weather forecasts, nothing had prepared me for my first winter at Yale. Being from North Carolina, I had seen snow fall from time to time. I knew the wind would bring a chill, but in my naivety, I assumed I would get by for the start of my first fall semester in New Haven in just a t-shirt, sweater, little scarf, and brown overcoat.
I was hilariously wrong. After a month or so, I had to beg my parents to send me layers and coats that I’d insisted I wouldn’t need until December. After the heatwaves of the first few weeks subsided, I had to face up to my natural inability to dress well.
In college, it was finally time to find my own style.
I’ve always been interested in fashion
Finding clothes that fit me has always been a struggle. I’ve had a small torso and skinny arms and legs since I was a child, so shopping felt like searching for unusual clothes that didn’t expose my arms and hang down like curtains.
I also never developed a sense of fashion. Despite my mom and sister’s pleas, I was never keen on finding cool or presentable clothes and just wore whatever came my way. By the time I moved into the dorms, I had no sense of aesthetics and only wore neutral-toned crewnecks and pants.
The author was in Yale attire. Courtesy of Myles Kirkpatrick
Due to the weather and the fact that I was finally on the brink of adulthood, I decided I had to get clear on what kind of clothes I wanted to wear.
My Yale classmate was my inspiration
When we think of Yale and fashion, prep and Ivy League style come to mind: casual button-downs, cable-knit sweaters, and heavy fabrics, all tied together with an air of sophistication, or superiority, depending on your perspective, that some might call an academic aesthetic.
Historically, this style may have dominated the streets of New Haven, but in recent times, we’ve noticed a growing diversity. There’s no such thing as a “Yale” look anymore. Collegiate uniforms are still common, but puffer jackets and Patagonia are the go-to for winter.
In fact, some of the most fashionable people on campus aren’t dressing like professors from the ’80s, but rather modern, striking outfits with the occasional Yale Bulldog Blue accent. I’ve seen people affiliated with FLY (Fashion Lifestyle at Yale), a new student-led fashion collective, produce runway-worthy looks every day. The Instagram account “nicelydressedatyaleuniversity” shows off a ton of the amazing outfits people have put together on campus.
Still, there remains a more traditional academic aesthetic on campus. For some, especially traditional students, this may be a style they’re more familiar with. For others, it’s a style they associate with college, or simply find fashionable. Yale has its fair share of fashion outcasts, but the Ivy League style is still around.
I started to change my wardrobe.
So when I arrived in New Haven and had to figure out how to dress for winter, I had options. I didn’t have a ton of tweed sport coats, but I realized I still wouldn’t feel out of place if I leaned toward that style. Before Yale, I couldn’t justify having an abundance of cable-knit sweaters and covered coats in the mild Southern winters. Now I had an excuse.
The author in the Yale University library. Courtesy of Myles Kirkpatrick
During my first few months in New Haven, I slowly began adding to my wardrobe with clothes that fit the vibe of what I already had, the general “academic” aesthetic I was going for, and what I was happy to wear. At first it was lots of thick crewnecks, but then I started rotating more overcoats, hats, and sturdy scarves.
Right now, I’m happy with the clothes in my closet, but I’d still like to add a few more things, like better pants.
I’ve settled on my favorite style: On the rare day when all my favorite clothes are clean, I’ll throw on a cream Yale “Y” sweater, a white collared shirt, a tie, some basic brown pants, and a matching overcoat and walk out of Vanderbilt Hall, ready to take on the day.
