GRAPHIC DESIGN Shirly To
Over the years, I’ve lived through many seasons changing, and with new seasons, come new outfits. Something that I’ve come to anticipate with excitement towards the end of the summer months is the opportunity to change my style; I love the summer, but I always find that by the end of August, my outfits start to feel worn out, and I miss my pants and my blazers (I especially miss my blazers).
The fall is the best season for getting dressed. There are so many opportunities, and so much variety in fall dressing, and the number one reason for this is layering.
I’ve had a love-hate relationship with layering through my life.
I’ve had a love-hate relationship with layering through my life, which is to say that as a teenager, I did not like to dress for the weather, at all.
There was one year in high school when I refused to wear anything but dresses and skirts all winter long.
In Ottawa.
Nothing but dresses and skirts in winter-season Ottawa.
I’ve come a long way since then, and as I’ve grown, my relationship with layering has completely evolved. I’m a fan of layering for a number of reasons, like the simple fact that it helps to keep me warm during freezing Canadian winters, which I’ve realized really improves my feelings toward the cold (shocking!)
Layering is also ridiculously fun, it opens up tons of new possibilities for putting together outfits and it lets me continue to wear my summer clothes year-round, so I’m able to get more use out of them! Every year it seems as though the colder weather starts to creep in at just the right time, when I’m feeling a bit stuck in a rut when it comes to my outfits. I become repetitive, and getting dressed feels far less exciting to me once I’ve repeated the same handful of outfits for weeks in a row.
With fall’s arrival, endless outfit opportunities open up. That slip dress I wore all summer is new once again thanks to the addition of a turtleneck underneath.
With fall’s arrival, endless outfit opportunities open up. That slip dress I wore all summer is new once again thanks to the addition of a turtleneck underneath, or a jumper over top; shorts can be repurposed with a sweater and tall boots, and I finally(!) get to make use of my large jacket collection!
Layering has the effect of breathing new life into my outfits, and for that, I really do love it.
This is an especially strange transition period, given that most of my outfits will only be seen by my roommates, or the employees at my local coffee shop and grocery store. But alas, getting dressed is something that I look forward to every day, so you better believe that I will be serving layered looks this fall, even if I’m only getting dressed to have my camera off during Zoom lectures!
