Style: layering is key
South Carolina’s weather patterns are, if not schizophrenic, indecisive to say the least. Mother Nature loves to tease us with little hints of the season to come without actually delivering on the promise. In fact, one day last autumn, students all over campus were enjoying a brisk fall day when the skies opened up and began pelting everyone with hail. So, when the mercury starts to drop, and then rise, and then drop and rise again, it’s helpful to know a few tricks to get you through the day without freezing, sweating or losing your style.
It might seem obvious, but layering is the answer to surviving our ever-changing climate in the winter. Having on several different layers of protection against the cold is the perfect way to keep warm, and should the temperature ever get too warm, adapting is as easy as peeling off a garment or two. With form and function in mind, menswear designers were cozying up to layering during Fall Fashion Week this past February, when everyone from Sir Paul Smith to John Galliano showed everything from the oversized and unconventional to the tailored and traditional.
Still, no matter what you choose to put on in the winter, the same rules apply -- build from the inside out, choosing thicker materials the farther the layers get away from the body. And now that the opportunity has arisen to wear more than one top, don’t be afraid to wear more than one color. Staying within the same color family is a good way to keep your look classic and simple, but combining complementary colors is an even better way to define each piece so that it doesn’t disappear, bringing the entire look to a more interesting level.
