Fall Trend Watch: (Pumpkin) Spice Up Your Prelim Season Wardrobe

This year, late August dressed itself in blurry glimpses of events: the end of an incredible internship experience, 90-degree weather without A/C, a six-hour drive in a too-full car, a return to familiar buildings, brave steps into new classrooms, and sweaty ponytails that fastened themselves as the must-have accessory of the end of the summer.

It was around this time of too-sweaty, t-shirt defined outfits that I’d made a promise to myself. “I will not wear leggings or sweatshirts to class this year,” I’d resolved, for the fourth and final school year. Clearly, I’d made a critical mistake in forgetting the exhaustion of Red Bull-sponsored all-nighters and subsequent jittery morning exams. And so, yesterday, I broke that new-school-year resolution. Even worse, I wore that same outfit two days in a row.

Now having completed my most challenging exam of the week, however, I’ve had a moment to reflect on this decision. As such, I found myself taking in a breath of fresh air amid a humid, static September day: fall fashion is around the corner.

If my tone isn’t clear, here, I know a sweatshirt and leggings aren’t the death of my fashion sense or stylistic reputation. Call me comfy chic – I’m a college student. Dramatic intro aside, I’ve decided to finally take a look at what I can do to accent my fall wardrobe while still feeling cozy as I suffer through textbook readings and Quizlet cards before my prelims.

According to Harper’s Bazaar, a major trend this season is animal print. Animal print? Instinctively, Snooki and Betsey Johnson came to mind. However, it looks like high fashion is bringing some new life to the wild, adding cutting-edge colorways to minimalistic prints and creating some fierce statement outfits. To that end, Elle claims the re-emergence of this trend is part of a broader scheme to revive ‘80s fashion in the upcoming seasons.

On a different note, we’re continuing our menswear-inspired obsession from fall 2017. From business savvy pencil skirts to handsomely oversized overcoats, tweed is keeping us warm and “heritage chic” this fall, says Harper’s Bazaar. Herringbone, houndstooth, and plaid prints still reign supreme, with tailored cuts and workplace casual ensembles this season.

Our maintenance of last year’s tweed and plaid, however, brings in a trend that’s just slightly misaligned. Deconstructed suiting is livening up this season with looks that are almost NSFW. While last fall saw women aligned with traditional notions of professionalism, including menswear-inspired tweed coats, herringbone pencil skirts, and yellow plaid abound, this season is deconstructing the previous standard. Now more than last year, we’re offering more power to the wearer. Short hemlines, asymmetrical necklines, tight fits, and cutouts are transforming your business professional overcoat so you can stay true to yourself, too.

At the same time, our inner, basic fashionista can’t be constrained, and she’s calling out to us for sweater weather, flannels and blanket scarves. So, we’re giving in, and we’re demonstrating the versatility of feminine fashion. We’re confident with short hemlines, but we’re also unafraid to wrap ourselves in some excess fabric, if we so choose. From the blanket scarf comes the blanket coat, an impractical yet perfectly cozy fall cover-up.

While I’m unsure if this is more suited for daring fashion statements or reminiscing about my awkward early high school fashion statements, Pop Sugar has decided the runway is resurfacing the colored tights movement. Against my better judgment, I may dig them up for the sake of having fun with this new trend. Bring on the fall colors, and tie them together with some subtly tasteful tights.

Resting assured that last autumn’s styles haven’t just yet been phased out, it looks like we’ll be able to remain fashionable yet comfortable as we return to our favorite seats in the library this season. Whether the term “season” conjures thoughts of fall, fashion, or your upcoming prelim, at least know you’ve been preemptively saved from breaking a critical new-school-year resolution. Leggings and sweatshirts, we’ll see you at finals week.