I love a lot of things about fall. Despite mourning the loss of the warm summer weather and my tan complexion, fall is such an exciting time for me. Back to school, sweater weather, pumpkin-flavoured things, Halloween and so much more. While I love a lot of things about fall, there are certain aspects of culture in the fall that bother me and always creep back into my life in September. So, let’s talk about it: the best and the worst parts of fall. Here is my roundup of the ins and outs of fall 2022.
In: Knit Sweaters
Oh, how I love knit sweaters. I could write an ode to the knit sweater, and quite honestly, I’m thinking about doing so (catch my next piece being an ode to knit sweaters…). But seriously, the knit sweater is a timeless fall staple. They are comfortable, classy and can be dressed up or dressed down. Wear them with joggers at home, or with jeans to class, or pair them with a skirt and tights for dinner.
A knit sweater is the perfect warm layer to add to your fall look. It’s definitely worth your money to invest in a few good quality knit sweaters. I’m not saying you should spend hundreds of dollars, but you can find pretty good quality sweaters in the fifty/sixty-dollar range. So, buy some knit sweaters! Because if it has anything to do with me, they will never go out of style.
Out: The Re-Emergence of Hustle Culture during Back to School season
Given that fall is back-to-school season, I find it to be a time when hustle culture is pushed the most. While it’s not entirely bad to motivate yourself and push to be the best version of yourself, hustle culture can get very toxic very fast. With expressions like “no sleep until you’re dead” or the classic university tagline of “work hard play hard”, it can be hard to remember to take time to take care of yourself. The truth is, you will never be the best version of yourself if you are not taking time for yourself, because a happy version of you is the best version of you. Don’t let the hustle mentality that is ever-present in university get the best of you. Yes, you should study, but also enjoy the fall! Go on a walk with a latte or curl up on the couch with a book or a movie. Not every second spent needs to be entirely “productive” for it to be worthwhile.
In: PUMPKINS
Some might say diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but that’s absolutely not true, especially in the fall. Come Autumn, pumpkins are a girl’s best friend. I mean come on, they are so versatile! Adorable decor, delicious in baked goodies, and an incredible flavour in your coffee. Pumpkins are in this year, next year and every year.
Out: Overpriced coffee
Speaking of coffee… this one is a personal decision. Overpriced coffee is OUT this fall. I’m talking about this in reference to the fall because fall-flavoured drinks are my favourites. Despite my love for a good pumpkin spiced latte, or an iced coffee with a pump of apple crisp flavour, I’m done spending $7 on coffee multiple times a week! Hear me out, there are so many different creamers you can buy to make DELICIOUS flavoured coffee at home for a fraction of the price.
Personally, my favourite is the Silk almond-based pumpkin spice creamer. It’s $3.99 and just a splash of it takes your homemade coffee to the next level—and can save you upwards of $25 throughout the week! I’m definitely not bashing treating yourself to a Starbucks coffee every now and then, but this fall, I’m turning making my own coffee into the norm.
All of this to say, fall is an exciting time and you can catch me wearing knit sweaters, taking care of myself, baking pumpkin-flavoured treats, and making coffee at home. I hope you give some of these a try!