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As Adam Schulman trudged across the Quad during the first snowfall of the winter, he realized his Air Force 1s weren’t going to make the cut. For Schulman, who is from California, moving to college meant a major wardrobe adjustment, as average winter temperatures dropped from the mid-40s in San Francisco to well below freezing in Syracuse.

“Now that I’m here, I don’t know if I prepared for it in the best way,” Schulman said.

The fast-approaching Syracuse winter poses the challenge of navigating clothing that is adaptable to cold temperatures and heavy snowfall while still taking personal style into consideration.

After realizing the impact of the weather, Schulman’s usual outfit choices changed. He experimented with a few different looks and finally settled on a minimalist style combination of khaki pants with a sweatshirt and down jacket. He plans to buy more winter gear soon. Carhartt, a brand known for durable workwear apparel, piqued his interest due to its good quality.

Among the items most frequently sported by students, parkas and winter shoes emerged as the basic staples. The first thing that freshman Daniella Polanco purchased in preparation for Syracuse winters was a pair of snow boots. She used her experience living in New York City to inform her choice of the L.L.Bean “Bean Boots.”

“In New York, I used to wear sneakers in the snow, and it was fine because we would take the train and we wouldn’t be outside that much anyways. But here I’m mostly walking to my classes, so I have to wear snow boots, and I’m really worried about slipping,” Polanco said.

Concerns over safety in the snow mean that durability is an important factor when choosing which shoes to purchase.

Timberland is another popular brand of durable winter boots, Schulman said, and as the season changes he is looking into purchasing a pair as his boot of choice. But freshman Stephanie Duan, another California native, doesn’t prefer the style.

“I think Timbs are kind of a New York thing. I’m not going back to California with Timbs,” Duan said.

Duan explained that in California, Timberlands are unnecessary in warmer temperatures. Students’ winter styles vary based on their hometowns, but being in Syracuse establishes a common ground and brings trends together.

Rosemary McNulty, a freshman from Chicago, noted the popularity of boot brands Uggs, Steve Madden, and Dr. Martens in Syracuse, although she didn’t see them as a trend in Chicago. She advises layered clothes are essential to staying warm.

“I like to try to keep things somewhat within a color palette and layer warmer weather clothes, like tank tops and dresses over long sleeves,” McNulty said.

Despite the popularity of certain trends, Polanco found that comfort takes priority over aesthetic endeavors in the cold weather. As a drama student who has classes with a lot of movement, she prioritizes wearing comfy clothes like sweats and leggings and layers them to stay warm.

Duan found that outfits with layers don’t always blend into personal style preferences.

“I had an aesthetic for winter clothes that I thought was going to work, but those kinds of outfits don’t work because it’s so cold that it’s hard to make cute outfits because the type of layers that look good aren’t enough,” Duan said.

The extreme winters in Syracuse are a big adjustment, especially for students like Schulman and Duan who are from areas with such different weather.

“I’d never lived anywhere where it was below 30 degrees on a normal basis, but I chose this school, and the weather came second,” Schulman said.

Published on November 30, 2021 at 11:15 pm

Contact Stephanie: spwright@syr.edu