Dear Erin,
I'm, like, really freaking out about my first Spring term here at Dartmouth. Like, don't get me wrong, I'm super-pumped for fro-yo and Keystone again, but I'm feeling lost without my earflap hat and furry parka! I've tried to cling to my snuggly winter essentials, but now my peers think I have an endocrine disorder from my gross, profuse sweating. An '11 in my Psych class even shared with me her own poignant struggle with underarm B.O.!
My desperate fashion nostalgia is about as effective as my cowboy boots are at keeping me upright on the icy path to TDX. But now what? The path is thawed, but my fashion sense is anything but hot! Like, I need to look cute and cuddly ... in a non-medical-oddity sense!
Help!
Damp and Desperate
Dearest Damp and Desperate,
Spring in Hanover is a glorious transition from Winter term (oh, the horror!) to the splendor of summer, so why not rock a great -- correction, the greatest -- transitional outfit by combining the best pieces of both seasons? The outfit: the fabled Uggs with denim and/or pleated mini-skirt. Unfortunately, I can't take all the credit for this one. I sought out my fashion guru, i.e. an 11-year-old, clad in said Hollister essential with "boots wit da fur." She gave the look two thumbs up, and judging from the smattering of Jonas Brothers buttons accenting her oh-so-Avril tie, I could tell the advice was legit.
During Winter term, sporting the bare-legged look would have earned you the label of underdressed Eski-ho, but during the spring, you'll be as fly as Asher Roth circa now. What's more, your weathered Uggs probably have a hole or two just in time for spring, so don't wear socks -- give your big toes some fresh air and your peers a new olfactory surprise! Really, it's (almost) above freezing, so toss out all your winter clothes and go crazy!
What? You didn't sport pastel shorts last week?! It's 33 degrees and overcast, so break out that Corona bikini -- I know what you REALLY had in mind when you bought it in Alabama as "flair" -- and get your tan on! So what if it starts raining? You'll look stunning for passersby, as your skin glistens from the rain, instead of from the profuse perspiration that the stress of such prime facetime -- and wearing your parka indoors -- induces.
After your tanning session, whip out your favorite Juicy romper and hit the town! Trust me, lemon-yellow terrycloth is the perfect fabric for weathering the Hanover mud season. Accent the look with matching rubber flip-flops, and the exotic, warm-weather sounds that those slugs make as you splash towards Late Night Collis and you are sure to turn heads. And you assumed that Spring term facetime stopped at sundown.
There you have it. This spring, go big, or go back to your ever-moist, Michelin-man North Face. Good luck.
Always fashion-forward,
Erin
