I'll be the first to say it: getting dressed in March in the city sucks.
The day starts in the low 40s, so you throw on a sweater and a scarf, maybe a puffer jacket. There's a slight wind chill, but you walk to your morning class unbothered. If the afternoon stays like this, you'll be fine.
But, alas, it never does. By noon, it's in the mid-50s, the sun is beating down, and you're sweating harder than Adrien Brody's wife trying to catch his gum at the Oscars (1). You shed all your layers, shove them into your bag, and schlep them around for the rest of the day. Around 7 PM, the sun sets, and you don the heavy layers again.
In this weather, putting together an outfit that isn't jeans and a t-shirt is impossible. Well, fear no more!
This week, I'm attempting to dress for New York's transitional weather. I, too, struggle with finding the right balance of warm yet lightweight clothing, so this is just as much an experiment for me as it is for you. Come along with me on four days of classes, meetings, dinners, store visits, and more!
MONDAY
Starting off strong, Monday hit a high of 61 and a low of 46. It was incredibly sunny, so I threw on a few light layers.
First, a navy cashmere zip-up. Stolen from my mother's closet, I now wear the zip-up weekly. I don't recommend doing this, but I can quickly ball it up and store it in a bag if it gets too hot. It's tres chic and tres light, perfect for the lusty month of March.
Next, a bomber jacket. I thrifted this one at a Buffalo Exchange in New Orleans a few months ago. It's incredibly versatile and fits me perfectly.
While you may recognize my Levi's from last week's blog post, what truly elevates this outfit are the black Kenneth Cole boots. After breaking the shoes in during a night out in Bushwick, I can do eight hours in these beauties, no sweat. I always feel awkward when I show up to my business classes in a full sweatsuit, so this is a great alternative. The whole outfit is incredibly comfortable, but the boots elevate it to the level of professionalism acceptable for my professors.
I ended up dropping the bomber jacket off in my dorm after lunch, then throwing it back on for dinner with friends. Wring (winter-spring) has nothing on me!
TUESDAY
Tuesdays are by far my busiest days out of the week. I have three classes, a club meeting, and a shift in the Style Shop (the student-run campus store). I'm running from 9 AM to 9 PM, no breaks. Worst of all, Tuesday was GORGEOUS outside, meaning I had no time to enjoy the weather. What's a girl to do?
To answer my question, wear all black. Rebel against this lovely weather. Sink into a deep depression where I watch all of my classmates eat lunch outside while I write 750 words for my journalism class.
I'm joking; the monochrome wasn't intentional. But my track pants were!
I knew Tuesday would be the warmest day of 2025 so far, so I opted for a breezy pair of track pants and Celine ballet flats. For whatever reason, my Tuesday classes are held in the most air-conditioned, freezing rooms in B Building, so it was my Dolce & Gabbana sweater or bust.
You may be thinking to yourself, Dolce & Gabbana? Celine? How does this broke college student working retail part-time afford these designer items? That's the beauty of a hand-me-down. I get the high-quality lewk without the high price tag.
My afternoon class was let out an hour early, so I switched into a baby tee and walked around Midtown for an hour. I also filmed this TikTok. #redbullpleasesponsorme
WEDNESDAY
Honestly, I didn't plan Wednesday's outfit in advance. On top of that, the weather decided to be a pick-me girl and sink into the high 30s. When life gives you lemons, you stick to the basics!
I threw on my Levi's Low Loose jeans, a cable knit sweater from East Village Thrift, a J. Crew puffer vest, and my cowboy boots. An honorable mention goes to my new belt from the same thrift store and my earmuffs, which I later put away because (shocker!) it hit the low 50s by the afternoon.
When I threw the cable-knit sweater in the dryer two days ago, I wasn't thinking. It was midnight, and I needed to get my laundry done, so I quickly shoved everything into the communal dryer. It ended up being a happy accident, as it shrunk to hit me right at the waist. I'm not saying to throw your oversized sweaters in the dryer, but... (2)
After coffee with a long-time friend in Soho, I went back to my dorm, ditched the vest, and walked over to the Herald Square H&M. I was there for two hours to take photos for my product development class, but by the time I got out, I wished I had kept the vest on. Although it stayed the same temperature, it got significantly windier, and my walk back was entirely in the shade. Oh well!
For my evening plans, I changed into a black mini-skort and an oversized denim jacket. Now that it's skirt weather, I try to wear the style as often as possible. I think, what would Winter Emilia wish she were wearing right now? then style myself accordingly.
This skort from Urban Outfitters is the softest thing I've ever put on my body. The garment isn't one of those skorts that masquerade as being secure but then totes the smallest piece of fabric known to man between the legs. This skort should be used as a photo example in Webster's Dictionary. It's that good.
The only downfall of a skort is that it doesn't have pockets. For this reason, I went for a little black shoulder bag I found at a vintage market in Portland. It holds my wallet, hand sanitizer, pepper spray (you didn't read that), and lip products.
I've always been against the "beauty is pain" mindset, but I may have bought into it a little. Walking through Central Park, it hit the high 30s. I felt like my toes were about to freeze off, but I sure looked cute!
THURSDAY
Last but probably least, Thursday's outfit. I'm wearing this combo at the time of writing. It does what it needs to do, in the sense that I have spent the last four hours running errands and blogging to my heart's content.
I'm not a hat girl, but something about this cap converted me. I found this navy beauty in a vintage store in Bologna last summer. She and I locked eyes from across the room. I ran into her broad brim. It was love at first wear.
In all seriousness, I tend to dislike baseball caps because of the logo on the front. (3) As much of a Yankees fan I am, no one can tell the difference between me and Sally Mae, who saw the iconic cap on Pinterest and bought one to *spice* up her outfit. That, ladies and gentlemen, is why we swing in the opposite direction and go plain.
Paired with my Dickies work pants, Aritzia hoodie, and Reeboks, the cap works.
I think.
We'll see.
I need to wear it with more outfits to figure out how to style it. It's 50 degrees today, but the sun streaming directly onto my computer raises it by five degrees. I have a sneaking suspicion that I'll be switching into something much lighter. Then again, that's the main issue with dressing in March. You're bound to change outfits at some point!
Until next week, 404 Error!
Footnotes:
I'm aware that this is the second time I'm making an Adrien Brody reference. This is an A.B. hate page, and I will die on that hill.
Don't. I was incredibly lucky that it didn't contract the size of a child. You've been warned.
I understand the origins of the baseball cap, sure. It's in the name. But why take the time to embroider insignia on the front if the person purchasing it doesn't even root for the team? I am pro-blank-baseball-caps (another hill I'll die on).
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