‘Tis that time of year again, fellow Quakers: Gilmore Girls reruns, Stommons pumpkin spice lattes, and leaves turning that perfect shade of orange. As an international student who’s never seen a “real” fall, I thought I was ready. I came to Penn with boots, scarves, and sweaters lined up like I was Rory Gilmore herself, ready for crisp mornings and cozy autumn strolls.
Then came the mid-October heat wave, and my dreamy autumn fantasy melted faster than you could say “pumpkin spice.”
So here I am, sitting by the ARCH, sweating through an outfit that felt perfect an hour ago, and deciding it’s time to settle the ultimate question once and for all: How on earth do we dress for this meteorological mess?
The first piece of advice I got was from my Philadelphia-born roommate: “Just dress in layers!” That sounded simple enough. So yesterday, I gave it a shot: two shirts, a scarf, and my heaviest coat, like I was preparing for the Arctic. It worked perfectly for the morning chill on Locust Walk — until I stepped into my NRSC 1110 lecture and hit a wall of heat so intense, I thought I’d wandered into a sauna.
No one warns you about the dark side of layering: By noon, you’re a mobile coat rack, lugging around half your wardrobe.
The second piece of advice? “Just look around and see what everyone else is wearing!” For reference, here’s what I saw this morning on Locust: one girl bundled in a full-length coat, scarf, and gloves, striding like she was bracing for a Nor’easter. Right behind her? Three shirtless guys in running shorts, gliding past like hypothermia is just a suggestion. So much for clarity.
At first, I thought it was just me who couldn’t crack the code of fall in Philadelphia. But it turns out, this wardrobe confusion isn’t a personal inconvenience: It’s part of a bigger, shifting reality. Climate change has blurred the lines between summer, fall, and winter. Instead of the crisp, predictable autumns I’d imagined, we get wild swings from brisk to balmy, sometimes within the same day. Traditional wardrobes weren’t built for days that swing from autumn chill to full-blown summer heat by noon. And it doesn’t help that Penn Residential Services has cranked the indoor heat so high I’d rather risk hypothermia outside than spend another minute in my stifling Quad room.
In a strange way, Philadelphia weather feels like the perfect metaphor for college life itself. You arrive armed with layers of advice from people who’ve “been there.” But soon enough, you’re hit by the heat wave of midterm season or the freezing gusts of homesickness, and those well meaning suggestions don’t always hold up. Just like the unpredictable weather, Penn forces you to adapt day by day, figuring out what “fits” as you go.
And after too many days of becoming a mobile coat rack, I think I’ve finally uncovered the secret to dressing for Philadelphia’s fall: It’s not about dressing right, it’s about dressing light. Forget the heavy layers. Invest in lightweight, removable pieces you can shove into your bag without a second thought. Find coats that keep you warm in the morning chill but won’t leave you drenched in sweat once you’re inside an overheated classroom.
Most importantly, I’ve learned to laugh at the absurdity of it all. Fall fashion may be a myth, but the shared solidarity of everyone sweating through sweaters in class is just one of those quirks of college life that makes it what it is.
So, to all the first years, internationals, and Philadelphia newbies like me: Stop searching for the perfect fall outfit. Embrace the layers, embrace the chaos, and know we’re all figuring it out as we go. And if you see me half suffocating in my scarf in lecture again, just know that I’m still learning too.
DIYA CHOKSEY is a College first year studying cognitive science from Mumbai, India. Her email is dchoksey@sas.upenn.edu.
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