Athysivam poses in D.C. 

COURTESY | Hershey Athysivam 

 

Although students battle negative temperatures, snowstorms, and ice storms over the winter, their efforts to maintain the Hillsdale coined “Monday culture” of business casual attire are unchanged by the frigid weather. 

“There is a culture of Monday on this campus, but it’s something that we should be really proud of — we don’t just wear sweats everyday, and that there is an expectation of dignified self presentation,” senior Lucy Griffin said. 

Junior Esdras Blackwell said campus cultural attire is distinct and features a wide variety of styles.

“In my experience here, people are very true to where they’ve been raised. You can kind of tell them apart based on their style,” Blackwell said. “It’s like a game, I meet people first and then I kind of sense their style. And I will be like, ‘Oh, is this a West Coast person, or this is a northeast person. It is all because you have this little geographic melting pot here.” 

Sophomore Hershey Athysivam said she is intentional about her outfits throughout the week, especially on Monday. 

“I think that the majority of the campus understands that we are Hillsdale College students, and that comes with a certain attitude and professionalism,” Athysivam said. “If there’s any day of the week that you put effort into you should do Monday, because that’s setting your week off straight and right. It’s almost like making your bed in the morning.” 

While dressing well throughout the week cultivates a professional mindset, it is also a way to show respect to your professors and can be rather simple, Athysivam said.

“I think it’s a matter of respect to the professors. and I’ve just noticed that my notes look so much better when I look better,” Athysivam said. “Dressing well is really not hard. It is just a matter of time and care. I think beauty is a choice and so is being presentable.” 

Although some are accustomed to the colder temperatures it provides an opportunity to elevate one’s winter style and in a simple way, according to Griffin. 

“Winter is an opportunity to add to your outfit. You have the opportunity to layer clothes and use multiple different kinds of colors and textures in the same outfit,” Griffin said. “I think you just have a fun, unique opportunity that you don’t have in the summer because it is frigid outside.” 

Griffin said the most necessary staple is a distinct blanket scarf.

“First of all, I liked scarves before scarves were cool, but scarves are big right now, so invest in a nice, warm, big blanket scarf, and it becomes kind of your staple,” Griffin said. “I might see somebody’s scarf in the library, and I know who it is. That becomes your winter personality.” 

Senior Jason Lu similarly said the scarf is one of two staples someone needs during the winter time. 

“Over winter break, I started wearing a scarf that my girlfriend got me. It is awesome and like a blanket,” Lu said. “Also over-the-ear headphones, this a huge one, I wear them all the time, and I feel like people think I’m being antisocial, but generally I just want to keep my ears warm.”

Lu said the weather can help make dressing up easier. 

“Especially for men, it’s all about layering sweaters,” Lu said. “People can wear collars, sweaters, and a winter jacket.” 

For Blackwell, winter staples include a scarf and gloves, which he adopted into his style his sophomore year and could not live without. 

“Chunky scarves are awesome because the thing is, you can wear as big of a jacket as you want and if there’s air getting in through your jacket then your wrists, your neck will still be cold,” Blackwell said. “I do love colorful gloves, but I also really love gray and brown ones. I always notice when people don’t have gloves now that I have gloves.” 

According to Athysivam, her staples include a trenchcoat and turtlenecks to help her to stay warm and look professional when going to class. 

“I have three trench coats, and they’re brown, gray and black, and I love using them with different scarves, blazers,” Athysivam said. “I think that professional wear is that you can almost lean into the negative atmosphere, you can style it by putting on a turtleneck and a blazer with  a scarf and then a trench coat and you’re warm, this is a staple recipe for looking good.” 

According to Lu, with pants, boots, jackets, layers, and scarves, dressing for the winter does not change much about one’s personal style.

“What people wear — whether they know it or not — they’re saying something about themselves,” he said. “People don’t really like to change that regardless of the weather, especially since a lot of people are accustomed to it.”

In general, the freezing temperatures are a way for students to learn how to navigate the challenges of weather while maintaining serious and professional attire, according to Griffin. 

“Don’t ever feel self conscious about dressing up,” she said. “Yes, you might attract a little bit more attention when you dress nicely, but it will become your normal. I would say that what we have on this campus, and the culture that we have in expressing our character through how we dress and understand ourselves is something to be proud of as a campus.”