Cardigans, Cable Knits, And Coziness: Fall Fashion in Film and TV

Autumn lovers, our time has come! The sun’s reign of terror is finally over, and we can rejoice in our turtlenecks and cardigans once again. Gone are the days of wanting to rip your skin off just to feel some relief from that flaming ball of space fire’s torturous rays, now we are free to wear as many layers of wool, corduroy, and cotton as we wish. Hell, we can even wear velvet cloaks if we are so inclined! The age of sunburns and mosquito bites is over. Yes, fellow haters of the heat, the fall season is upon us, also known as the best season for fashion.

It tends to prioritize comfort as well as style to suit the transitional weather. This is where we see a lot of people finding ways of incorporating layers into their outfits of the day. Because of this, there’s more versatility in fall clothes, with layering it means more pieces to use. Pairing denim skirts with cotton sweaters, tights, and leather belts makes for an outfit that is both breathable and will keep you warm if the weather starts to get colder. Additionally, fall fashion is about using what you already have in your closet. Since most of us probably keep our cool weather gear stored away, fall gives us a chance to dig through and find those hidden gems.

Of course, the back-to-school season has some influence over popular fall trends. Dark/Light Academia was practically made by fall people for fall people. The aesthetic leans heavily into autumn marking the beginning of a new school year. As we get older there is a sense of nostalgia for our old school days. If you’re looking to channel the academic vibes then look no further than the movie “Dead Poets Society”. Taking place in a boarding school in the 1950s we see the characters wearing argyle sweaters, button-up shirts, khaki pants, and corduroy. The boys wear loose-fitting sweaters and comfortable trousers that are perfect for both running around late at night or spending the evening in the study hall. The costumes in the movie also make good use of darker colors and earth tones. Much like the leaves that fall on the ground, the color scheme of the fall is typically, orange, black, brown, beige, and darker shades of blue and green. However, by strategically layering warmer and cooler colors underneath neutral shades, the clothes channel the academic style without looking boring.

While the colors of the fall may be warm, the temperature is severely cold. After fall comes winter, and Mother Nature is planning accordingly. But, just because we have to start piling on the layers, doesn’t mean we should resign ourselves to cosplaying as the Marshmallow Man every day. The short-lived, but well-loved TV show “I Am Not Okay With This'' showcases some understated yet memorable looks from Sophia Lillis’ character, Sydney Novak. Sydney’s androgynous style is often in solid colors with little to no patterns. We see layering being a major part of fashion because the movie takes place during the fall/winter semester which is a great source of inspiration for fall wardrobe choices. Outfits are made visually appealing through differences in texture rather than relying heavily on prints. Sydney’s gray, knitted sweater and brown corduroy jacket pair well because of how the textures complement one another. Details are very subtle, we don’t see too many accessories, so all the focus is on the actual clothes being worn. We also see Sydney re-wearing articles of clothing but paired with different items. Again, fall is a lot about working with what you have, so it is refreshing to see a TV character finding new ways of making outfit combinations.

We can’t forget about the classic fall rewatch “Gilmore Girls”. Taking place in an idyllic small town, the show is the TV equivalent of being wrapped in a warm blanket with a cup of coffee (preferably from Luke’s). If you don’t feel particularly inclined to dress up like a boarding school student in the 1950s or a Pennsylvania teenager with burgeoning superpowers, Gilmore Girls has some outfits that play into the aesthetic of the season without asking for too much. The clothes remain on the casual side and lean into Gen Z’s love of Y2K styles. While Rory Gilmore made some questionable life choices during the show’s run, her sense of style is something that most people can get on board with. Most of the time, Rory is simply in a shirt or sweater, jeans, sneakers, and depending on the weather a jacket or coat. We don’t see her deviate too much from this blueprint, but we do see her finding small ways of making each outfit different from the next. Rory’s oversized beige sweater sounds basic on paper but is arguably one of her best looks. The sweater’s chunky knit pattern is what stops it from looking too boring and its color gives the outfit a touch of elegance. Plus, there is no denying how cozy that sweater must feel. Then there is the ever-iconic Lorelai Gilmore whose leather blazer is practically a necessity for the fall season.

Lastly, I want to talk about a movie with outfits that deserve a little more appreciation; “Coraline”. This is a weird one, but hear me out– that star-studded turtleneck lives in my head rent-free. Coraline is all about individuality. From her dragonfly clip to her brightly patterned gloves and black flat-topped cap, her style takes pieces that are delightfully random and makes them go together. Coraline’s trademark yellow raincoat and matching boots are perfect for when it rains in the fall and her style has a childlike quirk. Part of what makes them go together is the confidence with which she wears them. I mentioned going back and finding hidden gems in an old pile of cold-weather clothes to bring back for the fall. Instead of sewing buttons onto your eyes, I suggest finding hand-me-downs that can be re-worn or random accessories that you loved wearing as a kid. Fall makes the passing of time more concrete, and as we get older it loses the charm it had on us as children. So, why not bring back something from the fall seasons of your youth?

Written by JD Valdepenas

Photography by Leonardo Amaral

Movement Directed by Claire Goldes

Styled by Ka'enaaloha Watson

Production Management by Mark Bluemle

Casting, Production Assitance by Jake Pranian

BTS Content Jazzi Almestica

Fall Thrifting in NYC

The perfect fall outfit is made to last. The perfect fall outfit is cozy, but not sweaty, faded, but naturally, and above all, comfortable, to the point where you don’t have to think twice about it. The only place where you can find garments that fit all of your fall needs? Thrift stores. Don’t worry, New York City has a lot of them.

One thing to remember as school comes back into session: dress codes are made up. To find the perfect rule-breaking Y2K fit to rock in the halls look no further than Funny Pretty Nice. Their two locations, University Palace and Greenwich Village, carry every piece your Instagram feed could dream of. Awoke Vintage in Williamsburg and Other People’s Clothes in Ridgewood and Bushwick can also help you get your Y2K fix.

People who like a more muted fall closet can turn to Monk Vintage Thrift in Brooklyn. If you’re looking to lean into your Gilmore Girls persona with perfectly worn-in-college sweatshirts and cable knit sweaters, your local Goodwill or Salvation Army are great places to look. Yes, you can get many pieces that would fit right into Rory Gilmore’s closet from Brandy Melville, but second-hand pieces are unique, more comfortable, and are half, if not less, than the price of fast fashion items.

If there’s a trend that you have your eye on, but wouldn’t be caught dead wearing fast fashion L Train Vintage and Tired Thrift are where to look. In the age of microtrends, a lot can change in a week. Find that lacey slip, pattern jacket, or statement top at one of L Train’s five locations across the city, or Tired Thrift’s flagpoint in Greenpoint, and know you’re on top of trends – in a responsible manner, of course.

For our friends over the water in New Jersey, the perfect one-stop shop is Electrix Vintage in Manasquan. Electrix focuses on 90s fashion with a large selection of sweaters, jackets, and jeans perfect for the imminent colder weather. If you’ve made the Barbie movie your entire personality Pearl Street in Red Bank has your back. A favorite of influencers like Clara Perlmutter (@tinyjewishgirl) and David Ross Lawn (@davidrosslawn) Pearl Street carries every lace slip dress ever made.

This fall wear something that not only makes you happy but also makes the Earth happy. Halloween, arguably the best event of the fall, is the holiday that kicks off the most polluting time of the year. For people with many Halloween parties on their schedule, buying just one second-hand outfit could, according to the American Apparel Association, reduce a person’s carbon footprint by 80%. When possible avoid fast fashion, shop locally, and break some dress codes along the way.

Written by Stella Feinstein

Photography by Adem Wijewickrema

Give Credit Where Credit is Due

Unless you’ve been oblivious to the lack of diversity in every industry today, you are probably well aware of how it is in the fashion world. Some rules may not be said out loud but are very much implied like keeping up with an ideal body type and keeping up with one’s appearance. Imagine trying to oblige to those standards and being a POC. In New York City, the fashion scene has taken a major shift. A lot of people have taken inspiration from this gentrified streetwear aesthetic. Streetwear, which used to be urban wear, but now when a white creative wears that inspired outfit, people just applaud for their mediocrity.

When POCs wear a certain outfit that they originally curated they are often labeled as too "urban" or "ghetto." But when a white fashionista puts on a similar outfit it’s considered a fashion statement. They go on and get more attention and have blogs about them and get published on social media, basically just get visibly shown more and get to high opportunities faster. This has been a recurrence in the fashion world today and my question is when will people stop discrediting POC creatives? Where is the credit they rightfully deserve?

If you’re on TikTok, you might have seen this “Subway girl” who was interviewed by The Cut, and said, “I never have to go to Queens or Harlem, where people don’t understand.” She then goes on to say, “ Lower East Side is Lower East Side…it’s a younger community, people always partying.” This statement is very harmful because it makes it seem like the Lower East Side doesn’t have any families. The Lower East Side had families living but because of gentrification they have and are still getting pushed out. They cannot afford to live in their communities even though many have been living there for generations, which then results in articles being made stating a bunch of nonsense and uplifting a creator with no knowledge or history of the City.

White fashionistas consistently act like they invented high and low dressing. Some brands have mixed athleisure clothing with jewelry pieces which is just very disappointing /off-putting because Black and Latina women have been rocking this style for years. If you do a bit of research then it can be made clear that the heart of NYC streetwear originated from black and brown people.

Oversized clothes, not anything new. Mix matching colors, also not new. Styles that would be considered showing off skin or oversexualized but are a statement of power, nothing new. By all means, dress how you want nobody is saying don’t or that you have to bow down to Black and brown creators. (lol it wouldn’t kill you) Fashion creatives need to realize how insulting it is when they discover styles that Black and Brown creatives have been doing for decades and pretend it’s something monumental. Maybe what these white fashionistas think is a lack of understanding is POC not praising someone just for being white and skinny because let’s be real not being white or being fat and the ideal body type is a lot harder to go unnoticed.

There is an understanding that what is being done is not original. It’s just a watered-down inspiration of styles that have been done before that were once looked upon as less than. Only to be praised when it’s okay to be accepted by the fashion industry standards.

Rule-breaking and defiance are only accepted when it is done by a specific group of people. Ironically, the internet can celebrate people putting on these out-of-the-box outfits about whatever personal style however, rarely recognize the same sense of originality in other bodies who have to go out there way to be seen as creative knowing that the fashion industry has made little to no progress to give POC and other body types a space to express their styles.

Written by Daniel Rojas