I write this article as I prepare to board my plane from JFK back to SFO, sitting in the lounge and admiring the giant airplanes through the windows. To my left and right, businessmen sip on what I’d guess to be their fifth coffee of the day. They delicately stab at fruit cubes and fancy salad leaves from the lounge fare, but I’ve settled for a glass of infused water.

My mind has not yet gotten out of holiday mode, so let’s start the year off with something fun. Nothing deep, just sharing some of my favorite fashion items this winter.

Puffer jackets

This is a no-brainer but can I just say, puffer jackets are the best things to ever be invented. I was skeptical of the exorbitant The North Face puffer trend because I’m a loyal hoodie wearer and thought that they couldn’t be that much warmer. I was wrong. I still love hoodies, but puffers are magical. Lightweight down is perfect for any occasion and makes lecture seats way comfier for a long lecture (a.k.a nap) ahead of you. Winter sales are ongoing, so it’s the perfect time to buy one. You won’t regret it.

Beanies

Every day is a bad hair day for me. Plus, my skin is breaking out so my aesthetician told me to stop touching my face (or else). With my hair secured by my beanie, I don’t have to worry about it. No further explanation needed.

Doc Martens

Doc Martens are mega popular, and I’m also in on the trend. I have a pair of smooth leather and patent leather Mary Janes. The smooth leather wins by miles in terms of comfort and flexibility. So if you’re going to get another pair, I’d highly recommend getting smooth leather or nappa leather. Have fun hopping on this grunge trend (or not, I completely understand).

Hoodies

I can never pay enough homage to my number one apparel: hoodies. With kangaroo pockets to warm your hands and hoods to shade your eyes from the sun, it’s no wonder hoodies and sweats are many students’ go-to college fit. Perfect for the study session interspersed with power naps.

Baggy jeans

Growing up in a sweltering country near the equator, I never wore jeans. But coming to Berkeley and facing the frigid wind, I decided to give denim a go. And … I hated it. My first pair was a straight cut light wash pair of jeans and they were stiff, tight and cold when my legs touched the fabric. However, I decided to give jeans another chance because too many people spoke of  them being life-changing. So I decided to go with baggy jeans this time round, and wow, I ascended to another level of lucidness. Denim is still cold and it will never beat sweats, but it gets softer with time and is an easy hack to look more put together. But baggy and loose cut all the way.

I will conclude my current list of favorite fashion items here. Just in time, as my flight is boarding soon. Although my fashion item picks aren’t the craziest choices (in fact, they’re all extremely common), they’re there for a reason. I’ve always been simple with my wardrobe and dress almost solely for comfort. With that, see you back at Berkeley for the upcoming semester! Excited to see everyone’s winter items on campus. The grind starts very, very soon …