We’re all still in paradise; you can thank the constant frozen-yogurt trips and iced-coffee orders for that one. This past week, the temperature reached an uncharacteristic 69 degrees. So, as usual, denim shorts, breezy tanks and flip-flops made appearances yet again.

Lest we forget the location we find ourselves living in every academic year, here’s the hard, cold, nondairy truth: It gets snowy here at some point and, after that point, it never ends. With this realization, we now begin our seasonal relationship with our coats.

Every winter, the coat becomes a dependable little number, giving us all kinds of goose-feather and knit-filled love. I find great nostalgic joy in busting my classic down jacket out of the dusty remnants of last winter.

It’s a tradition of sorts, and for all of us who will brave the next seven months together under the cold, hooded circumstances that keep us shivering during snowy days, it should be a fashionable tradition. With an assortment of new jacket and coat trends this winter, the chances of feeling warm without looking like an over-puffed marshmallow are at an all-time high.

A classic black jacket knows no boundaries in the fashion arena, and with an added quilted pattern or leather texture, it’ll be sure to make any dreary night on the town a bit sleeker. However, if you’re into pops of color against gloomy, grey skies — skies that usually don’t give Syracuse an ounce of sunlight until finals week of spring semester comes knocking — try lilac hues and frosty colors. Wearing bright but subtle colors like these can steer anyone away from those tired, dark-circled studying eyes.

To add a bit more wonder to winter, try more whimsical structures like coats with flirtatious frills on the hem. Yes, it’s very schoolgirl chic to say the least. But combining this style with a more mature palette, like burgundy and bronze, can take your Peter Pan-collared outfit up a notch. Patterns can also amp up a day of making snow angels on the quad or even sledding on the Mount. Prada-like optical prints take any type of outerwear to dizzying new heights, making your trip down the hill on your makeshift sled all the more trendy — and a bit more blurry.

If bright colors and tinsel-like materials aren’t your thing, take charge with a military style. Buttoned shoulders and flat, structured pockets command attention from every angle. Add a pair of knee-high boots for some extra attitude, and don’t forget to march through some cowering sleet — just don’t drop down and pretend to crawl under barbed wire. It’s not worth losing fabric threads to the icy terrain.

If for some reason you find yourself putting fashion over body temperature like it’s another Saturday night on Comstock, translate your lighter-weight denim jacket into winter gear. No, I’m not talking about adding another unwarranted animal-eared hood to your wardrobe. I’m talking fur lining on your denim collars, a flashback trend that made the rounds across street-style blogs early this season. It’s a comfy, woodsy look for days with the tiniest glimpses of sun.

For anyone looking for warmth on the coldest of days, picking out the right coat depends on personality, style and a desire to ward off hypothermia. During Syracuse winters, our need to stay indoors stems from a fear of trekking through apocalyptic storms. But some of the best memories are made venturing outside comfort zones. Adding the perfect coat to the mix allows for loads of sledding adventures, coffee runs and snowflake fun to happen this winter. But please, leave your animal ears behind.

Daisy Becerra is a junior magazine journalism major. Her column appears every other Monday. She can be reached at dsbecerr@syr.edu.

Published on October 21, 2012 at 11:57 pm