Fashion Challenge: Make a North Face Jacket More Stylish
On any given day here at OU, I’d bet at least 60% of students are rocking The North Face, Columbia or Patagonia (“Fratagonia”, as some might say) outerwear. Perhaps it’s a southern or midwestern cliche, but literally EVERYONE I know owns a zippered or pull-over fleece jacket. And I’m betting many of you probably own one, too. (Admit it!)
As popular as they are, jackets like these are often negatively associated with “the uniform”, as I like to call it. You know, the Uggs/leggings/oversized V-neck/fleece jacket combo that is popular at countless colleges across the nation. While I’m not saying it’s “wrong” to dress this way, why not challenge yourself to think outside the box and rock a more unique outfit?
There’s a way to rock these babies and still stand out in a crowd. Just because you’re in a situation that requires a warm, tough, and no-frills jacket, it doesn’t mean that you have to give up looking stylish. I hope you find this styling challenge as practical and fun as I did.
Ready to try this week’s fashion challenge? Read on for easy ways to turn your sporty fleece jacket into a sartorial statement!
Tips and Tricks for Making a Fleece Jacket More Stylish
- Add a funky scarf. This is the easiest way to dress up a fleece coat. A colorful scarf will catch the eye of people around you. Others will pay attention to the texture, or the unique way it’s tied around your neck.
- Wear one with a hat. A slouchy beanie adds a laid-back vibe to any outfit, including one with a plain fleece jacket. Plus, you’ll stay super warm!
- If you have to buy a fleece, look for unique styles. I love the plush and fur-lined versions I’ve seen.
- Pair one with chic shoes. Fleece jackets go great with riding or motorcycle boots, or those cute lace up ankle boot wedges that are getting popular. They also look fine with oxfords, ballet flats, loafers, and anything casual.
- Layer, layer, layer. Wear a striped, floral, or graphic shirt underneath your fleece for interest, or wear your jacket under an ever heavier coat if you’re outside in the bitter cold. Play with vests, zip it up, or leave it unzipped.
- Show of your style with pants! To balance out the drab top, pair a fleece jacket with flared or wide leg jeans, a great pair of trousers, or your trusty skinny cargos.
- Wear it with moxie. Here at CF, we love the idea of wearing unique, creative outfits every day. But everyone needs a break! A fleece jacket, jeans, and a pair of sneakers can still make a statement if you wear the look with a bit of confidence.
Outfit Inspiration
Below, I’ve created three potential ideas for how you could wear a fleece jacket in a slightly more unique way. Obviously, aside from covering it up completely, there’s no way to hide that you’re wearing a North Face, but that doesn’t mean you have to look like everyone else when you wear yours!
Classic and Cute
Jacket, Jeans, Shoes, Tank, Cardigan, Scarf
This outfit is colorful, simple, and classic. A striped tank will look great under a red cardigan. Pull on jeans and cute lace up boots, and add a scarf for a casual look.
A Hint of Retro
Jacket, Shoes, Flare Jeans, Headband, Necklace, Sweater
This outfit has a bit of a ’70s vibe to it. I began with a fuzzy, plush jacket for a faux fur-esque look. (One of my friends has a jacket like this, and every time she wears it, people want to “pet” her!) Pair it with a sweater, and trendy flared jeans (which are making a comeback). Finish with boat shoes, a cute necklace, and a hippie headband.
Snow Bunny
Jacket, Cargos, Boots, Sweater, Beanie
A colorful fleece jacket looks great with a chunky knit sweater. Add some skinny cargos and these adorable boots for some stylish edge. Finish with a cozy beanie!
Took the Challenge? Send CF your Photos!
We’ve showed you our ideas – now we want to see how YOU tackle this Fashion Challenge! So please send a photo of you rocking the challenge along with your name, school, blog URL if you have one, and a description of your outfit to fashionchallenge AT collegefashion.net. We’ll post the photos here to inspire other CF readers!
We can make you a celebrity overnight. :)
Thoughts?
Are fleeces popular at your school? Do you own one, or do you prefer jackets that have more shape? How do you dress your fleece jacket up? Are you going to take the challenge? What challenges would you like to see in the future? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment!!
Posted on on January 6, 2011 / Filed Under: Fashion Tips / Tags: Fashion Challenge, Fleece, Jackets, Outfits, The North Face, Tips, Winter
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Hannah M.
I love the look of North Face jackets and most certainly your outfit choices. :)
Ash
I have to admit, even though I have a North Face sitting in the back of my closet from freshman year, I hate the sight of them now. That being said, I really like the third outfit you put together and I like the idea of wearing something cliche in a new way. Thanks for the ideas, CF!
Holly
All these looks are super cute!! But I have to add – Northfaces are popular in the North East too!! I wear mine everyday! (I go to school in Maryland) lol these tips are great, thank you for the post! xoxo
Lizzy
Thought this was pretty cool and sent in my photo too! Really liked the Retro idea but don’t think “Snow Bunny” is the appropriate title for the last idea … snow bunnies normally are more pink/white puffy cute outfits – I mean its like the sex kitten of the slopes.
Cara
I have a North Face and I basically wear it every day underneath my coat. But I always pair mine with a cute scarf but I like your other ideas too especially the third one. I’ll have to try that one soon.
Kristen H
This article has great timing for me! It’s been unusually cold here, so I’ve been wearing my North Face jacket a lot. Ok, I guess I’ll go face the weather now.
Sarah
I think the first look is super cute!! I have a new green fleece jacket and I love it- I got it on clearance for like five dollars. It’s just a tad too big, but that allows room for layering.
Kate
Ugh, I’m sorry, but there is nothing more… suburban than a North Face jacket. While I will acknowledge they are very warm, in my book they are more or less visually beyond redemption. Not to mention the absurd price tag, which seems makes them a bafflingly unattractive status symbol. On top of it all, I can’t escape the connotation of the North Face clad sorority girl in her Uggs and her PINK sweats.
I regret to come off as so negative, it’s just… I think life is too short to look like that.
Nikki
I for one didn’t like the north face it’s cute but it doesn’t keep you warm I wore mine last year a litteretly got me soaked it wasn’t the fleese it was a jacket and it went through all my clothes so I for on don’t like it.
VIictoria
It may just be where I live,
but I have never seen one person wear a northface jacket or fleece ever.
I like the idea though, you used great ideas to bring style to a unflattering jacket.
couturemepink
I never bought a North Face because I always associated them with sweat pants tucked halfway into old Uggs. But now that I see that they come in other colors other than black, brown and white (like that cool teal color), I could see more possibilities for the North Face. I’d love to buy one in a bright color like yellow or red and exercise my layering skills. However, I don’t think that I could ever just wear it alone.
Meaghan @ ohreillywrites
I love the third look — the teal is absolutely gorgeous.
Katie
Victoria-consider yourself lucky that you never see these. It’s crazy that everyone wears them all the time.
I’m from the Northeast, but go to school in the Midwest and I see them EVERYWHERE!!!! I have never considered buying one. Even as an athlete I prefer to wear much cuter jackets/coats whether I’m going to class or going to practice. Some people may think I look strange wearing a peacoat over my warm-ups and workout sneakers, but I prefer fitted styles.
I love all the shoes you picked out for these outfits. The next shoes I buy may be a pair of boat shoes :) Could you do a post on how to wear boat shoes? I’m not sure what I could pair them with.
Karen
I own this sweater since I go to school in a cold climate. And I love that they are warm. I hate that they look so blahh. I like the outfits.
I would like to see how to style a North Face Jacket (the non fleece one. the ones for colder snow days.) Because its cold I really can’t wear coat without freezing and have to wear the North Face Jackets. Any ideas on making those jackets look better
Megan
i’m sorry but i love my north face, it keeps me really warm in classes and i love the different colors you can get
Liz
The outfits you picked out are cute, but I get the feeling that if I saw someone wearing one of them my thought would be more along the lines of “yet another person wearing a Northface jacket” than “someone wearing a super cute outfit that incorporates a Northface jacket.” For me, they’re so iconic that it would be hard for a nice outfit to make me look past my (negative) feelings about them.
I have a major passion for outerwear. I see so many people who take the time to pick out a nice outfit and then toss on whatever ill-fitting and/or clashing-with-the-rest-of-their-outfit jacket they grab first. I never disparage anyone’s fashion choices, nor do I expect everyone to be dressed fabulously, because what you wear is totally a personal choice and nobody else’s business, but I think it’s a shame that people sometimes forget that you see SO MANY MORE people when you’re outside on your way to class or work or whatever than when you’re inside and have removed the oversized mauve fleece jacket. Give me cardigans, blazers, jackets, and belted trench coats any day of the week.
Christina
I am definitely guilty of owning a couple of those, but sometimes go the fashionable route and then leave the house freezing. I really like these outfit ideas to make them stand out (or hide away) a little bit more.
Terik
I love the Snow bunny look :) I love winter sweaters so I’d definitely pick this one :) plus cute boots and stylish cargos? awesome. And I also think that colour of the north face is much more vivid than the brown or black one :)
Shanna
I hate NorthFace! But the more people who wear them, the better I look in my cute colorful peacoats :)
Abbigail
I really like that last look you created with the cargos!
I would just like to say that I think it’s ridiculous paying such a high price for something that you could easily get at Marshalls, T.J. Maxx or Target for $20! I’ve had this one off-white fleece since last fall and it keeps me REALLY warm and it has flattering stitching that create a slimming effect (so you don’t look all bulky) I absolutely LOVE it. So if you’re not a fan of North Face I still think Fleeces are great choices for truly keeping you warm in the winter. :)
Rayna
Ugh, I’m really sorry that I have to say this.
But Northface jackets just seem like another status symbol. I agree with Liz and Kate. There are so many more options for outerwear that looks much less sloppy and is just as warm.
Brooke
I don’t own any Northface Jackets, though they are rather popular here in South Dakota, we have to protect ourselves from the brutal wind and bitter cold. I’ve invested in Columbia fleece sweaters. I own two black, a coral, a light blue, a brown, and a white. I commonly pair them with sweatshirts underneath. I’ve found that combating any kind of windy cold weather comes from wearing several thick layers. Being an art student, I spend a lot of time indoors, and being able to peel off layers as I work so I don’t get too hot is godsend.
I wouldn’t say that Columbia’s are knockoffs of the Northface Fleece, they are cheaper and it really just depends on how you portray yourself and how you wear them. I’ve also learned that accessorizing is key when you want to look decent in winter fleece. Incorporate some aviator sunglasses and a fun, furry winter hat. Looking halfway decent in winds gusting at thirty miles an hour with temps way below zero, it’s more important to stay warm, but you can still look cute while doing it.
Alison
I like North Face down vests, they are supper warm but more versatile. I think Patagonia has cuter jackets though. http://www.rei.com/product/770803 This in white looks really cute in person.
Emily
I have to say I hardly think of North Face jackets being stylish at this point in time and in my life. But, with your article I have a new found appreciate for making something more appealing via accessories. I look forward to seeing what readers sent in to College Fashion!
PS. I still wear a North Face in the winter, but it’s a long down coat. A little fleece isn’t enough to keep this girl warm!
Melissa
Cool! I made something similar on Polyvore for hiking! http://www.polyvore.com/hiking/set?id=26263930
Hannah
I agree with Liz. I’m not the type to think poorly of someone for a trivial matter like what type of coat they prefer to wear, but I honestly don’t think you can style a North Face jacket to look chic. They’re the outerwear equivalent of sweats – just not cute, no matter how you slice it!
Milana
I’m sorry, but I would only wear this thing going hiking. Or something. A nice, comfy, chunky sweater does is for me if I’m really really cold! :)
Kelly
Awesome post! Love these practical fashion kind of posts :) I would say it’s totally useful for me but I’m moving to Florida! haha No more North Face jackets for me!
Winnie
No. Just, no. I am SO SICK of seeing these EVERYWHERE. I live and go to school in Ohio, and it’s like no one thinks jackets other than North Face, boots other than ugg boots, and pants other than VS Pink exist. North Face jackets scream “I don’t have any semblance of personal style” to me, regardless of what else you wear with it. And I’m sorry, but I’m tired of the “it’s warm” excuse. All of my non-North Face jackets and coats keep me perfectly warm.
Ciara
I would never wear the north face. I live in a cold climate but I’ve never seen someone wearing one. I think its universally unflattering, there are plenty of warm attractive alternatives.
Chelsea - University of Oklahoma
Thanks for sharing your thoughts girls! North Face jackets definitely aren’t my outerwear piece of choice either…but I’m guilty as charged of having bad fashion days, and I’ve found that it’s all in the accessories. Hopefully this helped some of you out, writing this article really helped me! If anyone has ideas for future fashion challenges, let me know! I’d love to help out :)
Elle
Love the idea of this but personally I don’t own a Northface feece, and probably never will- and I gave up fleece after middle school- there are so many chic comfortable sweaters and jackets out there. And the “uniform” you referred to turned me off even more .That said Chelsea, I love the tips for dressing up a casual jacked and I love everything else about these casual looks, ESPECIALLY the shoes in the first look!
Lea
I also own a couple of these in the plush version which I find VERY warm and soft for my classes at U of I in the snow and cold. It’s not cute, but I work with it by pairing it with cute boots, hat and gloves, or a bright scarf and some layered tops underneath. I really like this post because I think a lot girls wear these jackets for the warmth and would love to make the fashionable, like me. Thanks for a practical post! :)
Liz
Oh NO, I’m totally in love with those $100 boots in the last outfit! Help!! Must find a cheaper version…
Heather
It’s not a Southern or Midwestern thing. Unfortunately it’s been all the rage in the North-East too (I attend University at Buffalo in NY). Luckily, it gets so cold that at times you are likely to see SOME variety in outerwear but I do get quite saddened by the fact that more girls here do not take advantage of a city like my hometown to find fashion in outerwear and buy more variety and fashionable coats instead of just more Pink! Sweatpants and replacement Uggs because they wore them in all the snow we get each year. I notice though that there is a HUGE transition between the University’s undergraduate and graduate populations. I have to admit I myself, was guilty of many of the college fashion stereotypes 4 years ago, but it’s weird to see that these sweatpants/leggings for pants/uggs/northface jacket trends have not gone away in so long, I mean it’s getting old. In graduate school I think the partial requirements at times to dress professionally in class, etc. makes you rethink the lazy loungewear look. Not to mention Uggs and Northface, etc. are quite expensive.
Think about it, 100+ for the Northface or 100+ for the classic camel trenchcoat that you can use for the rest of your life and cherish as a classic piece (unless needed replacing)? I say the trenchcoat!
Breanna
I’m European, so hopefully this thing isn’t popular where I live… The last outfit makes the jacket look fine, but in my opinion all of those outfits would actually look much better without it… Take those cute shoes from first set, they really don’t go well with a fleece jacket. But apart from that, I guess your point was to make this unflattering piece of clothing look acceptable and I’d say you succeeded.
CaseFACE
Hey College Fashion! So, I recently gave in and bought a cheaper verzion of the plush North Face Jacket in the Columbia brand. I refused for years to buy one, but I needed something more casual. All of my clothing is extremely dressy and fashionable and at first the thought of the NorthFace and Columbia trend disgusted me! I gave in and I can admit I do like it. I definetly don’t wear it thinking it is a fashion statement though! Anyways, I seen another user or two commented on an article about HOW TO WEAR BOAT SHOES. I think that would be a great and challenging idea!
Do y’all think you could do a boat shoe article on different ways to dress with them? It would be interesting to see the ideas you come up with!
Karolien
I’m from Europe too. I think it’s funny fleece sweaters are a rage in the US, because here nobody my age would want to wear them! (except for hiking of course, but normally only middle-aged people with absolutely no sense for style would wear them…) If it’s cold outside I wear a chunky knit sweater and a cute coat. Anyway, you did well offering a more stylish way to wear them, because uggs & pink sweatpants & north fleece? I have never seen it, but I can imagine you must all be tired of seeing that combo everywhere.
Buffdog
I am from Europe too, and the first time I saw north face fleece was my freshman year in college in America. While I understand what you were trying to do with this post, first two outfits to me just look like “why is she wearing this weird fleece with a cute outfit?”. Just my opinion though, there is absolutely no need to pair this fleece with cute shoes and dresses when there are so many alternatives available.
Chelsea - University of Oklahoma
A fashion challenge on how to make boat shoes stylsih is definitely in the works :) Thanks for your suggestions!!
Katharine
Actually, I really think that North Face jackets can be really stylish: I actually bought a Summit Series Jacket for Women, and it’s very elegant if you wear it with a scarf and pretty earrings! :D
Erin
See these everywhere on my campus and as I respect everyone’s choice of what they wear, the uniform of leggings, uggs, and northface jackets can become really redundant. It sucks when I have to actively look through the sea of these “uniforms” for other girls with more original style that choose to put in some effort to look different and more put together. Sorry to say I will never wear or buy any part of the “college girl uniform”.
Margaret
Add a fancy dress/skirt with tights and nice shoes. (No UGGs!) I think that would look fine even with a North Face jacket. Funny, I don’t even own a fleece!
Heather
@ European girls. Hey, as you can see from my previous post, I agree completely with you. The thing is you have to understand a bit of American Fashion History to grasp how this happened. I take this information with honor from Nina Garcia’s books as well as my True Prep (both original and new one) book. I start by saying that Nina Garcia once said in one of her books that when she moved to the US to go to private school from South America, she arrived in formal dressy glamourous attire, as that was the norm. style there in her school (much like Europe I believe. My friend went to Germany for a year and high fashion and dressier clothing is more the norm. @ school). She was actually made fun of and could not grasp the idea of jeans, t-shirts, and in general “the all american look”.
Now books such as True Prep and other Prep-Books comment on the controversial topic of the northface (or more commonly preppy – the patagonia) jacket. This type of jacket started out exactly how some of you use it, for function. It was used as a layer under or over many other american-prep styled layers and was often used by adults post-grad. True Preppy classified people use their style for function and timeless style but for some reason and this is where it gets blurry, I do not know when this happened but it became popular among younger crowds here in the US and especially among the non-preppy.
Because of this, a lot of the truly preppy kids (I’m talking the kind with the WASP pedigree) backlashed against it and not as many wear them anymore. Ironically the general masses of college students often find wearing these jackets as adding a little prep to their style because of as I said, the history of it being an american-prep staple.
Hopes this helps you understand and as I said I agree that it would be much better if the US trended towards looking more fashionable when attending college. But at the same time, this is what makes us unique. People do what they want and don’t give a crap lol, which I find stylish in itself!
Kate
omg, this is SO true, I actually got northface both this christmas and last christmas..which i love..but it isn’t exactly the clothing of a fashionista! Great article :)
Amy
Ooooh, that sweater and cap look sooo cozy!! Love this look.
Pam
I will admit it…my whole family hubby and kids have North Face jackets…and I feel so goofy that we do…way trendy and silly that I won’t let us all wear them at the same time for fear that we will look like clones! Isn’t there another brand out there…cool, hip, but NOT North Face?
Audrey C.
I understand where you’re going with this post, but it really just seems like the overall message is “wear a cute outfit and hopefully people won’t notice you’re wearing an ugly coat”.
That being said, you did a terrific job in the last outfit of finding a pair of shoes that look acceptable with a North Face. I can never picture them with anything but athletic shoes (because I usually only wear my North Face on my way to the gym). Now I want those boots immediately!!!
carr
“The uniform” That about sums it up here in the NorthEast. Every yuppie in her 30′s -40′s has one on. I’m in my early 30′s but I refuse to wear this uniform. I don’t fit in with them nontheless.
carr
I HAVE to have that owl watch!!! I love that.
Jess
I go to school in Oregon, and I don’t see a lot of PINK sweatpants/uggs/Northface combos – It’s mostly just Northface and jeans. But then again, we have a LOT of outdoorsy hikers here, and we see some pretty cold winters, so I’d say we’re mostly using it for function. I don’t think they’re ugly, actually. They’re quite cozy and simple-looking. I think there are a lot of uglier pieces of clothing that people could choose. But I do tend to love roomy, soft loungy-type jackets and sweaters. Anyway, that’s just my opinion.
north face best
Cool! I made something similar on Polyvore for hiking!
Veronica
I actually really like the third outfit!
I just recently bought a Northface jacket (rain wear, not a fleece zip-up) because I’m moving north for school where it’ll be raining a lot. I think it looks totally fine when you are using a Northface jacket for function–I think most rational people won’t assume that a big, bulky, heavy-duty rain coat is being worn for style points. But a Northface fleece isn’t quite so cute when that’s the main focus of your outfit, ya know, jeans or leggings, simple sneakers and just the fleece on top with nothing to distract from it.
I would L-O-V-E to see a post on how to style a Northface (or similar) jacket, as in rain or snow jacket, because I know during the rainy season it’s going to be a daily staple. Thanks!
Ann C
Great ideas to jazz up the North Face black jacket in Classic and Cute. My 14 year old especially liked it, she says – “it is elegant yet hip”.
Generally North Face jackets are tight fit and I find it hard to put on a bulky scarf. Mostly a light yet high class Cashmere Scarf like a Cashmere Pashmina works for me. Infact I have so many Pashminas in different colors to make various combinations with this idea.
Thanks Chealsea for this blog post.
Ann
Rachel
Lol, are North Face jackets really that embarrassing to wear? Someone further up there actually said, “life is too short to look like that.” Lol! I wear mine with pride! And those outfits are adorable, who cares if it’s a North Face?
rosieeee
wouldnt have thought fleeces as fashionable before , now im considering buying one , CF you made it fashionable ;)