After three months of microwaved ramen cups and too many credit card charges at Ian’s Pizza to count, going home to a warm, hearty Thanksgiving meal has truly never sounded better. But, stuffing your face full of elaborately prepared comfort food is just the beginning of what there is to be excited about when it comes to Thanksgiving. It is also a moment to turn a final fall fashion look!
With so many different settings and people you can celebrate Thanksgiving with, though, knowing exactly what to wear can be confusing and difficult. Visiting Grandma and Grandpa? Leave your ripped jeans at home or suffer through an evening of, “Do you need me to patch those holes for you?” and, “You paid how much for the retailer to damage your pants?”
Another rookie mistake is counting on rummaging around in your closet at home and finding a fitting outfit for the occasion. Remember, those clothes were left behind for a reason! Plan ahead and thank yourself later when you realize all you have at home is an old prom dress and three pairs of pajama pants.
But if not a prom dress and pajama pants, what should be worn on Thanksgiving? Check out a few ideas below about what to sport for all different kinds of Thanksgiving gatherings.
The casual Thanksgiving get-together
For those who are most looking forward to a game of backyard football on Thanksgiving, but still aiming to match the autumn atmosphere, opt for an oversized vintage flannel. Bonus points if the hemming is frayed! Match the flannel with some baggy, low rise jeans, which are coincidentally in style and allow room for mashed potato bloating.
Streetwear tennis shoes such as Adidas Sambas or Reebok Club C 85s perfectly match the vintage vibe, and have the ability to carry you into your makeshift end zone for the game-winning touchdown! Alternatively, dress it down even further with a pair of wide leg lounge pants and cozy fall socks and moccasins.
Friendsgiving
It is not just family we have to be thankful for at this time of year, but friends as well! Whether you are cooking up a feast in the dorm basements with new friends, or gathering at your hometown restaurant with familiar faces, it is important to celebrate together — and look great doing it!
Friendsgiving is the perfect time to don an adorable “grandpa sweater,” with funky patterns or cable knitting. Keep warm with a heavy, oversized denim jacket atop the sweater. This look can be easily styled with your favorite mom jeans for a cute Canadian flair, or glammed up with a simple, solid colored skirt.
Turkey with a side of Tiffany
If the host is insisting upon everyone pulling out their Sunday best, look no further. For a more elevated Thanksgiving outfit, try on a classic black ankle-length or mini skirt, depending on the desired look. Black dress pants work here as well! On top, put on your favorite button-up cardigan, and a white baby tee beneath. For an added flair, clasp the top couple of buttons on the cardigan, leaving the rest hanging loose to reveal a pop of white. Dress it up with a pointed toe kitten heel, or pair it with black combat boots instead.
Thirsty Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is not the only holiday Madisonians like to celebrate Nov. 28. There is of course “Thirsty Thursday” too! For those of you not willing to stop the party for anything, not even to plan your “Thirsty Thanksgiving” outfit, we have you covered!
Grab a dark red off-the-shoulder sweater, fitting in with the festivities of the occasion and still allowing for a little bit of slinky fun. Then, to really up the fiercity, add a pair of black leather pants on bottom. Tie this whole look together with a bold, sleek boot, and your hometown bar won’t know what has hit them!
Game day gobbler
Once again, the high stakes and highly anticipated University of Wisconsin versus University of Minnesota Big Ten Conference football game falls during Thanksgiving break. With this being the last regular season football game for the year, pulling out all of your best Badgers apparel is of the utmost importance!
This will be the perfect game to sport a pair of Badgeralls, the red and white striped overalls sold at the University Bookstore, because a pair of long underwear can be easily hidden underneath. Frostbite is not fashion forward. Put a red UW hoodie on top, preferably one featuring football’s favorite mascot, Bucky the Badger! Keeping with the thread of staying cute and not cold, accessorize with a pair of fluffy white earmuffs.
Add a temporary tattoo of a turkey on one cheek and Bucky on the other to get extra kitschy and celebrate the two animals of the evening. Even if the football game is lost, your outfit will be a stand out victory.
At the end of the day, it does not matter what you are wearing as long as you feel good and can have fun celebrating with your people. Enjoy your turkey time, wherever it may be and whoever it may be with. Happy Thanksgiving, Badgers!
