As frost begins to descend upon the edges of Andover streets and the last orange leaves cling to campus trees, winter coats reclaim their place in student wardrobes. Hugged close during late-night walks from the library or stuffed into Paresky cubbies, winter puffers have become the season’s signature silhouette. Though puffers are the most commonly sighted type on campus, the variety of styles and colors on campus bring a bit of light to a monochrome time. Each winter coat encapsulates personal stories, carrying memories of comfort, and self-expression.
Anna Tinkova, ’26
“I have a pine green winter coat. It’s a pretty classic style. It has one button in the front [and] it has two pockets. It’s pretty warm, to be honest. […] I love it. I wanted to have something more original because most of the coats you see in stores are beige, black, sometimes they’re white. I was like, ‘Yeah, let me get something original.’ Red screams Christmas; this also screams Christmas but in a better way. It’s less Christmas-y, so you can wear it in fall [and] early spring, [and] it doesn’t really scream ‘Oh my god I forgot to take down the Christmas lights.’”
Anastasie Sycheva, ’29
“[My coat] is a purple and blue iridescent color. In some lighting, it looks more on the pinker side, while some other times, it’s more [like a] darker blue. It’s one of my warmer coats; I usually only wear it when [the temperature] is on the colder side. My mom got it for me from Lululemon because she thought it would be cute and warm. It’s pretty good, honestly; I don’t feel cold in it at all. I’d say my coat holds up to Andover winter pretty well.”
Shannon Chisholm, ’29
“[My coat from] Montclair is a ski jacket adjacent. It was actually my older sister’s and she passed it down to me. I would describe it as puffy, black, and warm. I find black very versatile, and I feel very performative when wearing it. It handles the snow really well. The only issue is that my legs aren’t covered as the coat stops mid-waist […] I mostly wear this coat, but on rare occasions I wear my normal blue one which is a bit lighter. It’s more similar to a raincoat as it’s skinnier in a sense and not as puffy.”
Anoushka Pandey, ’28
“Before I’d come to Andover, my family and I were in Portugal for winter break. We were walking through a market and it wasn’t really on our mind [to get a jacket] as a goal. At one point, we thought it would’ve been nice to get one, so when we saw there were a lot of nice jackets, we decided to look for a coat that was nice, good quality, and warm. Coming to Andover, I think having the coat be a little longer would be nice. Overall though, it’s held up pretty well. My puffer is not distinctive, but it’s not the usual puffer either. There’s fancy buckles, instead of buttons or a zipper, and that’s pretty cool […] The coat brings back the really fun moments I had with my family on the trip.”
Breanna Ren, ’29
“My coat from Michael Kors is very long [and] warm. It’s black with gold accessories and a fur trim around the hood. I like it because Andover is very cold and windy, and its length keeps me warm, which means it’s great for Andover weather; I basically wear it every day. I’m from Vancouver, Canada, which is also cold but not as windy or snowy. That’s why it feels a bit colder here than at home.”
