November football has its own dress code: team colors, a lot of layers, and shoes you can stand in for four quarters. These game day outfits are built for a cold stadium, with knits, scarves, and boots doing most of the work. Each one has room for your school colors (and room for the hand warmers in your pocket).
Late-season games can start sunny at the tailgate and feel like a different month by halftime. So every look here has something you can take off and something you can add. The bleachers are cold, the walk from the parking lot is long, and nobody wants to spend the third quarter thinking about their toes.
A team crewneck + leggings + tall boots
Start with an oversized crewneck in your school's main color. Put a fitted long-sleeve tee underneath so you've got a warm base layer that doesn't add bulk. Black fleece-lined leggings and tall brown boots finish the bottom half.
Add a cream knit beanie and a plaid scarf in a color that pulls from the crewneck. If your school colors are red and black, a black-and-gray plaid looks sharp with a red sweatshirt. If you're in blue and orange, a navy scarf with a thin orange stripe is the dream.
This is the outfit for the friend who wants to be comfortable all day without looking like they rolled out of bed. The tall boots do a lot here. They cover the gap between your leggings and your ankles, which is where the cold sneaks in first.
Keep the layers easy to adjust
Tie a flannel around your waist for the walk in. Once the sun drops behind the stadium, put it on under your coat or over the crewneck. Flannels are so good for game day because they're warm, they come in a hundred team-friendly plaids, and they don't wrinkle when you stuff them in a bag.
Check the washing instructions on the layers you bring. For help with the symbols and labels, see the American Cleaning Institute’s fabric-care guide.
Game day outfits with a puffer vest
A puffer vest keeps your core warm and leaves your arms free for waving a foam finger (or holding a hot chocolate). Wear it over a cable-knit sweater in cream or gray, then add straight-leg jeans and lace-up hiking boots.
This combination works for almost any school's colors because the base is neutral. Bring in your team with the accessories: a knit headband, a pair of mittens, or a small crossbody bag in your color. A cream sweater with a forest green vest and a gold beanie would look so good at a green-and-gold school.
Wool socks are the secret detail here. Let a little cuff peek out above the boots. It looks cozy in photos, and your feet will thank you around the second quarter.
Pick shoes you can stand in all day
Stadium concrete gets cold fast, and you'll be on your feet for hours. Boots with a thick sole put some distance between you and the ground. Sneakers can work on a mild day, but on a cold one, a lined boot is the better pick.
If your stadium has a clear-bag policy, check it before you plan around a favorite tote. Many schools post their bag rules on the athletics website, and they can change from season to season.
A plaid shacket + a turtleneck + jeans
A shacket (a shirt-jacket, thicker than a flannel and lighter than a coat) is the outfit's main piece here. Choose one in a plaid that includes your school color, and wear it open over a fitted turtleneck.
Pair it with dark wash jeans and chunky loafers or Chelsea boots. Add small gold hoops and a claw clip if you want your hair out of the way under a hood. This look feels a little more put together, which makes it a good pick if you're heading to dinner after the game.
For a really cold day, add a long wool coat on top and leave the shacket buttoned. The turtleneck keeps your neck covered without a scarf, so you have one less thing to keep track of in the stands.
A long coat + a matching knit set
A matching knit set (a sweater and wide-leg pants in the same yarn) is warm, comfy, and looks like you planned your whole outfit around the game. Pick a set in gray, oatmeal, or one of your team colors.
Layer a long camel or black coat on top and add sneakers with thick socks or ankle boots. A chunky scarf in your secondary team color ties the whole outfit to the stadium. You can wrap it twice for warmth or loop it loose over the coat collar for photos.
If you'll be sitting on metal bleachers, a stadium seat cushion or a folded blanket helps more than any layer. Knit pants can feel thin on cold metal, so bring something to sit on.
How to layer for a cold football game
Layering for cold weather means thin layers close to your skin and thicker ones on top. That way you can take off the outer pieces when you're crammed into the student section and add them back when the wind picks up.
The National Weather Service's cold weather safety page recommends several loose layers, a hat, and covering exposed skin when it gets bitterly cold. That advice lines up with what works in the stands too. A knit hat, a scarf that covers your neck, and gloves you can text in will keep you comfortable enough to stay for the fourth quarter.
Look at the forecast for kickoff and for the end of the game. A noon game and a night game can need completely different outfits, even on the same weekend. Plan for the coldest hour you'll be outside, then let the sun be a nice surprise.
Team colors without head-to-toe merch
You don't need a jersey to show up for your team. One or two pieces in your colors is plenty. A red beanie, a navy scarf, or a sweater in the right shade of green says exactly where you're sitting.
If you have a few school sweatshirts, try wearing one over a collared shirt with the collar out. It's an easy way to make a sweatshirt you've worn a hundred times look new. A thrifted vintage team crewneck with faded letters is always a good find too.
For more ideas on wearing knits and accessories you already own, our guide to ways to wear a scarf with a sweater has a few wraps that hold up in the wind.
What to bring in your game day bag
A small clear bag (if your stadium requires one) can hold everything you need. Pack lip balm, a phone charger, your student ID, a pair of thin gloves, and hand warmers. Toss in a hair tie and a few bobby pins for when the beanie comes off.
A small pack of tissues is a good idea on cold days because noses run in the wind, and the stadium bathrooms are a long walk away. Keep your phone in an inside pocket so the cold doesn't drain the battery as fast.
If you're tailgating first, wear the outer layer you'll want at the end of the game rather than leaving it in the car. It's a long walk back to the lot at halftime. Our list of fun things to do in college with friends has a few ideas for the rest of the weekend once the game wraps up.
Hair and makeup for a cold game
Choose a hairstyle that works under a beanie or a hood. Two low braids, a low ponytail, or loose waves all look cute with a knit hat. A claw clip in your bag lets you twist your hair up if the wind picks up.
For makeup, cream blush and a tinted lip balm hold up better in cold wind than powder. Waterproof mascara helps if your eyes water in the cold. Keep a lip balm in your pocket and reapply it often, since cold air and cheering are hard on lips.
Mix and match the pieces you already own
These four outfits share a lot of pieces. The crewneck from the first look works under the long coat from the fourth. The hiking boots from the puffer vest outfit look great with the shacket. And the plaid scarf goes with pretty much everything here.
Start with what's in your closet and your school's colors. If you're missing something, a knit beanie or a pair of wool socks in your team color is a small buy that gets worn all winter. We also love how the rust coat with a blue scarf handles a cold walk, and the same idea works on game day.
Our pick for the coldest game of the season? The matching knit set under a long coat, with a team-color scarf wrapped twice. Add hand warmers to both pockets and you're set for overtime.
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