As students begin to flood back to Dalhousie University, most are too preoccupied with stressing about their course load, getting to class on time and meeting new classmates to appreciate the changing season. This is a shame, because, as any good maritimer knows, autumn is the best season on the East Coast by far. From delicious apple-based baked goods and ciders to the outfit opportunities brought on by the cooler weather, rest assured nothing beats autumn.
Dressing for the weather
A well-known truth among TikTok fashion circles is that summer is the hardest time to be stylish. No one likes when statement pieces are ruined by sweat stains. Autumn, however, is hailed in fashion spaces as the perfect season for styling OOTDs (outfits of the day).
Autumn’s supremacy in fashion spaces comes down to the drop in temperature after the summer months. According to Tourism Nova Scotia, the average temperature across the province between mid-September and mid-November is 10 to 20 degrees. This temperate climate is perfect for laying dresses over jeans—or jeans over other jeans. Outerwear like flannel, leather jackets, jean jackets and windbreakers are perfect for the cool but not-quite-freezing temperatures that accompany the changing leaves.
The temperature also allows the more warm-weather-inclined fashionistas to continue wearing outfits dreamt up during the long heat waves of summer. Maxi skirts, boots and baggy jeans arguably work better in the autumn months!
For the uninitiated, online discussions of autumn fashion may seem like a new, distinctly TikTok phenomenon, but the love story between the season and fashion goes back much further. Materials like wool, thicker cottons and flannel have been a mainstay of autumn fashion for centuries, in Nova Scotia and beyond. Canadian companies like Roots have gained popularity by capitalizing on our collective obsession with autumn fashion through their loungewear and apparel. Clearly, autumn is the best season to explore new and interesting outfit ideas after the heat of summer and before the snow starts to fall.
Apples galore
While blueberry and strawberry U-Picks are common across the Atlantic provinces during the summer, apple picking holds a special place in every maritimer’s autumn schedule. Apple season falls directly within the autumn months, with the recommended time for U-Pick being late September to early October.
Nova Scotia has a particularly long history with apple farming. The Canadian Food Studies Journal writes, “between 1862-1980, apples were a booming cross-Atlantic export business.” According to the Nova Scotia Fruit Grower’s Association, there are at least 40 apple varieties grown across the province.
Along with the fun of apple picking with friends and family, autumn means delicious baked goods like apple pie, apple crumble and apple tarts. Nova Scotia grows several kinds of apples perfect for baking, such as Cortland and Red Delicious. Who doesn’t love a warm, cinnamon-covered treat on a blustery afternoon?
The Nova Scotian connection to this autumn crop is again shown by the increasing number of cider companies that populate the Halifax and Annapolis Valley region, much to the delight of many university students at Dalhousie and beyond. Several companies even offer specialty flavours and items around September, showcasing autumn’s superiority yet again.
When it comes down to it, it’s very clear why so many of us love this season. Whether you’re Nova Scotian born or have found your way here, you can’t deny that autumn brings out the best of this province. The temperature is perfect, the fashion options are endless and the activities and baked goods are supreme. Autumn is the best time of year, so take a moment to enjoy it— maybe over a fresh apple pie or while picking out a stellar outfit for class.
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