Teens vs. coats: The generational quarrel that won't chill out

It's a cool fall day. The leaves have long disappeared, and there's a thin, crunchy layer of snow on the grass — typical for autumn, but still, it's a not-so-kind reminder that months of winter still lie ahead.

It's also the season to pull the winter jackets and snow boots out of storage. But outside Calgary's Western Canada High School during a recent lunch hour, coats are clearly optional.

"I have a jacket in my locker, I just don't want to wear it because it's not that bad out," said Aiden Whitney, a T-shirt-clad teenager whose breath was visible in the crisp air.

Whitney wasn't alone in such sartorial choices — not only among current high school peers that day, but also the generations of teens before them. It seems for as long as parents have been telling kids to put on a coat, kids have been ignoring the advice. 

So what's up with that? Is it peer pressure? A radical act of teenage rebellion? Do young people actually not get cold?

As it turns out, there's a lot to unpack here.

Let's begin by circling back to those students hanging out along 17th Avenue S.W. on their chilly lunch break.

"Style is prioritized over warmth. If you look good, you feel good, even though you're freezing," said high schooler Andreea Mihai.

"I don't want to look like a snowman," Mihai added.

Many others agreed that being underdressed for winter is also fine if the gear is a struggle to store.

"I'd rather be cold and have a cute vest than be wearing a bulky jacket," said Valeria Hernandez.

Hernandez added that winter coats feel "clunky" and "disorganized."

"I feel like a big marshmallow and I just don't like that," said Hernandez.

Despite knowing the consequences, the dozen-plus students CBC News spoke with — dressed warmly or not — said the pros of feeling cool outweighed the cons of being cold.