Cuffing season: Do we need a refresher?
Probably not. Last year in our definitive treatise on the cultural phenomenon, Vogue.com Culture Writer Patricia Garcia broke down the science of cuffing—that time of unabashed coupling to withstand the often brutal, long, and lonely winter months. Sure, a crackling fire and utilitarian down coat are foolproof ways to stay warm amid a blizzard, but there is simply no comparison to shared body heat.
Should any confusion linger on the subject, Drake wrote a song about cuffing season’s virtues (and fallbacks) on his debut mixtape—an ode to his Canadian winters spent chasing after an emotionally unavailable girl in the snow. “Come Winter” is its name; I implore you all to take a listen and remind yourself why nothing slips past the 6 God.
So, yes, cuffing: We’re all quite aware what it is, and if you check a calendar, the 2016–17 season has begun. November marks its launch and March its end.
But then, how do we really go about this? Is it about responding to the DMs of that one guy who is always liking your pics on Instagram? Or finally sending out that “Sup?” text to the cute friend of a friend who is forever talking about grabbing a drink when you bump into each other on the G train? Well, yes and yes. It’s, as another “cuffing enlightened” colleague reminds me, about determining who is available to come over on a cold Friday night when you sure as hell aren’t going outside.
This dating savant pops over to my desk to rattle off the cuffing do’s and don’ts like a pro, and I listen somewhat slack-jawed to her intel. “Don’t try to find ‘the one,’ because you will end up alone when the storm hits!” she explains, wagging a finger in my face. “I’m not looking for a ‘boyfriend-boyfriend,’” she points out. Labels are the death of cuffing season. Comfort is the objective. Snuggles are the goals. “But don’t necessarily settle either,” she opines. “I want to be able to, you know, at least stand the person, especially in the event of a blackout.” So finding a conversationalist or at least someone who knows how to make soup is key. But above all else, choose something great to wear, she advises. Sexy loungewear that’s comfortable without being slouchy, adorable without being precious.
A no-fail combo of Sonia Rykiel’s striped knitted sweater and a pair of Roseanna Juliet ruffled underwear is sure to stoke the fires of cuffing season. Roll around for hours along the colorful layers of a Misha and Puff patchwork blanket, and make a point to show off those Mimi Holliday Finch panties. And while you putter around the house after each other, do so while donning comfortable Minnie Rose pink cashmere slippers.
