My favorite method of getting around is by far to walk. New Yorkers are the fastest walkers in the world (scientifically proven) and I may not be a native, but it has absolutely caught on--so I have covered many, many miles of this city over the months I've lived here.
One thing that I love to do while I walk up and down avenues is people watch. I've been an awkward starer my whole life, and living here hasn't changed that. (Even though I did get a comment once on a subway in Brooklyn...but for the record, those women were being insanely obnoxious. Everyone was staring, I just happened to be the only white person there. Racism and stuff...)
Anyway, because I live in one of the fashion capitals of the world, my people watching has become trend-watching and where I used to try to guess where a person came from when I saw them, I now oftentimes wonder what possessed them to wear such an awkward outfit instead. For a place bursting at the seams with celebrities, designers, and fashion empires, there is precious little fashion sense worth commenting on.
I've seen one too many fashion mistakes today, so I'm hoping to shed a little light on why most people have so much trouble choosing what to wear in the morning. It's mainly women that apply to what I'm about to say, because men's fashion is timeless and most men don't have any to begin with-- but here it is: trends have the potential to destroy your wardrobe.
Trends are the changes the fashion industry makes to keep itself from becoming common. Without trends, we'd all still be wearing sheets for clothes. But people--young people especially--follow trends like a fat kid chasing a candy bar. And for some reason, the west coast is especially prone to it. This is for you, hometown!
As a teenager, I was one of those trend-followers. Every season I felt like my whole closet was useless and I would end up spending a fortune on cheap copycat clothes at Charlotte Rousse and the like. It got to be so stressful and I was never happy with my look because it was always about to be old news. It wasn't until my senior year that finally understood my favorite stylists in the world, Stacy and Clinton of TLC's What Not To Wear, when they would repeat over and over again to their clients, "You will always look stylish in what works for your body" and "These pieces are timeless." And, I finally have a closet that follows those rules.
I can't begin to tell you how hard I fought the idea of a mature wardrobe. I stubbornly bought leggings, baggy tank tops and gladiator sandals all through my school years in an effort to express how comfortable and casual I wanted to be. And every day, I went through outfit after outfit trying to decide how good I felt about myself that day. I thought I wanted to reflect my attitude, but what I really wanted more than anything was to stand out. I felt average-looking in other areas and so when the idea finally came to me to stand out in fashion, I started to make some changes.
It all started with thrift stores. Those places are gold mines, and I'll explain why. Besides the fuzzy old lady sweaters and odd-smelling suit jackets, thrift stores tend to carry a wealth of gently-used more tailored items. And, chances are if you look hard enough, you'll find something that fits you. It's all the more special because it's one-of-a-kind. That's how I started--fitted pants, classy cardigans, shell tops in interesting colors, tailored dresses. All those things are essential to great-looking ensembles.
But, although I bought them and liked them, I wasn't brave enough to really experiment with my pieces until I moved to New York City. It's much, much easier to desire to dress like a fashionable business woman when you're surrounded by them! For those of you that can't move here tomorrow, I guess you'll just have to be brave and trust me.
Girls, the key is and always will be...FIT. If it fits you well, accentuates your good parts and minimizes your bad, you'll look good no matter what. Worry about color and print later. Fit is the absolute key to an outfit that, when people see you, they think, "Wow, I love her outfit." You can have the cutest outfit in the world, straight off the mannequin at Anthropologie, but unless you have that mannequin's body no one will notice how great you look in it because you won't really look that great. Forget what you see in magazines and catalogs. You can't be those girls. Sure, take inspiration from them, but if it your choices come down to cigarette or relaxed fit and you actually have calves, be realistic!
Now I know just what works for me, and shopping is easy. I feel ok spending more on something I know is fantastic. My closet is full of tailored pants in interesting prints, beautiful flats (something I used to hate), oxfords, statement jewelry, fitted dresses and leather bags. Things that, no matter what trend I try on next, will always make me feel good and look better.
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