What to Wear: New York

What does one wear when visiting the most glamorous city in the world?

I pondered this as I sat in front of my closet, attempting to pack for New York. I’m spending a weekend running around the city before I have to head back to school, and while I’m excited, packing is a daunting task. New York fashion is known for it’s chic sophistication. It is never messy or undone, nary a hair out of place. Black features prominently, as does proper attire for winter weather. Practicality is juxtaposed with style, as it becomes cumbersome to strut from Bendel’s to Via Quadronno in stilettos. (Oh, believe me, I’ve tried.) Keeping all this in mind, my essentials for this weekend include:

• a black bag, for stashing necessities such as my cell phone, wallet, iPod, chapstick, etc.
• a black bodycon skirt, the uniform of young, trendy New Yorkers (and young, trendy wannabe New Yorkers such as myself)
• a black coat, warm but stylish
• a black, flat pair of boots – suede, over-the-knee styles are especially warm
• a pair of thick, black tights to layer underneath your look du jour

Although a timeless black ensemble is the trademark of a seasoned New Yorker, wearing head-to-toe black is guaranteed to make you blend into the crowd. Fashion is a way to break out of the crowd, to set yourself apart from everyone else. Don’t feel pressured to dress all in black simply because that’s considered classically New York. Inject pops of your own style to create an original outfit that will be admired no matter where you are.

To represent my style amongst a sea of fashion-obsessed girls in the city, I’m bringing girly blouses, my favorite pink cashmere cardigan, and Blair-inspired headbands galore. My nails, still bright coral from my trip to Anguilla, will be repainted to raspberry. (The particular shade is called, quite fittingly, Mademoiselle.) I’ll wear a dainty gold necklace and my favorite bow-shaped earrings. Although black basics will be the foundation of my weekend wardrobe, the rest will be my style staples – feminine details like bows and lace, and colorful headbands, tights, and cardigans. Sure, when in Rome, do like the Romans do – but make sure you have a solid injection of your own style, too. Otherwise, you’re just one in a million.