NYC Day 1

You know that moment when you see your entire future flash before your eyes? You enter this one spot, usually some random street that has no correlation to what your dreams consist of, and this peculiar vision comes to mind and you immediately see your life, ten years from now, in that exact, random location. My personality type prevents me from doing such things on a regular basis (INFPs just don’t plan in advance, it’ll mess up our whole idealistic view of things), but the moment happened to me today. I wasn’t even doing important NYFW things (if only…); I was just on an Uber ride down to NoHo, looking out the window, and my future flashed right before my eyes. It wasn’t even some cinematic experience, it was just creepy. Maybe it’s because I find out I get into NYU in a month and a half, or it’s probably because New York has been my dream since I discovered that you can actually get a job where you work with fashion all day (my 11-year-old self is full-on fangirl squealing right now). Anyways, the dream. It’s here. I know it is. It’s strange to visit a place where that exists right before it could be coming true – how the hell is college move-in day in seven months – but it’s also liberating, exciting, and, well, freezing. I hate to say it, but I’m a southern girl at heart (I’m cringing just typing those words), so it’s odd to have your dream exist in 20 degrees with high winds that slap every bare piece of flesh on your body. But it’s New York City!! You can do it, Natalie! Yes, I could, but I’d look psychotic in a balaclava (I cannot believe I just quoted Vampire Weekend lyrics) and… fashion. But that balaclava is not getting anywhere near my face, so I kicked New York’s ass with a purple bandana and an arctic parka.

Yes, I pulled out the ol’ faithful bandana, which I have not worn since I was eight and wearing those as hair accessories was considered cool. Turtlenecks have my heart, but one can only own a certain amount of turtlenecks (is ten too much?), and constantly cycling them just won’t work, because, I mean, it’s New York Fashion Week. So I hopped off my horse, burned my cowgirl boots and hat, and whipped out the bandana to create this choker/neck protector/originally-Western-now-Parisian accessory. And to answer your obvious question – my neck never got cold. I slipped on my favoritedenim overalls over a layer of knit tights and my striped boat-neck tee (so French) and I rode off into the brutal winter. If only looks could kill.

But then I had to keep layering (sigh) with my shirt from Topshop that I used as a light layer, then this huge parka that, I know, is not a trendy fur coat or over-sized camel coat, but it gets the job done (plus Alexa Chung rocked one, so that means anyone can), and hey, that faux-fur hood means something, right?  I then put this weird hat I found in my dad’s closet on top of my cold head and I ended up looking like a condom but at least a fashionable one… Fashionable condoms? Is this a new NYFW trend? THEN *sweats* I pulled on these pale pink gloves (that Parisian look isn’t over) from J. Crew on my numb hands and… I just told off New York and its gross, sad weather. And I even looked good while doing it, maybe good enough to get photographed for NYFW except it was impossible to take off my maybe-distracting parka because I literally would have froze to death. And then I realized, I just defeated New York in its coldest winter weather in 12 years, I can do anything. If that anything involves having my dream up here, I think I’ll be just fine. Hopefully I can do just the same when it drops to 3 degrees tomorrow night.

 

Overalls by Madewell. Shirt by Urban Outfitters. Other shirt by Topshop. Coat by Athleta. Shoes by Sam Edelman.

Photos taken by Kendall, my sister and assigned photographer for the trip.

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