I heart NY

New York is THE fashion hub of the US if you ask me.  Not to discredit LA or San Fran or Chicago because they each have their own unique style, but NYC is where everything happens in the fashion world.  My husband and I make a few trips a year & I always try to work one of them into the month of December.  While fashion is an ever present phenomenon in NYC I find that it doesn't hurt to use the trip to pick up a few last minute gifts for those hard to buy-for friends & family members.  And, it is simply the most magical place on Earth around the holidays!  So after a few days in my beloved NYC, I figure it is only appropriate to give you all a few "trends" I observed during my visit.

First, we have what Frank calls the "I look like I live in Alaska" trend.  Puffy coats are HUGE!  Mostly knee-length & black of course, but I did see a few shorter variations & my personal favorite were the fur lined hooded ones.  To go along with this "Alaska" look my husband so accurately described were fur hats.  Basically the good ol' hunting hat with ear flaps & all, but fur.  Last year I came home with Hunter rain boots, flat footed riding boots & sequins galore, but this year I didn't rush out to buy the crazy fur hat that I saw everywhere.  That being said, the New Yorkers who donned this style looked a lot warmer than I did, so I may have to re-think this one before winter is over.

Boots, boots, boots!  Boots were everywhere!  Lots of knee-high flat boots, LOVE these!  Leather variations on this style included black, brown, tan, and everything from suede to leather to pleather.  If you don't own a pair of flat-heeled knee high boots, you may just want to think about re-working your list for Santa because if NYC has anything to say about it boots should find their way to the top of your list.

Stripes.  Black & white stripes that is.  In almost every store front from Escada to Alice+Olivia stripes dominated the print du jour.  I must admit that I really love this trend & I made my best attempt at sporting it our first night out in the city.  So dig into your closet & find that T from the early 90's or go buy some black & white stripes, they are sure to find their way into your local boutiques if they aren't already. Here's my ensemble:

Striped sweater from Urban Outfitters
Leather pleated skirt from Alice+Olivia
White House Black Market fishnets
Report booties

Embellished shoulder pads.  This is a derivation from the military look that was so popular this fall, if you ask me.  I saw lots of dresses, tops, & sweaters with shoulders that range from lace overlay to sequined shoulder pads to feathers.  Quite a nice way to dress up a plain ol' t-shirt (and jack up the price) or reinvent last year's ruched jersey dress.  This is something that would be relatively easy to do yourself if you have a sewing machine and are handy.  I'm on the prowl for a piece for my own wardrobe as I'm really digging the looks I saw.

Lastly, feathers galore!  Sequins are still everywhere, but feathers are coming out with a vengeance.  Be careful with this trend!  If you are trying to downplay a certain area of your body, do not cover it with feathers or you may end up feeling more like Big Bird.  They are incredibly cool & I wanted more than anything to come home decked in feathers, but my body-type does not lend itself well to this trend.  If you have more of a boy-shaped body or find yourself in the kids department shopping for yourself this is the look for you & I am jealous!  I guess I will have to rock the embellished shoulder pad trend with feathers (which would totally work for someone with a fuller figure).

Anyway, that's the dish from this NYC trip... go deck yourself in stripes, feathers & fur... and keep rockin' the riding boots!

Stylishly yours,
DKG