As someone who has spent his whole life living in small towns, travelling to big cities gives me quite a rush. Out of all the cities I have had the pleasure to visit over the years, my favourite by far has to be New York. New York City is not just the city of Frank Sinatra and Billy Joel, but also the city of $1 pizza slices, Broadway rush tickets, and rats that absolutely hate announcements from the mayor’s office. When vacationing in a new city, especially one of such repute, many wonder; “What should I wear to differentiate myself from the tourists?” Well, dear reader, I have the answer for just that! This past reading week, I spent several days in New York taking in some theatre, seeing the sights, and wearing some pretty slay outfits. Of course, you might be thinking, “Jacob, you live in Sackville, New Brunswick! How could you know anything about fashion?” Well, to be honest, I do not, but for the sake of this article, you may as well call me Anna Wintour. So, here are my suggestions for some outfits you can wear if you ever find yourself in the “Big Apple” anytime soon!
Firstly, in my opinion, no trip to New York is complete without an evening at the theatre. For many, Broadway is the epitome of style, luxury, and world-class performance. While not a direct requirement, many theatregoers chose to dress nicely for the occasion. It is a great way to make your experience more elevated and memorable. Of course, this is merely a suggestion, and advice that I did not even follow. On my very first night in the city, I decided to purchase some rush tickets to this year’s Tony-winning best musical, Kimberly Akimbo. After a 12-hour drive culminating in me running from Times Square to the Booth Theatre, I can not say my choice of style was foremost in my mind. In a somewhat odd clashing of my two personality traits, my completely glamorous outfit consisted of a t-shirt from the musical Hamilton (slightly on-brand), and my coveted Taylor Swift cardigan (definitely not on-brand). Let’s just say I was very glad there were no celebrities in the audience to witness this overtired swiftie/theatre kid sobbing his eyes out at a Broadway show. Not my best look, but it goes to show that you can enjoy an evening in the theatre, even if you do get a ticket from the fashion police.
Next, you want to make sure to check out some of New York’s wonderful clothing stores. Shopping in the city is definitely overwhelming and overstimulating just with the sheer amount of options to choose from. You will spot anything and everything from the Louis Vuitton and Michael Kors at Macy’s to the “I love New York” shirts that look like they were made with desperation and a Cricut. If you are like me, you choose novelty over luxury. I was drawn by a shirt at the M&M’s World store that had the orange M&M saying “I’m afraid of what might happen if I relax.” I was quite struck by how relatable this slogan was, and had to take a minute to wonder if I had seen the orange M&M in any of my Mt. A classes. He may not melt in your hands, but it seems like he would melt under the pressure of a full course load.
Finally, you always want to make sure when you hit the streets of New York that you are selfie-ready. You will never know who, or what, you are going to see! New York is inundated with celebrities, from reality to royalty. Who knows, maybe you might want to snap a pic with the headless Disney characters in Times Square, or even the star of your favourite show! Or, you could be like me and be too scared to ask Conrad from The Summer I Turned Pretty to take a picture with you. Yes, this did happen to me, and yes, I am still reeling. But hey, the best thing about New York is, honestly, you can wear whatever you want. No one will care. Everyone is too busy running to a show, a store, or the subway. The city never sleeps, and it never takes a second to admire the outfit you spent hours putting together. My ultimate tip, wear what makes you the most comfortable and confident because remember, no one opens the door for a native New Yorker.
