Battery Park

Last October, my sister, Amber, and I ventured to New York City (NYC) for a girl’s trip to reconnect with our cousin, Ceslee. On the way to New York, my seat mate provided additional sites for our trip. This was my third visit to the Big Apple and my sister’s first.

              As fate would have it, we arrived to a cold and raining NYC. However, the rain did not stop our parade. Our first three days encompassed visiting traditional sights:

• One World Trade Center
• Lady Liberty
• Times Square and a delicious Jewish deli near 38^th. (I highly recommend the MJ show on Broadway.)
• Brooklyn Bridge

In Harlem, we bought goods from street vendors, ate at Sylvia’s and strolled the neighborhood decorated for Halloween. We attended Women of Culture’s talk with two young fashion designers. In addition, we able to shop at our first sample sale where Amber bought designer socks for her boyfriend.

              Along the way, we met kind people such as the policeman who directed us to Wall Street from the 9/11 Memorial and the polite and attentive sales associate at Aesop. One of my favorite visits was to a black owned skincare and soap store specializing in sensitive skin at the City Point BLKYN called Beautiful Amore Skincare. The soaps smelled great and were gentle on my skin.

The High Line

Fortunately, the rain departed, and the sun shone brightly on our fourth and final full day in NYC, henceforth known as “Ladies in the City South Hampton (Soho) Shopping Day.” This was our favorite day too because our cousin took the day off work to show us another layer to NYC.

The day commenced with high tea at the Plaza Hotel. We ordered three different teas, ate sandwiches, and nibbled on pastries. We walked off the calories with a stroll through Central Park where people were ice skating and enjoying the sunlight. After taking in the sights, Ceslee led us through Bergdorff Goodman – a high end clothing store – where we indulged in off runway fashion and got a peak into the world of the elite. Once we took note of current fashion trends, we were prepared to begin!

We dashed to Soho to commence our shopping day. We visited Madewell, Polene, Cos, Celine, Aritzia and Everlane. My sister and I got a taste of higher quality fashion (and higher prices). Earlier in the week, our cousin had us complete an exercise where we synthetized our style in three words:

Our shopping experience helped us hone our tastes.  I discovered Ceslee is a great person to shop with; she will help you weigh the pros and cons of a purchase and see how it fits in your aesthetic and lifestyle. For example, she encouraged us in a few ways:

1. To use our descriptions as a guide for the clothes we try on and ultimately purchase.
2. Take a picture of the clothing and labels if you are not ready to commit. This way you can find it either in person or online later should you wish.
3. Let others pull options for you – you might be surprised by what complements your body.

I appreciated this last tip as my “Grand” Aunt Patricia taught me about cool and warm tone colors during the summer. She told me that cool tones looked better on my complexion. This education coincided during a time when I was paying more attention to the compliments I received when wearing clothing. Which colors did people like on me? What cuts suited me? Finally, Ceslee suggested a book for Amber and me to read to help us as we uncovered our emerging sense of style, called The Curated Closet.

We ended the day at Everlane where Amber purchased cute, gloved boots. Then we picked up dinner from Lombardi Pizza (thanks LAX to JFK seatmate!), gobbling a slice while rushing from the platform onto the train. It felt like a true New Yorker experience!

Amber and I finished the night in Brooklyn with dinner at Kimoto Rooftop Restaurant with my college friend, Lawrence. Few things feel as great as seeing people you care about looking good and doing well for themselves. We dined, reminisced about college days, and discussed the state of romance, dating and marriage for the thirty and above population.

JFK

The next morning Amber and I boarded a plane to Los Angeles filled with pleasant memories and hurried feelings of our time in New York. I do not believe my sister is in a rush to visit again. I, on the other hand, look forward to my next spin in the city. Who knows? Maybe when I come back, I will know the name of the stores I want to shop in. 😃

Garment District

Now, I would like to learn a little about you. Have you ever overhauled your wardrobe or redefined your style? What struggles did you encounter? What successes did you claim? What learnings will you impart? Please share in the comments! As always, I keenly read your comments, impressions, and opinions.