An Empire State of Mind

Last weekend I had my first “going out” experience in the big city.  A big group of my girlfriends went into New York City to celebrate our friend Jenn’s 21^st birthday, and we had a blast!  I definitely noticed some hot New York trends while I was there, and figured I would share with you what’s hot right now for going out in the city… Especially for those of you who may be visiting NYC from out of state, be sure to pay attention to these tips!  New York is definitely not the place where you want to be caught sticking out like a sore thumb because of your wardrobe choices.

First and foremost, if you haven’t yet noticed (maybe you live under a rock), please in New York love to wear black!  You can’t go wrong pairing black with just about anything, or even an all-black outfit.  This is perfect, because black is slimming anyway… So you’re bound to fit in with the styles and look hot doing it!  If you’re not into being so dark, then my next suggestion would be to stick with neutrals.  White, cream, nude, beige- you get the picture.  I think that deep, rich colors would look the best as well, like navy, evergreen, maroon, grape, and other cool neutrals.  If you’re feeling bold, then by all means play around with some brighter colors, but in my opinion NYC is the perfect place to keep things cool with dark shades and be somewhat mysterious.

Now that we’ve touched on colors, let’s talk about what’s going to make up a New York-style ensemble.  If you want to start from the bottom up, GET A SICK PAIR OF SHOES!  There is no better place to show off that hot new pair of expensive shoes that you are so proud to own than NYC.  Obviously, I would suggest anything black again.  If you don’t want to go entirely black, then at least pick shoes that have sexy black straps or black accents.  I would also suggest chunky platform heels!  They’re wildly in style right now, especially in a city that’s as stylish as New York.  Here’s a pair of Jessica Simpson leather t-strap platform heels that would be perfect- and they come in both black and brown!  Also, anything by Jeffrey Campbell would be amazing for this type of look.

Next, the clothes!  The sexy summer look right now seems to be high waist black shorts with a fitted cropped top… at least five of us girls were wearing our own style of this type of outfit.  If you’re not big on high waist shorts, then obviously a well fitted black skirt or black skinny jeans with those killer heels would look just as good.  If you can pull off a fitted crop top, DO IT!  They are so stylish right now, and there’s a ton of different varieties out there to choose from.  If a crop top isn’t your thing, then your best bet is just to find something black and flattering… sounds simple enough, right?  Whether your best asset is your waist, your boobs, your long neck- whatever it is, get something to show it off!  And not to sounds like a broken record, but I would mostly stick to New York’s signature color of black.  Always flattering and you can never go wrong.  If you want to wear a white/nude/cream top to lighten it up for summertime, I would support that too.  Try a cute lace or fringe top!  Or even one with some cute cut outs.

Moral of the story, stick to basics like black, but make sure you glam yourself up!  Add on a wrist full of bangles, a pair of statement platform shoes, and some sexy hair.  New York City is so incredibly fun; just make sure you dress up to these principles.  You can wear simple colors or simple garments yet still look like a smoke show.  Let the shoes do the walking, your outfit do the talking, and the boys do the gawking…   Get into your own empire state of mind.

Written By: Christine Kunz

Photo Sources:
http://www.shoeperwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/jessica-simpson-dany-platforms.jpg
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http://dannlewis.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/scan0001.jpg