Thoughts About New York Fashion Week from a Non-Fashion Blogger

I decided to go to New York Fashion Week this year because Afrobella peer-pressured asked me to come. And since I’m impressionable and I love to kick it, I went. I knew doggone well I had NO business at NYFW because I’m not a fashion blogger or a fashionista. The real reason I wanted to do was to do hoodrat things with my friends and to attend Cocktails & Couture, which Patrice was co-hosting with my girl Lianne Farbes. You know I’m always down for that.

Ennehweighs, while there yall know I had some thoughts about things I saw.

* Everyone’s outfits were doing the most with the least. Like the dude in the orange highlighter jacket or the folks in the Gaga heels. All this is so they can be photographed and end up on someone’s Street Style blog, looking like they belong in John Travolta’s failed movie Battlefield Earth. I spent the entire time openly staring at folks’ ensembles. That is one of the few times you can do stuff like that in NYC without getting beat up. So I took full advantage of it.

Speaking of crazy outfits, we ran into Patrice’s friend, Juan Carlos, who is a pedicab driver in NYC. That is a shirt made up of fabric cut up into the shape of marijuana leaves. And he dresses like this ALL the time. Not just because it was fashion week. And I loved it!

The guy in the spongebob shirt is his friend, John. I wanna ride on one of those petticabs one day. Maybe next time I’m in NYC.

* You’ll see random celebrities. We saw June Ambrose and Jay Manuel walk by and cross the street. I don’t get greatly moved by celebs so I didn’t make much of an effort to stop them and take a picture with them. Besides, I’ve met June before, at Blogalicious 2010 and we did the poison dance together. And Mr. Jay’s taller than I expected him to be. His hair is even frostier in person. It lowkey looked like that NSYNC video when they were dolls.

* Women will be in 5 inch heels they can’t walk in. And by 3:30pm, they’ll be scooting in them. I saw so many women in these sky high heels and watching them walk uncomfortably was slightly entertaining. As a heels-lover myself, I can see when a woman’s feet are at their wit’s end, because the slight lean they do and the short steps all point to pain. I BE KNOWING. Because I have been there, done that, got the tshirt and the matching tote.

Yes, those heels are probably fierce, but if you’re walking like you got a blister, they stop looking as cute and you start looking foolish. Girl, take those off and put on your flats. I was in loafers the entire time. I didn’t even attempt to rock heels. All that walking? NO MA’AM!

* You will see multiple people in the same dresses. You might not wanna rock an OBVIOUS statement piece from H&M there. Don’t get me wrong here. I’m not saying put on $1,000 designer dress to go to NYFW. I’m saying that if you’re going to wear something that isn’t expensive, make it classic, and not a trendy piece from one of these stores that everyone shops in. Case in point, I had on an Express blazer with Zara jeans and Steve Madden loafers. And my bag was from Modcloth. But none of it was on some “OOOO I just saw that for $19 at H&M.” Nope.

* Folks will be judging you. HARD. Everyone is looking at everyone else to size them up on how important they are and how fierce they dress. Seriously. NYFW is not the place for the faint of heart. It truly feels like a competition on who can dress the best and who’s most LACED in expensive accessories and clothes. I already knew this going in so I didn’t even try to be a part of the competition. I think my whole outfit cost $350. Total. And none of it was new. I wore stuff I had worn before.

And about folks judging you? It’s also about how stylish you are (not just about the expensive clothes). Which goes to what I already said. It’s why people are tripping in their heels they can’t walk in. You’ve gotta stunt to impress people you don’t know and might never see again. This is partly why I’m not about that Fashion Week life.

I was at Lincoln Center, and instead of watching shows, me and Afrobella and DeeDee of The Sassy Peach found an outdoor lounge, sat on a couch and sipped complimentary champagne. And we were judging folks’ outfits by cuteness factor for a long while.

And yes, I got tired and took off my shoes and took a mini nap. I realize I ain’t shit. BUT AIN’T NOBODY GON CHECK ME, DOE!!! lol

* The models are so damb white. And skinny. But that was to be expected. It’s still interesting to see though. And I just kept wondering “but clothes don’t look like that on real people.” Well, I know the models are real people but their bodies are so atypical. I saw one who had so much space between her thighs, her legs looked like the letter H. It was interesting. I KNOW I’m skinny but GOOD GAWDT some of those models made me look downright thicker than a snicker.

Anyways, I did have fun though because I got to hang with my friends and kick it around NYC. But NYFW itself is not for me. The events around it are what I love.

Have y’all ever been? Whatcha think?