For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you know that I just attended New York Fashion Week. It sounds fancier than it really is, but a cool experience nonetheless. It’s a people-watching phenomenon mixed with a lot of beautiful twenty-something year olds wearing $900 shoes and taking selfies despite their entourage of photographers capturing their every move. So where does a thirty-something mom of 4 fit into all this? I’m still trying to figure that all out. What I do know is that it was A LOT of juggling schedules, making sure the kids at home were taken care of (thanks mom and dad!), navigating a foreign city, running back and forth from events to the hotel to nurse the baby (which by the way, I don’t recommend changing a diaper in a bell sleeved dress), and figuring out what the heck to wear in a place where anything goes but EVERYONE is watching. Yeah. That’s pretty much NYFW in a nutshell. It was a whirlwind of a trip, but I got to experience the runway scene, showrooms, fashion blogger parties (you can only imagine….), and while it was nice to get away, I would hardly call it vacation. After two days of running around the city (in heels no less), I was wiped! While I sit here and digest all that I did and saw (lots of fashion inspiration to share) I figure I’d start off with what I wore.

What I Wore to New York Fashion Week:

Travel Outfit:

We took the train from Philadelphia to NYC so I wanted to wear something casual and comfortable. Chic yet walkable, if that is such thing. So what else but….jeans and a white tee. I jazzed it up a little with these lace up clogs (super easy to walk in and adds a good 2 inches) and polished it off with a vest. From the train I went straight to a showroom so I needed a double-duty outfit.

Wearing:

Tee (wearing a small) | Vest | Jeans (similar, lower price point here) | Shoes | Bag

Runway Show Outfit:

I was invited to a bunch of runway shows, but unfortunately due to timing, could only attend one. Still kicking myself for missing the swimwear show (how cool would that have been?!), but the show I did attend was AMAZING. Do you guys remember Leanne Marshall from Project Runway. Her SS 2017 collection was beautiful. Lots of flowing chiffon juxtaposed with more structured pieces and it was all shockingly wearable… like straight off the runway wearable. Brides-to-be, take note!

And I wore a pretty amazing outfit if I do say so myself. And I can say that because it was my grandmother’s. She is my true style icon and I should probably do a post on her classic style at some point. Anyway, she has this amazing leather skirt that is probably at least 50 years old. I felt really special wearing it. I dabbled pairing it with an everyday white tee because I love mixing fancier statement pieces with casual wear, but I settled on this cropped long-sleeve top. I threw on a pair of mules (because walking in NYC is no joke), some minimalist jewelry and called it a day. I ended up wearing this to the fashion blogger party as well because it was just too special to wear for only 30 minutes.

 Wearing:

Top | Skirt (vintage Neiman Marcus, but this is similar) | Shoes | Shades

Meetings Outfit:

The next morning I was off to a meeting and another showroom (Baublebar – so good!). To offset the bold outfit from yesterday, I switched gears to a softer more romantic look. Thank goodness for Anthropologie – they make dresses that really don’t need anything else. The sleeves on this dress were everything! I squeezed one more use out of my favorite summer espadrilles before they are stored for the season. For accessories I went tonal with a pretty pair of chandeliers, a light blush clutch and (GASP)…..$18 sunglasses (take that Fashion Week! ).

Wearing:

Dress (size 2 for reference) | Shoes | Shades | Clutch

Take Me Home Outfit:

And that was about all of the “dressing up” I could handle. Faster than you can say “Vera Wang”, I changed out of my last look and dove into jeans, sneakers, and a cheeky tee (which is sold out, but this one is similar). We grabbed a bite (and a beer, obviously) at the train station and were en route home to see the rest of my babes.

Wearing:

T-shirt (old, but similar here or here – I typically size up) | Jeans (similar, less expensive option here)| Sneakers | Bag

Thank you all for following my journey to NYC and checking in to see how it went! As I said in an instagram post earlier today, one day I’m wearing vintage leather and sipping blood orange mimosas at 10am, then next day I’m in sweatpants slopping together pb&j’s for lunch. I’m not convinced mom’s can have it all – a job they truly love and being a full time mom, but for New York minute, it felt pretty close.