Let’s face it, first impressions rely heavily on looks. I don’t mean looks, as in how pretty someone is. Looks, as in someone’s style. As much as we all like think that we judge our first impression on personality, secretly, we are eyeing what shoes are being worn, how the said person’s colors are being coordinated. Is this a bad thing? I would like to think not. After all a person can easily mislead you about their personality…..but there is no hiding whether or not someone has style.

I happen to be a 19 year old girl in one of the biggest fashion capitals of the world. I have friends who can get a glimpse of fashion week right out there window twice a year. So what do you do when you live in a playground for fashion designers and models? You keep up…and in any way that you can. The streets of New York are virtually a runway. Its not enough to basically look cute or pretty, you have to stand out. Now some people like to take the Lady Gaga route but , personally I would like to describe my style as the understated showstopper. Mainly because I’m on a very small budget, but mostly because I am one of those firm believers of the saying “less is more”.

So if you’re reading this you probably are a alot like me. Young student trying to make ends meet, you work, go to school, and play in the city. You come across countless girls wearing amazing outfits. Despite the outfit looking like a million bucks, your somewhat trained eye (thanks to years of fashion magazines and window shopping) knows that it didn’t cost a small fortune. This poses the question: how do they do it? Luckily, females in New York have countless resources. There are plenty of blogs, fashion magazines, and how to books helping us all look great for less. For those of us who can’t afford Alexander McQueen and Dior, we have H&M’s , and Forever 21’s in practically every part of the city. We have stores like Century 21 that give discounts you wouldn’t believe on big name brands.

Now that we have so many options available to us, all we have to do is create a new look. In a city where first style impressions are EVERYTHING, coming up with your own look is almost as good as being able to afford designer threads on a daily basis. Almost.