No Pants Day

After another early wake-up call (thanks to Lucy's iPhone alarm!), we decided that the only cure for the 'last day in New York' blues was to return to the Townhouse for breakfast. Having being greeted with another warm American welcome, we were seated in a typical diner-style booth. Looking around filled my eyes with too many familiar faces, and I soon realised that we wernt the only kids-on-the-block who had sussed out this gem of an eatery.

I didnt need to look at the menu to know what to order: French toast with maple syrup and bacon was an obvious choice, alongside my hot chocolate and glass of iced water (which seemed to be customary and complimentary in most places we had been to!). Unlike yesterday's diner, this hot chocolate did not seem to come with a free-refill, which saddened my taste buds, but which I'm sure my bladder was thankful for!

Wrapping back up in a zillion layers and out onto the streets to Grand Central, where we were planning on catching the Subway down to Central Park. As we approached the beautiful building, a group of men turned to stare at us (something we had got used to by this point!) before shouting out to Jade: "Hey, I like your head ornament!" Head ornament?! Last time I looked we wernt wearing china across our foreheads....

A few stops later on the Subway and we arrived blinking in the daylight as the wind hit our faces up the street steps. In front of us was Ralph Lauren, which we had heard so much about from Tova over breakfast that morning. She had insisted that we go, as the store layout and visual merchandising was amazing, plus she highly recommended a trip to the toilets, as even they were worth checking out. Feeling happy with ourselves that we had made it to the store without even an ounce of trying, we went in. Within two seconds of us setting foot inside, we were greeted with a huge smile from the doorman, with the usual "Hi, how are you today?". Whether it was because he was a fabulous human being or because he sensed our tourist activity, he immediately told us how to get discount on all the products in the store, along with providing us with his own personal copy of the store directory. Feeling pleased with ourselves, and feeling a little pained by the smile which had been plastered across my face, we moved further into the store to explore.

Where was the amazing interior Tova had told us about? Dont get me wrong, all the stores I'd been to so far had had great insides, and this was no different, but it didnt reek of the magic which I was so expecting.

I looked down at the directory for some sort of clue as to where the toilets were, which is when I noticed the title on the cover. BLOOMINGDALES it read. We were in the Ralph Lauren section of a department store. Idiots.

Having laughed about this a bit too much, and gaining a few too many weird looks from the locals and workers, we made our way over to the makeup section. With a six hour plane journey facing us at midnight, we thought it was best that we kept our selection of face products up to date and full to the brim.

In this particular Bloomingdales is the David Burke @ Bloomingdales restaurant, which looked really delicious; and had we not have been on a student budget or full of maple syrup yumminess, I would have insisted that we go for a spot of lunch.

"Blazing across distinctions between chef, artist, entrepreneur and inventor, David Burke is one of the leading pioneers in American cooking today."

When I next go to New York, I will insist that my incredibly rich and devoting husband take me there, who wont mind paying $15.95 for a chicken ceaser salad...

Next stop: Urban Outfitters, where we were greeted by the best looking man I had ever seen in my life, which encouraged me to stay longer than necessary in the store. Luckily there was a huge sale upstairs, which meant that my few remaining dollars were effortlessly parted with me.

Inside the store was fairly classic for U.O, and not quite as exciting as the layout of the 5th Avenue store. That's what I thought, but that was before I went to the changing rooms!

All the doors reminded me of something similar to a scene from Alice In Wonderland, as they were all identical, and filled the whole room. The inside of the fitting room with it's plain gold chair and long mirror meant that there were no vast distractions to inhibit between you, the tryer-onner, and the clothes. This layout must have worked, as I bought both the things which I tried on:

The playsuit at the top is absoloutely lovely, and looks good as both a playsuit and with a top over it so that it looks like a pair of shorts. Favourite thing to wear with: cycle shorts.

The sleevless tee-cardi (bottom) was a bit of a wild card for me, and not something I would usually pick, but it looks great on. It works well as a layer over a see-through black body suit, bringing it together in the middle with a gold chain belt.

Paying for these items was a slightly less enjoyable experience, as only one member of staff was on the tills, and the person in front of me seemed to be having some sort of issue with returning a web-purchase. NB: I have no idea if that was what she was actually doing, but from my experience of working in retail, that looked like the most plausible option. Either that, or she was spell checking an essay for the woman.

Whilst I was waiting in the queue, I had a cheeky peak at the jewelry next to me and found this beautiful leather chain bracelet which I thought would work well on my wrist alongside my River Island cuff and new All Saints charm bracelet.

Having spent over $100, it was definitely time to leave.

Me being me, I thought that I knew the way to THE Central Park, as I tried to remember seeing it from the bridge when we first arrived in Manhattan. Sadly after walking around for no more than five minutes and a random trip to the Betsey Johnson store, my friends lost trust in my ability to direct, and so we touristically asked the nearest passer by. Being pointed in the right direction (being the opposite one to mine) we made our way down bustling streets until something caught Jade's eye. Barbie.

The big pink letters glared down at the three of us, and being the good friends that we are, ran like little children into F.A.O Schwartz and up into the lift to the first floor.

In the right hand corner, was Barbie heaven. There was a Barbie catwalk, where each Barbie robotically made its way down to the catwalk, including a little 360 spin at the end. There was an interactive section for kids, where you could sit down and virtually create your own Barbie (yes, mine was styled to perfection). Along with hundreds of other things, I spotted a Louboutin Barbie. After studying it for a good two minutes, I came out with "This one looks like a transvestite!" which seemed to amuse the woman next to me who looked at what I was talking about and burst into laughter.

Already the day was slipping away, and having left the store (+ one Barbie) we recognised exactly where we were - on our favourite 5th Avenue, East 39th Street, with Central Park and the fascinating Apple store directly infront of us. We were in New York heaven.

Having been here before, we knew that Armani was only a five minute walk away, and I was determined to return and purchase some $30 tea from the Armani:Dolci section of the store. Out of breath and looking a little red from the New York air, we made it to the chocolate counter where we were greeted by a new assistant. Secretly each one of us was praying that this time we'd be lucky enough to get offered a sample of the delicate and delicious chocolate treats which we had gazed at last time we had been. The woman clearly sensed our hunger and asked if we'd like to try a sample. Yes. Obviously we would. It was already 2pm and our fat new New York bodies were dying for something sweet!

As I tried to be as dainty as I could in opening the wrapper, I finally let loose and ripped open the tiny chocolate square and popped the whole thing in my mouth. I began to chew and waited for the cocoa goodness to melt over my tongue, but instead I was presented with a bitter and extremely powdery tasting hardness. I'd eaten 70% cocoa before, but this was simply not to my liking. Losing all sense of where I was, I whispered to Lucy, "I hate it!" before bursting out laughing at how awkward the situation was!

Sensing my dissatisfaction, the woman smiled and offered me a 'sweeter' white chocolate instead, which was much more enjoyable. Despite it's delicious taste, it didnt taste anything spectacular, and I soon realised that if I were to purchase any, I would merely be paying $15 for the brand name, and not the quality of the chocolate. Dont get me wrong, I'm sure many chefs have slaved over those chocolates to get them to perfection, but to my average British tongue, I was not blown away and thus didnt purchase. I was more tempted by the tea range however, but after learning that they were leaves and that my strainer/pot set was not at Uni with me, I thought that $30 for Black Tea with Chocolate could wait until my richer days. I would so like to one day offer someone a 'cuppa' and say that it's Armani...

By this point it is fair to say that I was beyond ravenous, and so begged Lucy and Jade to agree to have lunch. Easier said than done, as we seemed to be in one of the richer ends of New York, and so finding anywhere that matched our budget was a little out the question. Using our common sense, we decided to take our hungry tummies to the back streets away from the main strip, where we knew that milkshakes would soon be replacing champagne.

During our search, we passed a beautiful place called Sprinkles Cupcakes on Lexington Avenue, which to my disappointment, had not yet opened. Having Googled it, I think it was for the best that it wasnt, as I would definitely have returned home with a suitcase full of squashed cake, and a stomach full of icing.

Nonetheless, the website looks amazing, and the variety of flavours from banana, lemon coconut, peanut butter chip and vegan red velvet would suit anybodies diet or tastes. The store in New York opens April this year - perfect timing for my birthday. Another reason for it to be 100% necessary for me to return for my 19th.

Examining hundreds of menus and walking for what seemed like fifty blocks, God spoke. 'Eat Here Now' was what was written across a canvas top covering the door to a diner. We double checked the menu for prices (as all princesses shouldnt have to) and it looked like the perfect thing, and not just because they served milkshakes!

To sum up, it was a yummy and (thank god!) affordable diner, where the milkshakes were good and the waitresses dont judge you for swapping your salad for fries. Everyone seemed pretty chilled out in there, and I'm sure the woman on the table next to us would have been smiling to, were it not for the severe restrictions her mouth seemed to be having due to excessive botox.

Note to self: When handing you the bill, the server will always turn it face down onto the table. Guess this is an American custom? Though I'm not surprised they turned it upside down at 'Eat Here Now' otherwise I'd have gasped in her face when reading the included $7 service charge!

I am now a reciever of an urban email chain, which sends me venues of underground warehouse parties and secret events in NY, alongside other cool things which only the exclusively cool know about. Before you ask how I managed to get on the mailing list, I was forwarded into it by a shop assistant in one of the vintage stores. At the time, she had told me that today was going to be a 'No Pants Day' and to watch out for it on the Subways. In the nicest way possible, she was a little odd, and having seen everyone so far with their bottoms still in tact, I thought this could be another one of her weird little fantasies.

However on the way back to the hotel, I was stunned by a group of individuals walking down the stairs in just their pants. Trying not to stare was more difficult than I thought, and I felt a huge sense of satisfaction that I knew why they were doing it, instead of just being like every other shocked onlooker.

Just before returning to the Eastgate Tower Hotel, we took one last stroll down 5th Avenue, and stopped off in a shop which we appropriately named 'Tac Tac'. Whilst purchasing my various 'souvenirs', the shop assistant commented on my rings, saying how they make me look 'wild', before continuing to pursue me with questions to assess exactly how wild I was!

The final walk home to the hotel was a sad one, but everything seemed so magical and surreal in the New York City lights. We passed LEX Bar once again, which I'd so wanted to go to (damn being so young!) although it is definitely on my 'to do' list for next time!

As we collected our suitcases from reception and boarded the coach to the airport, I had a moment to think about the past few days and realised that the only thing I would have done differently is to have caught a yellow cab, which didnt really seem necessary at the time, as we were able to Subway/walk everywhere!

The past few days felt surreal, even after having done them all. New York had definitely exceeded even my high expectations, and already I was planning my trip back (maybe when the weather would be a little more to my liking!)

Jade & Lucy

Sitting in the airport waiting for our 11:40pm flight seemed to last a lifetime, and I had a McDonalds to pass the time. Who'd have thought they'd even do an American sized Happy Meal?!

I'd missed a certain few people since I'd been in New York and so was really happy at the thought of being able to go back and see them; but in my ideal little world, I'd have just popped them into a human-sized suitcase and have brought them back to NY with me, for my own little fairytale life.

Desperate for Vintage

Is it awful that when I wake up in the morning, the initial reason for getting dressed is so that we can get to breakfast quicker? This morning we went to Blooms Delicatessant, which has a really great atmosphere and is full of hot Latino waiters! Plus I sneakily caught side of a bowl full of sweets by the till - there's an incentive for handing over money if ever there was one!

As soon as we were seated to the familiar booth-set up, we were instantly offered coffee. Sadly I was far too English and declined the offer in favour of a cup of tea, but still, the thought was there.

Despite having a huge choice of deliciousness on the menu, I still decided to go for the usual. French toast, maple syrup and bacon.

Lucy typically ordered another round of poached eggs, before announcing to us all that there was a 'limit' on how many eggs you're supposed to have in a week (apparently it's six) and seeing as she had already hit this limit, we debated the possibility of her turning into an egg, now that she was all egged out.

With the bill needing to be paid, we headed to the counter with an excess amount, because we wanted the $6 change to pay for the subway. The women took our money, thanked us, and then went about her business. NB: No-one seems to give change in America. Why is this? They already add a service charge, and tax, and still expect to keep whatever's left over. Not happy.

So leaving the diner slightly poorer than we expected, we headed over to Grand Central Terminal. To call it 'grand' would be an understatement. The beautiful interior reminded me of something from the 20s, similar to the station in the Coco Chanel advert.

Oh! I forgot to mention as well - if ever you're 'in the area' check out a place called Park Avenue Tavern. It's only a minute or so walk from Grand Central, and although I never got to go, the amount of times I looked in the window on passing was sickening. It looks amazing and quotes itself as a 'new bar and restaurant concept'.

If I had been lucky enough to eat there, I think I would have had the Mushroom and Fontina French Bread for $13 as a starter. Mmmm! To choose an imaginary dish for yourself, or to book me a meal there, check out the website.

Back to reality, we got off the subway at somewhere we think was called Layfatte, although I'm still not entirely sure. Whatever the area was called, we were in China Town, and it was the most intimidating experience of my entire life. Having walked up the subway steps, the three of us were bombarded by people offering us deals on Tiffany and Louis Vuitton bags, heckling us to come over and see and try. The same strip of happenings seemed to go on for blocks and blocks, and feeling a little like our bags were going to get lost in the huge sea of madness, we ducked back down into the subway, and got off a stop later.

After emerging from the underground for the second time in the space of ten minutes, we magically ended up at Bloomingdales. Heaven! After the slightly less friendly atmosphere from previous department stores, I was slightly skeptical; oh how wrong I was!

Everyone was super friendly and the decor of the makeup section was similar to that of the inside of a warehouse which I'd noticed to be a theme amongst many of the stores we'd visited in New York so far. I also loved the window display (something which seemed to be rare to find due to the change of seasons).

Having made my way to the accessories section, I found these beautiful pair of studded Michael Kors hand warmers, and had it not been coming into the Spring season (wishful thinking) I definitely would have bought them!

As we made our way around the jewelry section, I found a brand of jewelry called Lucky Brand which looked pretty interesting and also reasonably priced. I saw a gorgeous ring for under$50, but sadly forgot to take a picture of it - so this is what it looks like! It really is beautiful, and it must be something special, as I'm usually not a fan of silver jewelry, but I would happily wear this on my hand every day!

The three of us also found some cute little Marc by Marc Jacobs bracelets, which we were going to buy as friendship bands as they came in three different colours, rec, gold and silver - though the larger version came in black, much to Lucy's satisfaction.

As we made our way through the handbag section, I remember noticing a specific designer Rebecca Minkoff and thinking how cute the bags were. Sadly the shoes seemed much more appealing by this point, and so it was only a moment of lust, but I think it most definitely love at first sight.

Quilted M.A.B w/ Strap

Rebecca first launched her apparel line in 2001, before releasing her range of handbags in 2005, and her famous 'Morning After Bag' was born. "In 2009, she was honored as a New York Moves Power Women for her entrepreneurial success in the fashion industry."

Having spotted the shoes and already have made a beeline for them, it seemed only natural to rip off my already knackered black studded boots and throw on the first pair of heels I laid my eyes on, which just so happened to be in the sale.

A beautiful pair of S-Falken's which had been reduced to $149.99 - still not really within my price limit, but it was fun to pretend all the same. I tried them on and although they looked amazing and made my legs look super long, they were also uncomfortably tight. I checked the size again and saw the big number 8 glaring bag at me as if it was on purposely saying BIG FOOT. Let's just keep that one on the low and hope that American sizes are smaller than ones in the UK....

A trend that I'd noticed whilst being in New York, was the puffa jacket - although I'm not sure they're still called that these days, but they were when I was younger. Whether it's due to the severely cold weather in the city or the fact that American's find them stylist, they seem to be on every body and in every shop you look.

Even Marc Jacobs has released his own version (above); and there was also a huge range of them in Uniqlo.

Marc by Marc Jacobs in Bloomingdales

As the day past our retail experience widened, seeing a woman doing yoga in the window of a store called Lululemon Athletics, the most hideously pink interior of jewelry store So Good and also the interesting library ladder structure on the back wall of Acne.

My mission of the trip was to visit The Hundreds store on Grand Street which I'd blogged about before we left.

It was exactly how I imagined it, except with a darker lighting setup and the whole place smelled like incense. There seemed to be no-one manning the huge Apple Mac at what I guess was the 'till' area of the store, and yet moments later there seemed to be a whole crowd of similarly dressed men in flat caps and jeans all hanging around in a group, laughing and talking amongst themselves.

From here we found ourselves walking past a cute interior store called Michele Varian which I would highly recommend taking a look at alongside Rachel Ashwell for shabby chic.

Our stomachs at this point could take the exercise of shopping no more, and so we ended up in a place called Bari. Although we were sat by the door (not to our enjoyment) the atmosphere was relaxed and the prices were reasonable, if not a little on the pricey side.

When we'd finished our meal (mushroom w/ spinach soup and chips) it came to our shock that we didnt actually have the right amount of cash to pay for our meal. And so the three of us were sat, literally emptying out our purses to count pennies, with the disapproving looks of pretty stylish people. Having embarrassed ourselves enough, we asked the waiter to split the payment between our cards, after which we made a swift exit.

Prada. A must-have experience to say the least.

There is so much to say about it, and although a picture says a thousand words, they were so hot on non-photography in there that I didnt even dare try. So I'll try and attempt to create for you the right mental picture:

You enter the store and immediately you notice a huge, round, glass lift on your left. In front of you is a staircase which seems to go on forever and ever and is bigger than you can plausibly imagine. Cascading down the stairs are a huge array of mannequins in life-sized gold frames. Models in the frames combine Spring dresses with Winter fur hats. There is also a hanging up screen with the S/S 11 catwalk show playing. On the lower level is a futuristic box style layout, similar to Cyberdog in London (except lighter and less weird), and it almost feels like a walk in wardrobe with a runway combining all the compartments. There are TV's in coffee-table styled islands between the clothing rails and a lethargic background music is playing; music with both a beat and futuristic feel. At the back of this is a huge seating area with hard jelly-style cushions on the seats. We noticed that a customer being served doesnt go to the 'till', the shop assistant sorts everything out and brings everything back to her - very personal service. The Prada LookBook, is hidden in a booth similar to a magazine or an office. The shoe section is arranged out of luggage trunks, giving it a very vintage feel, but this clashes with the contemporary mirrored ceiling.

Up the other side of the stairs is the mens section, where everything is arranged in hanging mesh cages with stripped back columns throughout the floor, very similar to a 'warehouse' feel.

Going up the lift to the top floor is like a ride, with a seat going all the way around.

The only negative thing about the whole experience was the fact that the security guard followed us around like a wasp follows an ice-cream, and like a human would to a wasp, we were getting very annoyed with his persistence.

Having left exhausted from the experience, we opted for something a little more mainstream, and so popped into Aldo, where I found the most hilarious yet amazing pair of sunglasses:

As we walked down West Broadway, I started to notice that wearing these had suddenly drawn a lot of attention to myself. Thinking it was just the 'British Style' which most people had commented on before, a boy who was walking past shouted at me: "Hey Kesha!". Apparently people thought I was the singer, Kesha. This was only then highlighted by the group of people who loudly gasped 5 metres away from me, only to sigh and say; "Dammit, it's not Kesha" as they reached a close proximity of my face.
It is fair to say that I mightily enjoyed my five minutes of (fake) fame and it also provided the three of us with fits of giggles for the next few blocks.

McQueen Dream

cottys Diner - not yummy!
Grand Central - subway, fucked up druggy woman shouting about 'doing 
it the right way'.....scared for my life! Getting off at 23rd instead 
of 28th due to laziness!
Nest - lovely boutique interior store on ninth avenue.
Shoegasm - nice vintage style shoe store
Blow - hairdressers, 13th street
Moschino - playing Rhianna, trendy, hearts everywhere, on the wall is 
images of the trouser cuts etc, hot male sales assistant
Hugo Boss - cool wooden woven architecture ceiling, not friendly sales 
assistants who told us off for taking pictures.
Alexander McQueen - where the heck is the door?! Self opening 
electronic door - technology. Amazing skull necklace, ring and clutch 
bag. Favorite one is the multiple coloured rhinestoe gold one with a 
skull clasp. Things hanging from the ceiling (manequins) and a big 
curve in the middle of shop (fitting rooms) very futuristic 
architecture, White, jewlery kept in glass containeres like in a 
museum, amazing heels with flower studded gold bottom and heel, 
amazing bag- union jack, studs and skull. Egg chairs.
Stella McCartney - flower wall, bags hangin on wall with carpet area 
and huge mirror, tv screen on mirror advertising the kids range, lots 
of sofas, soulful music began playing when we walked into store, 
spacious open plan with loads of mirrors around store walls, 
decoration with sequins etc
Diane Von F - scented candles as you walk through the door, mixture of 
hot pinks and black and White patterns.
Rubin&Chapelle - warehouse feel to interior with bare brick Walls and 
pipes, rough edged, American and Denmark, one is an architect, which 
you can tell in the cuts, 1997 started but NY store opened in 2002. 
Helpful man - who was the fashion student in this situation?! 
Manipulated cuts and prints to create beautifully intricate shapes. 
Fashion created postcards on wall.
Jeffreys - on the corner, first boutique store here, loud vibrant 
music and a friendly greet, full of clothes makeup shoes bur organised 
a bit like a department store. Fountain in the middle of the store. 
Amazing pair of shoes by Louboutin - studded leopard print. Beautiful 
tiny peace bracelet by 'Suel'. Tooth style necklace in gold by Hannah 
Martin. Animal rings by 'Pamela Love'. Studded leather skirt by 
"Christopher Kane".
Starbucks - "this earl grey tastes like I've shoved my mouth in my 
herb cupboard!"
Twin towers -
Century 21 - like tkMaxx! Disappointing and not stylish and not even 
affordable!
Tiffany&Co - broadway - beautiful interior like a fairy tale castle 
and with shimmering cyrstals hanging from the ceiling. "once upon a 
time" story book behind the glass.
Chelsea Girl Couture, vintage - spring street - nice vintage store; 
sells Chanel necklaces.
BigDrop New York City - selling glitzy clothes and jewlery
Links - "I like your style"
West Broadway - really nice area!
Longchamp- interesting interior architecture, wavey staircase
Evolution - science and art and soho - sells stuffed animals, skulls, 
shells, upstairs is like a museum of stuffed animals - pretty scary! 
African tribal art.
Cafe Bari - looks yummy
All Saints - iPad for stock search, technology
Takeaway pizza delivered to room!

Fashion Avenue

My alarm goes off.
It takes me a while to come to my senses, and slowly open my eyes; which is at which point, I find myself in a hotel room, with three other girls around me.
To the untrained eye, this looks and sounds like something out of a rather dodgy film. It was only when I looked at the suitcases and shoes on the floor that I realised exactly where I was, and I smiled.
I had woken up in New York!

After battling with the girls for bathroom time and straightener usage, we headed downstairs to the reception. Being a small (lie, I'm 5'10) girl in a big City, I thought I'd be super initiative and ask the hotel clerk about the best place to get some breakfast. The woman's smile however, told me that sadly, I wasnt the only clever-thinking girl in the hotel, and this was proved as we entered the TownHouse Cafe, to find nearly all of our colleagues sat there, tucking into pancakes.

We were greeted warmly by a member of staff, and instantly offered coffee and given menus. Oh, how happy my eyes were! Pancakes, waffles, bacon, french toast, muffins galore - this, was incredible. Having spent god knows how long deciding between pancakes or french toast, I stuck with my Canadian girl roots and ordered the latter. With smotherings of maple syrup, and some bacon for good measure.

I cant tell you exactly how long we spent in there, but I managed at least four cups of tea (how British)!
It was at this point that we realised how much we wanted to get done that day, all with trying to schedule in our meeting at the Fashion Institute of Technology, which we were to visit later that afternoon.

We re-traced our footsteps from the night before, and already everything was starting to feel strangely familiar. I guess people dont call the Big Apple 'home' for nothing! Huddling our way down 5th Av in about as many layers as you'd find in an onion, we were invited in by the scent of Sephora, one of the many famous makeup store's to be found.
As we entered, I was compelled and fascinated at the view around me. There was more makeup than I had ever seen in my entire life, all beautifully arranged on shelves with Hollywood style lightbulbs. Lipstick colour after lipstick colour made its way onto my hand for 'testing' (there was a beautiful Tom Ford colour called 'fine coral', check it out), before I noticed the Beauty and the Beast style stairs at the back of the store, which led up to the perfumery section. I was in heaven; but by the time I smelt like a brothel on popular night, the girls dragged me out, insisting that we had so much more to see.

Close by, was the famous Saks Fith Avenue. I say famous, but I would be lying if I said that I was familiar with the name before my visit. Although I'd like to write a lot here, I did not thoroughly enjoy experience. The members of staff looked at my in my fur coat like I was a vermin cat from the dustbins outside. We were offered very little customer service, and when it was, it seemed false, predictable and utterly robotic.
Although I am a girl of many words, I am not usually a girl of harsh words, and so forgive my negativity; but I do not appreciate people assuming that they know what I can and cant afford. Let me show you my black card.

With a swift exit, we realised that we were in fact opposite the famous Rockafellla Centre. The monumental Christmas tree towered above us as we walked closer towards it, chocolatiers and toy stores on either side of us. I felt like I was in a 21st Century Christmas movie, with me being the (rather large) child star. It felt a bit like Disney Land, with happy couples and and children holding hands on the ice rink, tall festive statues as far as the eye could see.
Having had more than enough photo opps, we entered the famous building and made our way to the lift. Once we'd stepped inside, joined by numerous other travellers, the lift began to move. The ceiling transformed into a see-through glass display, with lights and videos being projected onto it. I felt like I was in the final part of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, going up through the factory ceiling in the glass lift.
It was perhaps one of the most exhillirating yet terrifying experiences I can say I've had in a lift (if, at all!), and then we came to an ubrupt stop.
To my un-healthy body's dissapointment, we were not at 'The Top of The Rock', but had to walk the final few flights of stairs.
But oh my god, was it worth it.
I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting from being so high up above New York City, but it was definitely not this. Miles and miles of urban landscape stretched before my eyes, and the air seemed to be less bitter than before. The light fog which hovered above the city seemed almost angelic, and there was an intense feeling of serenity in the atmosphere. Even with my loud voice, everything felt so calm, and for a few moments, time seemed to stop completely...

Opposite the Rockafella, was much-hyped store Anthropologie (again, an unfamiliar name to me until I begun my year on FCP!). Multiple tutors on the course had expressed a deep love for this Urban Outfitters-related store, and until you go, you wont understand.
The window displays themselves were inviting enough, with them being more a work of sculptural art than a form of advertising. The visual merchandising itself within the store, of course matched expectations; and even exceeded them.
The theme for the interior seemed to run along the lines of woodland meets urban naturistic, with muted colours and woods and cottons. Fake trees and flowers lined the floors, with displays made out of tree-pine and various other materials. There was even the traditional moose head above the exit, which I noticed as we asked the security guard for directions on how to use the subway...

We arrived at the Fashion Institute of Technology rather un-fashionably on time. Although the subways had seemed like a maze of letters and numbers, our University brains stepped into gear and we'd somehow made it to the doors of the University's exhibition space. This part of our trip was the only bit which had been organised as such

The Triple Crown - Irish Pub - chicken noodle soup and French fries -
too posh to be an Irish pub! Delicious cranberry juice! Awkward exit -
do they not do change?!
Macys - betsey johnson jewlery
Victorias Secrets - spent £120! People go mad for a sale! Not friendly
customer service, but said they watch Eastenders.
34th Street District - feels like Oxford Street!
Apple store - big glass square with time warp lift!
Bergdoff Goodman - no music inside and my bloody iPhone starts playing
kooks! Manequins are randomly placed making them looking like
beautifully dressed shoppers. Expensive, classy, elegant!
Louis Vuitton - animal bags in window, boxes with bags in move from
side to side, catwalk shows on pillars, big vintage luggage boxes
stuck on Walls, can't believe when a man said we could take the
elevator instead of stairs, I shouted "thank god!"
Burberry - bright with dark woods and open plan. Catwalk projection at
back of shop. Lots of staff and ambient indie music. Burberry Prosum
stud coat, to die for. Multiple floors.
Mui Mui - gold carpet and vintage pattern curtains for the Walls -
with the glass and mirrors feels like a walk in wardrobe! "I love
these shoes!" "Why don't you just find them on eBay?"
Chanel - got locked in! Had to go out the back staff way!
Abercrombie - loud music, smells amazing, better than Holister, more
space etc
Armani - futuristic meets art deco. Trying on sunglasses "I look like
I'm ready to watch 3D tv". New S/S stock at front of store. Chocolates
etc on 3rd floor. "Armani Dulci" (sweets line) started in Milan 2002,
only in selected cities; do black tea with chocolate. Bar/restaurant
looks amazing.
Saks fith avenue - Lucy bought sunglasses, I say: "I feel like you've
just given birth I'm so happy for you!"
Hard Rock Cafe - got served VIP, queue jumped over 20 peple because
we're London girls- love being British and male waitors! 1729 calories
in mac and chicken meal. Velvet crush cocktail.
Broadway - tramp man said "ey" - we follow with "turn my swag on" -
distasteful.

The Journey Begins

It would be true to say that I am a girl used to late nights, but boarding a coach at 1am is something of a challenge. The journey from Nottingham to London lasted a tedious 4 something hours, which was even more frustrating when it would only have taken me an hour from home. Thankfully, I had the company of my lovely friends, and also the yumminess of a cute cheese sandwich that Lucy had made both me and Jade for the trip.

I cant remember a lot about what happened in the airport, as I was so exhausted by this point. When were we going to be there? I do remember a girl having food poisoning or swine flu or something equally as horrible in the queue behind us, the poor thing. She didnt make it to the airplane. 

The flight was long, but made bearable by movies and food. Lots of food.

Bits and Bobs

So today was the last day before the big VAT rise! To be honest, as awful as this may make me sound, it hasnt really phased me that much - although inevitably being a student, I am never a fan when it comes to anything costing above a tenner; but in terms of it affecting my overall lifestyle, I cant say that in a few months to come I'll even remember there was a change - other than the fact that I will have less change in my purse . . . hmm! Maybe this increase is a bit more of a blow than I thought!

Mathematics aside, I hit the city for a spot of shopping to try and fill up my suitcase with some winter warmers. Anyone who opens my wardrobe would be forgiven in thinking that I live in the middle of the Sahara desert; what with all the maxi dresses, shorts and just general lack of anything long sleeved. With "mission:knitwear" in mind, I skimmed through the sales in just about every store there was, before doing a second lap of the shopping centre. I always thinks that helps - lap 1 creates an awareness for the products available, allowing you to assess all stock in different stores before deciding on your favourite ,leaving lap 2 for the direct purchasing - meaning less time spent faffing about with the 'do I, dont I' buying dilemma, and meaning less disappointment when you see the same thing in another store for half the price.

I really am quite clever when you think about it! ;)

First off I started by purchasing this little baby; the original 'snood' - scarf with a hood, not none of this, circular scarf business which has also named itself 'the snood'. Confused.com! I saw this in River Island and thought it was yummy, as well as being ridiculously soft!

£24.99 River Island

Both my sisters gave the classic "you have weird taste and I hate it" look when I asked them what they thought of it! Personally I think it hits both the practical mark and also the style box - think "hippy goes to the Antartic and makes the most of the caravan rug". Not everyone's cup of tea I suppose!

Topshop was my next destination, as despite being my favourite shop, it also always has an excellent supply of knitwear and accessories. Storming over to the appropriate section left me standing there like a lemon for what felt like forever. It seems that this Winter has seen the rise of the 'animal' trend in Winter accessories - as cute as they may have been, I sadly am not going to be the girl who walks down the street wearing a leopard print bear on my head and 'looks good'. Nor will I be able to 'work' a headband with fluffy ears attached.

Topshop

My sister forced me to try on this Russian style fur hat, also known as a 'Cossack' to which provided amusement not just to me and my sisters, but also the the female shoppers behind us - I think I must have saved them five minutes of embarrassment, deferring them from trying on the hat for themselves.

I also wanted a pair of shoes which actually had grip on them for once! Being a student has meant that my usual footwear now comes from Primark - and despite the price making it all worth it, there is only so much I can take of slipping around and absorbing water!

New Look

Being a massive fan of the 'wedge' shoe - for once teaming comfort with height - I went for two pairs of similar styles - one with fur edging and another in a camel coloured suede. Both pairs cost approx. £25 each and both are extremley comfortable! (Let's see if I'll still be saying that after a day of shopping in New York!)

Shopping on a budget; done! Now all I need are gloves, tights, hats, etc, etc . . .

The Hundreds

It appears that saying you're going to New York makes you seem both extremely popular and also appropriately cultured - both of which are checklist necessities for an 18 year old fashion student!

Whilst many people (albeit family members!) just want me to check out the 'must sees' and bring back memories and photographs, a certain individual has suggested that I visit a certain new flagship store and bring him back 'must-haves'.

Having never actually heard of The Hundreds (let this information go no further than my blog!), I thought it would be a good idea to have a little snoop around to gather the dirt on the 'apparently' popular streetwear brand - that and also the fact that I wanted to find out some relevant information so that I would have a valid reason for not wanting to spend my money on shopping there! (I'm sure Century21 would much prefer my dollars...)

Created by Bobby and and Ben Hundreds and inspired by LA lifestyle/Californian culture, the brand reflects the dominant streetwear styles from the past two decades and thus can afford to limit its stock to exclusive street and skate boutiques.

It is important however, to understand that The Hundreds is not just a clothing label, but a "2-part lifestyle project", incorporating the clothing line and an online magazine.

Something which I think is personally very interesting, is the obviousness that the brand really is the embodiment of 'paying attention to detail'. Despite the laid back attitude which the clothes symbolise, The Hundreds really do make every little thing count.

After spending over a year finding the perfect location for their new flagship store in New York (opened in September 2010) the company hired award-winning architect firm Johnston Marklee, and together created "a modern boutique imagined 70 years into the future" and here is an example of the outcome:

Looks like streetwears version of 'shabby chic', mixing the urban with the prestigious and I love it.

Now, if you like me, are just learning about this annoyingly-interesting brand, then I'm sure you'd actually like to know a little bit about the clothes they supply too.

I was hoping that I would be disinterested from the word 'T-Shirt' and thus would end any opportunity for temptation to arise, but it appears that instead, I'm now adding 'dresses like a 'The Hundreds' model' to my "dream boyfriend" checklist!

I had a rummage through their Winter Collection 2010 and have chosen my three favourite looks (image below), which I think best capture the essence of 'cool' and 'casual'; the 'I am super stylish, but in a way which looks like it's natural':

Having just entered it's 8th successful year in the industry, the two B's must be doing something right! And with an impressive archive of international collaborations (Disney, H20 and BMX to name but a few!) it really is no wonder!

Even their opening hours reflect the brand's attitude and who their target market are - as who with the 'right' lifestyle would make it out of bed before 11am...?

Following this, a look onto their online magazine suggests an even bigger world for the brand, with projects such as the photography based blog "ynoT?" and the video project "Video Daze", it is definitely worth your time having a look.

With all this in mind, it sadly seems that, despite my uneducated hesitance, I will in fact be seeking out the real life version of all this in just a matter of days (eek!). My sheer awe of the motives and outlook the brand has is incentive enough for me to part with some precious dollars, even if it's just on the taxi journey there to simply say that I've been - and possibly to provide my own sneeky photographic evidence!

I also appear to be in love not only with the NY store, but also the one in San Francisco, where the visual merchandising and general store layout seems to be something not short of retail magic.

I wonder how much the pilot will accept to de-tour...?