A Wren Says

When I discovered I could get tickets to attend New York Fashion Week shows, the first thing I did was freak about. The second thing was panically ask myself, “What am I going to wear?” I was preoccupied with planning my outfits. I was obsessed with dressing the right way. And then I realized that it was not a good use of my time. I was there to learn. I went to three shows, each with their own vibe.

In the end, this is what I wore.

Clothes.

Okay, that’s not helpful. To be more specific. I thought about what I had in my closet that might fit the vibe of the designers’ previous collections.

For The People’s Runway, I drew inspiration from KidSuper, the brand hosting the designer showcase. I did my best to pull off a casual, street-style aesthetic. I work cargo pants and a boxy oversized linen shirt. To be honest, I looked more like I was just in the workshop sketching and sewing than I looked cool. But that was fine.

The Sandy Liang look is cutesy and feminine. I looked through my wardrobe that is decidedly not that and did my best. I chose to wear lighter softer colors, even though my outfit was otherwise androgynous, with a button down and wide leg pants. At least I put a bow in my hair.

Finally, there was the Grace Ling show, a brand known for slinky evening wear that’s daring. There was no way I was going to fit that vibe based on what I owned and felt comfortable in. I just decided to look put together with a oversized white button down and black wide leg pants. I did worry that at some point someone would assume I worked the event as I looked around at the event management employees. It worked out; no one requested anything of me.

With all of my outfits, I wore my Sacai Blazer Lows in White. I wanted something that said I know a touch about fashion but also want to be able to walk across the city.

Did any of the street photographers chase me down to pose? No, that would be laughable. However, I felt like myself, not like I was playing dress-up. I didn’t stress myself to fit in. I already had a ticket. I belonged, no matter what I wore.

Though I was intimidated by the idea of getting dressed for fashion week, it wasn’t as big a deal as I thought. There’s no need to stress. Whatever you want to wear will be fine. But if you still want more ideas, I’ve got that coming for you tomorrow.