New York has so so so many shops, each of them with their own window display, some good and some bad. Here are a few of the best and worst from the trip:
WORST:
There weren't many bad displays, but I was very disappointed at the lack of effort the Chanel window seemed to portray. I know Chanel is all about keeping it clean and simple, but it just looked boring, the outfits the models wore could have been better and the back drop was uninspiring. A big thumbs down for the Chanel visual merchandising team.
BEST:
For me Barneys definitely had the best display. I loved the different colours for each designer, and the clever use of lighting gave the displays it's own quirkiness. It draws it's audience in, so therefore must be a successful window.
Before I went I already knew Bergdorf Goodman would have an interesting window display from the research I'd done; it didnt disappoint! Although a lot more going on in these windows than in those of Barney's, I still think the use of lighting makes them successful. However they all followed a Christmas theme, so this is going to have to change pretty soon.
Louis Vuitton definitely won for wittyness. Although the display with the woman was quite 'normal', nothing out of the ordinary, the window displays next to this were anything but! In the next window was a series of glass jars, like the one above, all containing a different animal made up Louis Vuitton products. It was so random, but it was this that made it work so well. This frog was definitely my favourite! And then if you walked around the side of the building there was a window with a giant giraffe. Just what I expected to see!
Lanvin had the best window in the Upper East Side. It was actually different from all the other ones which just seemed like a repeat of each other. Neon lights were also a repeating theme in window displays this season, but at least it actually made them stand out from all the others.
Finally Dolce and Gabbana's window was the most individual display that I saw. I liked how they had just scrapped the idea of mannequins altogether and instead had just layed the outfits on the floor. At first I was like wheres the window display and it's not until you look down that you notice it. This then makes you properly look at the clothing instead of just giving it a quick glance. I also liked how the floor to ceiling windows meant that you could see right into the shop, making it seem a lot more open.
I think the visual merchandisers of Britain could take a leaf out of the New York book!
Whenever I get new clothes, I always insist on wearing them as soon as possible, and the same can be said about my purchases from New York! To start on the day I returned I went for drinks with my flat mates so this meant opportunity number one to wear a new outfit:
I decided on my black and white body from Urban Outfitters, probably my favourite purchase from New York, which I wore it with my black body-con skirt and then the dark purple/red lipstick that was also a New York purchase.
Opportunity number two came on Saturday at a night out at the SU. Here I wore the white Zara blouse that I purchased with my black body-con skirt again. I accessorised with the gold bracelts that I bought from Forever 21. I LOVE these braclets and have found an excuse to wear them with pretty much every outfit I've worn since coming home from New York!
Give me a few more days and I will have worn everything I bought whilst in New York!
I had the most amazing time ever in New York. It has been a place I have wanted to visit for as long as I can remember, so to actually get a chance to go was amazing. And it’s pretty much just how I imagined it would be to. Here’s an insight into what we did each day:
Before I left I thought my packing was quite successful. I mean I had at least one outfit for each day (didn’t know what the day would bring so I had to be prepared), I’d fitted it all in my case and it was under the weight limit. Perfect I would say! I didn’t think the same by the end of the holiday!
Day 0
The journey – was LONG! It felt as if we were never going to get to New York. But I did try to pass time on the flight by watching The Social Network, it is a pretty good film, playing Tetris on the in-flight games, and then eventually we found the music and had a little dance, but by this point I just wanted to be off the plane and the hotel.
The hotel – was BIG!
It didn’t look like much from the outside, and even inside, but as soon as we walked into our room we were like WOW! The rooms were huge, and we had the biggest double bed ever, we could have almost slept all 5 of us in it!
As we didn’t know where we were in New York or where we were going, we decided to take a walk and see where we ended up. This was Times Square!
This was one of them unreal moments where I was like ‘am I really stood in Times Square right now!’ It’s a place you see on films and T.V and on pictures, and then I was actually there, it was definitely a WOW moment! Even stood on the red stairs that are in the Jay Z and Alicia Keys video for Empire State of Mind!
Jay Z feat. Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind
Our next mission was to find the Rockerfeller centre. We knew it was close by, but we must have walked around and around in circles until we actually fell upon it. I think it was about 4 o’clock by the time we got there and we knew it was going to go dark soon, but we timed it perfectly. By the time we got to the top, it was the end of day light, and as we walked around the sun began to set and we got some amazing pictures of the sun setting behind the empire state building. It was such a perfect moment!
By the time we got back to the hotel we were absolutely shattered and so decided to order in a Chinese. It definitely came all American style with the rice in the cute little cardboard boxes!
Day 1
We started the day like typical Americans and went to the diner for breakfast.
Although I didn’t have pancakes on this day, I did try them eventually and they were good! Could not eat them every morning though, so so so many calories!
Our aim for today was to complete 5th Avenue; yes it was a very big challenge, but there was lots we wanted to see! It was a shame though that the first shops we hit were H&M then Zara then Urban Outfitters, we must have spent a couple of hours overall in all of these!
H&M
Urban Outfitters
However we did pick up the pace and got to see a bigger range of shops, including some high end ones, by the time it got to lunch.
Juciy Couture
Tommy Hilfiger
Diesel
Although from the outside Juicy Couture looked like what you expected it to, with big gold writing and a grand entrance, it kind of lived up to its stereotype, but inside it was quite impressive. The chandelier that hung above the staircase was gorgeous and the clothes themselves were actually quite nice. I was surprisingly impressed! I was also impressed by the entrance of Tommy Hilfiger. Although it seemed at bit Christmassy, (it was no longer Christmas) it was definitely eye catching!
FIT
After lunch we headed to the museum at FIT where we saw an exhibition based on clothing between men and women, which I found particularly interesting, especially as I had previously studied the history of fashion! We also saw an exhibition on Japanese fashion. It was interesting to see how different they dressed, and where there inspirations came from.
After we went back to 5th Avenue and hit the designer shops and big department stores.
Bergdorf Goodman
Barneys
Louis Vuitton
Dior
We finished the day with a trip to Times Square to see the lights at night time, which were even more impressive than in the day, and then we went to TGI Fridays for tea.
Times Square at night
White blouse $29.99 Zara, black and white body $49 and grey patterned tights $10 both Urban Outfitters, gold bracelets $5.80 Forever 21, brown eyeshadow $14 MAC
Postcard to send to my Gran as she always sends me one on holiday and the other is for my wall at uni.
On the top of my shopping list was a tacky I <3 NY top, and the key rings were gifts for my friends.
Day 2
We knew today was going to be long before it even started. We had a massive list of all the places we wanted to visit. This consisted of:
-Breakfast
-Statue of Liberty
-Ground Zero
-Century 21
-SoHo
-Tea
Yep it was a long list, but we managed to successfully achieve it all!
Statue of Liberty
Ground Zero
Tiles for America
From the diner we took the bus to the ferry so that we could get the ferry to Staten Island which would take us past the Statue of Liberty. Unfortunately it was snowing on this day so the statue was just a bit of a blur in the distance. But at least we got to see it! Once at Staten Island we jumped straight back on the ferry back to Manhattan. From here we took at taxi up to Ground Zero. I’m not sure what I was expecting to see at Ground Zero, but it certainly wasn't a building site like this. I think, even though it is over 9 years ago now, I was still expecting some big memorial with hand written letters or something a lot more personal than what was there. I suppose the Tiles for America that we saw on the way to Greenwich Village were more like what I was expecting. I also expected to see big plans on how the area is going to develop, but these seemed to be lacking too.
Just up from Ground Zero was the massive department store, Century 21; it had previously been described to us as TK Maxx on steroids. In some way it was, but I wasn’t too impressed. It was too big, too busy and too much clutter, I couldn’t wait to get out of there.
Next stop SoHo, my new favourite place EVER! It’s gorgeous, with beautiful architecture and amazing shops! When I move to New York when I’m older this is where I’m going to live!
SoHo
Stripy top $10 Topshop sale, nail varnish $5 American Apparel, dark red/purple lipstick $3 and foundation $9 pharmasist
One tacky shot glass for my boyfriend as a present, the other for me! And i was intrigued to try American skittles!
After a day of lots of shopping we had tea in this trendy bar, and then it was bedtime!
Day 3
For breakfast we decided to take a trip to Brooklyn. We had heard that Williamsburg was a good, arty place to visit, but once we had got to Brooklyn and realised that we had no idea how to get to or where Williamsburg was we had breakfast and moved on!
We took the subway instead to the Upper East Side. As a true Gossip Girl fan I was expecting it to look just like the T.V series; unfortunately it didn’t!
One of the first shops we went to there was one called Gagosian. It was a cool little art store/ gallery. Most of the things in there were very expensive, but in the back we found the supply of magazines. They had a current edition for a lot of magazines! As the most recent issue of LOVE magazine is no longer available in Britain, and I hadn’t purchased it, I thought that this would be the best buy!
We continued down the main street of Upper East Side, looking at all the pretty expensive shops but as none of us would ever be able to afford anything in them we just looked through the windows!
Prada
Lanvin
Finally we hit Central Park and saw a big shopping centre in the distance and decided that this would be a good place to warm up!
Central Park
Shopping Centre
Benefit Bad Gal mascara $19, Love magazine $17.99, American Vogue $3.99, Cosmopolitan (to keep me entertained on the plane) $3.99
Once back in the hotel, and after packing, we got all dressed up and went out for tea to Times Square again. However packing was a bit more difficult this time and involved me sitting on my suitcase to close it. This time in Times Square we went to a restaurant called Olive Garden, the food was gorgeous.
Day 4
The day began with breakfast at the diner, but I went for a traditional British breakfast today with bacon and eggs!
The tasks for today were to visit Chelsea and Greenwich Village and get back in time for the coach to the airport. We were successful!
Inside Chelsea Market
Anthropologie window display
At first when we got to Chelsea we didn’t think there was much there, but then we found the market and our opinions changed. Although the market was mainly food, it was still really cute how everything was set out in doors, and they did have an Anthropologie at one end which was a bonus. One of my missions whilst in New York was to visit the Alexander McQueen store and I wasn’t leaving Chelsea until this mission was complete!
Alexander McQueen
Fortunately it was just around the corner from the market. The store was amazing and just what I expected a McQueen store to look like. It was a shame about the staff and how they insisted on following us around the store.
Next stop Greenwich Village. Although more residential than many areas of Manhattan, it still had lots nice shops including an amazing Marc Jacobs book store, with some very cute and cheap accessories.
Silver ring $3 Marc Jacobs (yes thats right - Marc Jacobs - personally I think there an absolute bargain!!)
Sweeties as presents!
We also took a walk to the river. New York is one of the busiest places in the world, so you wouldn't have thought that somewhere so peaceful could be situated in a city that never sleeps. However, here at the river there was definitely a sense of peace about it. It was beautiful here, but in the snow and wind it was so cold, I can only imagine how good it would be in the summer.
Finally, via a trip to Macys and a McDonalds it was home time. New York is one of the best places I’ve ever been to, and if I get the chance is definitely a place that I’m coming back to.
