Dress: c/o Zaful l Hat: Nordstrom l Necklace: c/o Julie Vos l Shoes: c/o Pretty Small Shoes

iPhone Case: c/o Felony Case

Club Monaco Presentation at Grand Central Station. Shop the New York Fashion Week Collection HERE

Pants: Nordstrom l Shoes: Nordstom l Tank: J.Crew l Hat: Top Shop (old, similar) l Jacket: Zara (similar)

The Standard Grill

Banana Republic Presentation at Cedar Lake. Shop the Collection HERE

Popbar

Dress: Banana Republic l Shoes: Nordstrom l Necklace: c/o Julie Vos l Jacket: Anthropologie (old, similar) l Sunnies: Nordstrom

The Plaza Hotel New York

J.Crew Presentation at Spring Studios

Kate Spade Flagship

It’s been a full week since NYFW came to a close and I’m having ever so slight withdrawals from the high that comes with any visit to New York City. While it was a whirlwind couple of days and I missed my babies like crazy, my first experience at the shows did not disappoint. I grew up devouring fashion magazines and dreaming what it would be like to see everything up close and personal, and although I’ve been to countless Toronto Fashion Week’s (RIP), nothing compares to fashion in the big apple. While I didn’t attend any runway shows this time around, the three fashion presentations that I did see certainly lived up to my expectations, and runway is on the list for next  year.

While I would have loved to be in NYC for the full duration of Fashion Week, mama bear just couldn’t be away for that long, so I set out to take full advantage of my four days in the city. Thanks to my friends at Expedia.ca, booking my flight couldn’t have been easier. An early Friday morning departure followed by a late Monday return was top priority so as to get the most out of each day, and getting the exact flights that I wanted at a great price was a cinch. Booking was simple, straightforward and hassle-free – just some of the many reasons Expedia.ca is my first choice for all our travel needs.

SEE:
The three fashion presentations I attended were Club Monaco, Banana Republic and J.Crew. From the venues (BR at Grand Central Station), to the models, to the clothes (of course) – I left completely invigorated for Spring 2017 and with a Wish List the length of both arms. In addition to all the pretty clothes, spotting some of my favorite bloggers (hello Julie Hengel) and a few star sightings (Olivia Palermo & Mark Ruffalo) really made each event that much more exciting.

EAT:
While the shows certainly are the main focus of any Fashion Week, we made sure to leave plenty of time to dine at good restaurants and people watch at cute cafés. Nomo Kitchen, The Stanton Social (french onion soup dumplings to die for), Palma (dinner in a rose garden? yes please) and Claudette, were some of the highlights of our NYC eating adventure, while Cha Cha Matcha (best matcha lemonade ever), Ralphs Coffee, and Café Henrie took nods for best refueling spots. Also, any trip to NYC is incomplete without brunch, so we made sure to stop by The Standard Grill and The Plaza Hotel for some decidedly authentic New York experiences.

WEAR:
The biggest take-home lesson I learned from attending NYFW is that even though it’s September, if the temperature reaches above 30 degrees – skip the Fall fashion and dress for the heat. I pretty much melted the first day in my head to toe fall gear, while other media, bloggers and socialites had it just right by taking a lighter and more weather appropriate approach to the week. These days it seems that no one dresses up anymore (my conclusion from recent travels) – even if it is New York Fashion Week – people just wear whatever they feel most comfortable in. While I love getting all dolled up, this laid-back approach to style certainly has it’s benefits and lends itself well to overall comfort and ease. Definitely going to try to implement this in the days to come.

It was such an amazing opportunity to experience New York Fashion Week first hand, and I can’t wait to do it all over again next year!