Hello, my lovely readers!
As I always do between semesters, I have been trying to make the most of my time off. That is why my boyfriend and I took a quick trip over to NYC for a few days. I did three things in preparation for this trip:
Re-watched Sex and the City (getting into the vibe is essential)
Plan multiple outfits for temperamental East Coast spring weather
Discover and book the hottest restaurants and best hidden gems in the city in 2024
With a full-size suitcase for a total of 3 nights and 2 full days, I was ready to stomp the pavement in my sensible Onitsuka Tigers (with a pair of kitten heels in my bag ofc).
What I Packed
My mom and grandmother always used to call me the 'principessa' growing up. Some may say this is because I'm extra or high maintenance. I like to see it as a compliment. I know what I like, I certainly don't know what I need, but I will damn well be prepared for all possible outcomes. I know that when it comes to flying this over preparedness can be a hindrance but since we were driving, I had no such concerns to cut back. That being said, here is everything that was on my packing list for this trip:
Hair:
Shark-Flex Style
Colour Wow Dream Coat for Curly Hair
Hair Wax Stick
Eco Hair Gel
Skincare:
CeraVe Hydrating Foaming Cleanser
Anua Heartleaf 77% Toner
Illiyoon Moisturizer
Mixoon Centella Sun Cream SPF 50+
Micellar Water
Makeup:
e.l.f Putty Primer
Saie Glowy Super Gel
Haus Labs Foundation
NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer
Laurier Mercier Translucent Setting Powder
Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder
Milk Makeup Matte Cream Bronzer Stick
NARS Orgasm Liquid Blush
Glossier Haloscope in Quartz
NYX Micro Brow Pencil
Benefit 24-Hour Brow Setter
e.l.f Lash and Roll Mascara
e.l.f Dewy Coconut Setting Mist
Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Lip Liner
Two Faced Lip Injection Liner in Puffy Nude
Dior Lip Oil in Rosewood
Glossier Ultralip in Villa
Kayali Lovefest Burning Cherry Perfume
Clothes:
Vintage Denim Button-Up Shirt
Vintage Dark Wash Cowboy Jeans
Sailor Jeans from Mango
White Ribbed Tank from the Gap
Tie Front Blouse (Ganni dupe) from H&M
Intimissimi Cashmere Long Sleeve in Navy
Sade Tee Shirt
Unif Black Tee Shirt
Unif Black Tank
Unif White Tank
Linen Midi Skirt from Aritzia
Khaki Midi Skirt from Aritzia
Levis Overalls
White Frilly Vest Top from Princess Polly
Vintage Wilfred Frilly Black Sweater
Sunday Best Cable Knit Cream Cardigan
Skims Lounge Set (for the road)
Vintage Black Leather Bomber Jacket
Black Babaton Slouch Coat
Accessories:
Le Specs Tortoise Sunnies
Le Specs Black Sunnies
My Everday Gold Jewelery
2 Bandanas (1 red, 1 navy)
My Everyday Black Calvin Klein Purse
Vintage Suede Shoulder Bag
Black and Gold Everyday Belt from Aritzia
Black and Gold Chunky Belt from Zara
Shoes:
Steve Madden Red Ballet Pumps
Steve Madden Black Ballet Flats
Steve Madden Black Cowboy Boots
Black Mary Janes from Winners (brand unknown)
Black and White Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66s
What I Actually Wore
Now that we've gotten all of that out of the way let's get into what actually got put to use.
Day 1:
We arrived at our hotel around 7:00 pm our first day. Since it was already nighttime we had only two goals: to see Time Square at night since my boyfriend has never been and to eat some good New York-style pizza. Wearing my Sade tee, jeans, and my Babaton coat buttoned all the way up to fight off the night-time chill, we did just that. The restaurant we found was called BarDough and we ordered one pie with hot honey and pancetta and another margarita with buffalo mozzarella. Boy did it hit the spot. By 11:00pm we were tucked into our bed, eagerly awaiting the two full days in the city ahead of us.
Day 2:
The first day waking up in the city was my perfect kind of day - a shopping day. The plan was to grab coffee on the way to Greenwich, have brunch there, and then head to Soho for the rest of the day. The forecast ranged from 11-17 degrees Celsius so I knew I needed to layer. I threw on my Mango sailor jeans, which I found at a Bay closing sale for $10, a black push-up bra for shape, my trusty Gap white tank, a vintage denim button-up haphazardly tucked in, my simple gold and black belt, and my black cowboy boots. For extra warmth, I brought my vintage leather bomber with me (which my boyfriend ended up carrying most of the time <3) and to finish off the look I carried my vintage suede shoulder bag. The vibe I was going for blended a Bella Hadid look from my Pinterest board with this modern cowboy idea. Maybe it was Cowboy Carter, or maybe it was NYC getting me into my Ralph Lauren vibes. Either way, I was feeling it.
The first stop was Fellini Coffee where I had, I kid you not, the best latte I have ever had. You could either order from their adorable takeout window or sit inside. We opted for the latter. I ordered a creme caramel situation with almond milk and my boyfriend ordered the tiramisu latte with oat milk. Paired with the impeccable ambiance, and a slice of pistachio pie, the beverages made for the perfect start to our first day in the city. I stopped by the incredibly chic washroom for some fit pics before we headed back out.
In Greenwich I had to stop at C.O. Bigelow, the pharmacy where my style icon Carolyn Bessette Kennedy purchased her signature tortoiseshell headbands. If you are a longtime reader you will know that I have been on the hunt for one of these headbands for months now to no avail. My lovely friend Emily picked a thin one up for me on her last NYC trip which I adore, but I needed to get my hands on the holy grail. $50, 1 thick headband, and one unnecessarily decadent tortoiseshell toothbrush later, I left the pharmacy with a grin.
Afterwards, we headed to Three of Cups for brunch. At least, that's what the plan was. Unfortunately, I made the rookie mistake of assuming the brunch menu was offered on weekdays. It wasn't and we had to settle for paninis off the lunch menu instead. They were alright, but certainly not the wildberry pancakes I was dreaming of. The lemonade was great though.
One long afternoon of shopping later, we headed to our dinner reservations at Altro Paradiso in Soho. For an appetizer we had the best prosciutto I've ever had in my life, olives and parmesan. For dinner, I opted for the cacio e pepe and my boyfriend had a bright pesto pasta. Overall it was a great meal and the ambiance was very chic.
On our walk back to the hotel we stopped by Empire Cakes for their take on a black and white cookie, sending us into a food-coma for the rest of the evening.
Day 3:
On our second day, I had hoped to wear my new H&M tie-front blouse but knew I would be cold. So instead I opted for my Intimissimi long sleeve with my Victoria's Secret black lace wicked bra layered underneath. For bottoms, I wore my recent vintage shopping holy grail, a pair of deadstock Reine Baumwolle CowTex jeans. To pull it all together I wore the same classic belt, my suede bag, and my tortoiseshell Le Specs sunnies. After suffering a blister the previous day due to putting fashion before comfort, I took the sensible footwear route on day two, wearing my Onitsukas.
Since my boyfriend had never been sightseeing in New York I wanted to make our second day a classic New York day. We started with breakfast at Broad Nosh Bagels. Everyone inside was clearly a local so I knew we were in more some good eats. I'm not sure if it was my sense of adventure or the no-nonsense man behind the counter yelling 'next!!' that made me do it but I strayed from my usual everything bagel and tried an onion bagel. For toppings, I got scallion cream cheese, lox (that's smoked salmon for those unfamiliar), onion, capers, and tomato. My boyfriend kept it simple and got an everything bagel with chipotle scallion cream cheese. We sat and ate on a bench in Central Park and had we had enough napkins to combat the copious amounts of cream cheese falling out of our bagels, it would have been perfect. If you ever find yourself in Manhattan, try a Broad Nosh Bagel. Just - bring wet wipes. After eating we strolled through the park and admired many a cherry blossom.
Cutting through Central Park we went to Ralph's Coffee to see my favourite dapper-dressed bear and get some lattes. As many of you may know I love anything with the Polo Bear on it and my favourite colour is green. Give me a green-themed coffee shop with the Polo Bear as a logo and I am there. The ambiance was lovely although the coffee was nothing to write home about (but apparently enough to write to my readers about so go figure). For those of you who may not trust my taste in coffee as much as my taste in clothing, my coffee credentials include three years of working as a Starbucks barista and five years of caffeine dependency.
After sipping our coffees in Central Park's greenery, we headed back into the urban jungle to see some classic NYC monuments: the Plaza Hotel, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Rockefeller Centre, and dozens of 'hot nuts' carts. Around 3:30 we headed back to our hotel to get ready for an early dinner and Broadway show.
I must admit for our night out on the town I had ordered a drop waist bubble skirt black dress from Mango that did not arrive in time. I took this as a sign from. the universe to stop trying to chase my next perfect outfit and to use all of the wonderful clothes that I already have in my closet. Sometimes it is important to remind yourself that the pieces you already have were at one point your 'new and exciting pieces' and to appreciate them as such. So I chose to wear my Babaton contour hip-length tube top in black, my kakhi Sunday Best midi skirt, and a chunky belt low on the waist to achieve a similar look to the drop waist gown that I had envisioned. With my trusty Babaton slouch coat, black ballet flats, suede bag, and new headband, I was feeling like a real-life Charolette York. Just without the generational wealth and Kate Spade purse.
Now I'd be lying if I told you I just happened upon Cafe Chelsea a few days before our trip and managed to swing a last-minute reservation on a whim. If I am two things it is a planner, and a moodboarder. The green tile and upholstery of Cafe Chelsea, nestled inside the infamous Hotel Chelsea had been filling my NYC Pinterest board for weeks. The hotel itself and its history had always interested me so to learn that there was a new restaurant within it selling ravioli by the sheet - I was so there. I booked us a 5:00 spot two weeks in advance to ensure we could enjoy our chocolate souffle and be out the door in time to see the 7:00 performance of Moulin Rouge. The interior was everything I dreamed of and more. I am usually shy to take pictures in public, especially in respectable places such as this, but I couldn't help myself. Maybe it was the ambiance, maybe it was the Bum Vivant I had before we were seated, but I took every opportunity to snap a pic or two at the Cafe Chelsea. We started with the goat cheese croquette, split the ravioli and Chelsea burger for our mains, and finished it off with the chocolate souffle. Let me tell you - it was worth the hype. The burger was likely the best I have ever had (yes I know I keep saying that but I'm not exaggerating). The croquettes were so rich but not too indulgent. The souffle on the other hand was perfectly indulgent. I will be dreaming of it for the weeks to come. After the perfect meal of my dreams, we headed over the the Al Hirschfielf theatre to live out my childhood dream of seeing 'El Tango de Roxanne' performed live. I have faith that my Canadian readers who also had a brief fixation on Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir's 2018 Olympics performance will understand that reference. Or anyone with an appreciation for Nicole Kidman's redhead era.
After the show, we walked back to the hotel and collapsed from our long day, and multiple cocktails. The next morning we packed up our rental car and headed back home. All in all, it was a wonderful quick trip. Not only did I get to wear some of my favourite pieces and eat some of my favourite food, I got to do it with one of my favourite people. I hope you all enjoyed this blog, even though it went a bit beyond the realm of fashion and style. Please let me know what you would like to see from me next!
Talk Soon,
-Vanilla Darling Xx
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