Last Sunday I spent forty minutes at my window, half my body leaning outside at 26 stories high, my camera equipped with a telephoto lens and gripped firmly between my hands. As a flock of birds weaved above and between buildings I found myself captivated, and a quick photo op had somehow consumed almost an hour. Following them with one eye through a view finder and the other on the city I began to think about grace, movement, and the way these things make a place like New York City seem serene and at a standstill.
This city, like any other, can be harsh. It’s the home of thick accents, pungent smells, cold winters and humid summers, concrete buildings, sirens and screeching brakes. Despite all these things that so easily dominate our attention, the city is also the home of beautiful people, community gardens, yoga in the parks, outdoor concerts and we’re lucky enough to see water on either side. To avoid becoming overwhelmed by the noise, I’ve made it a point to take notice of these things that seem to quiet everything else.
At Fifth Avenue and 23rd Street there is an island in the street. People sit, chat, eat and read while all the southbound cars, buses, and bicycles carry on around them. I was seated here, observing the whirlpool of traffic surrounding me when Anna caught my eye. She was casually laughing with a friend on the island, her seafoam skirt catching the slight breeze (whether it was wind or a passing taxi, we’ll never know). Everything about her outfit seemed effortless, simple and calm. The grace and easy movement I was craving had manifested itself in a skirt, and I had found my Fashionista.
Name: Anna Majeski
Year: Senior
Major: Art History and Medieval Studies
CollegeFashionista: Where are you from and what brings you to New York?
Anna Majeski: I’m from Princeton, NJ. I’m actually just in the city for the day, visiting a few libraries and things.
CF: As an Art History major, what is your favorite museum around here?
AM: I’m definitely partial to The Cloisters for the whole Medieval aspect.
CF: What inspires you about New York City, fashion or non-fashion related?
AM: I just studied abroad in Paris, and New York City is inspiring in a very similar way. There is just a mix of so many different atmospheres.
CF: Agreed. Finally, who influences your style? Or what?
AM: Well pretty much anything ‘70s. Also, 1950s-esque movies, like An Affair to Remember and lots of Audrey Hepburn.
How To: Anna says her outfit is almost entirely made up of H&M pieces, which means this look is not only easily chic, but also affordable. Ankle length skirts are a great investment: always appropriate, elegant, and in a color like this, so appealing. Her cute tied up button-down can be worn a hundred ways, and is also a must-have. She kept her jewelry simple and small (after all, hitting the books at the libraries is more of a challenge with a chunky watch or giant cocktail ring), and a pair of flat sandals makes her day trip hassle-free.