How to Walk Right in the Big City

Submitted by chuck on Tue, 02/02/2010 - 22:06

The Big Apple is a fashion mecca, but when you don't have a car and driver or VIP access, it helps to be creative and resourceful. The most fashionable people in New York City are those who dress for walking. Even the high-flyers like to walk the streets of New York. Trust me. If they didn't, they'd stay in LA where the weather is nicer. Speaking of which,

here are a few accessories that you can't do without...

... in the winter:

A hat. Tell me that's not fashionable!
A warm, dry comfy pair of shoes or boots and decent socks.
Your Spidey suit -- get creative with the long johns. They're great for lounging around the house or hotel room in, too.
Enough change for a cup of hot chocolate or coffee so that you can duck into a deli or bakery and warm up without feeling like a miscreant.

... in the spring:

An umbrella. A big clunky one is very New York because it is brash verging on rude to take up that much space on the sidewalk.
A light jacket. Even if the weather is warm, you can take it off to gallantly allow some lovely lady to step over a puddle grimy with NYC... or not. If you are that lady, you can gallantly help yourself step over the puddle... or you could just wear...
...sensible shoes that you don't mind getting a little dirty with the ooze of springtime

... in the summer:

... water. Don't worry -- you'll look like more of a dork buying the bottled stuff than you ever will carrying your old Boy Scout canteen.
... loose, light clothing -- linen, silk, or combed cotton if they're in the budget, but a burlap sack is better than 99 percent of suits in this brutal season.
... a handkerchief. You will want to wipe sweat from your brow if you're on foot.

... in the fall

This is really an anything-goes season, temperature-wise. It tends to be dry and crisp so you can wear somewhat fancier shoes. The key in the fall is to be current with the day. So a newspaper is a good idea -- you'll want the weather page so that you don't look like a dork wearing Bermuda shorts if it happens to get chilly.

As we're fond of saying in these parts, there ya' go.