- by fall-line
It’s officially spring in New York: the sunglasses are on, legs are bare (albeit still a little pasty), and the girls are breaking out their showy bags and all the shiny things they’ve been hoarding all winter. I took advantage of the sunshine and the considerable lift it gave to everyone’s mood to ask some of the coolest girls on campus about their best bells and whistles and which shops they had staked out for spring.
Jana Kasperkevic, 23
Favorite Accessory: Her glasses, and she usually doesn’t wear the same pair twice in a week. “I have six different pairs– I like to mix and match depending on what I’m wearing and how I feel.”
Shopping Haunt: “I love Fabulous Fanny’s on the Lower East Side. They have really inexpensive vintage frames in really unique shapes–I plan on buying the 1960s Blue Butterfly next. And also, I had a dream about an Anthropologie apron last night. Seriously.”
Fabulous Fanny’s Vintage 335 East 9th Street, between 1st and 2nd Avenues, New York, NY online orders accepted
Michelle Cruz, 21
Favorite Accessory: “My favorite piece of luggage is definitely my PanAm bag. I got it online and it’s in really good shape, but I’ve never seen anyone else with one.”
Shopping Haunt: “Topshop– I’m so happy they’re finally in the states!”
Helen Xue, 20
Favorite Accessory: “I have these metal kitty earrings from China. I got them from some tiny flea market, but they’re so cute– and the best thing is, no one has them!”
Shopping Haunts: “I don’t shop much, but I usually just go to Forever 21 and H&M. And I can’t usually afford it, but Anthropolgie has the prettiest stuff!”
As for me, nothing quite beats the pair of feather earrings my good friend Annie made for me this winter. Moral of the story: DIY, vintage, and hunting out the most obscure, possibly foreign stores you can find is the way to go when it comes to shopping like a true New Yorker.
My mom used to work at a consignment shop on the Upper East Side when she was my age called Encore. It’s still there, and though it’s much more crowded and expensive nowadays, it’s still the go-to shop for incredibly rare and top notch vintage designer pieces. Plus, they have an eBay shop, too, so everyone outside of NYC can bask in the glow of its sometimes still-super-pricey, but always glorious, glorious vintage.
