weekend expose: east coast to west coast don't matter

Below is an article that I've written for NYU's own fashion magazine, NYChic.  I would love to hear some feedback!

New York:
It’s 5 o’clock. Between 42nd Street and Broadway, throngs of people are squishing and banging, elbowing and pushing, all for different reasons. Some are trying to get the best view of the towering buildings and flashing lights, while others are just attempting to make it to the subway station. Yet, the one facet that all of these people share, is their investment in color.
Color, colour, colouer—any way that you say it, this “shade of meaning” is, in simplest terms, a mode of expression. Our cheeks become saturated with a deep red hue as anger overcomes us. They also flush to a pale white when panic prevails. But, as you step into your closet where an everlasting palette surrounds you—it is you who chooses your expression for that day, that hour, that moment.
Interestingly enough, New Yorkers tend to choose similar color collections in the everyday. The New York motto, “Work Hard Play Hard,” literally translates into the fashion styles that evade the streets. Rarely does one see a burst of color so similar to the bright lights of Times Square in an average city walker’s wardrobe. More commonly, layers of black and gray (with a few tinges in between) cover the eternally rushing bodies of New Yorkers. That is why it is so captivating when pop! —A flash of color seeps into the crowded sidewalks.


Los Angeles:
White. Relaxed. Free. Seemingly, this city is the antithesis of the Type-A personalities that make up New York City. With the amount of palm trees that line the streets, some may wonder if they outnumber the buildings. Year round, Los Angeles residents stroll down the sidewalk unapologetically in their spring attire. Whereas in New York, high heels are the obvious shoe choice, here only gladiator sandals and low-cut boots are commonplace. Layers of airy, cream-colored skirts and floral printed dresses embellish those who saunter down Main Street—most likely with a bathing suit stashed in their oversized tote. Color? It isn’t even a question that crosses an LA-er’s mind—it’s a way of life.


Maybe it’s because of the clear azure that is unobstructed by the gray clouds flitting over the New York City skyline, or maybe it’s because of the mindset. But the contrasts in wardrobe selections are as widespread as the distance between the two cities. This doesn’t go to say that New York isn’t as vibrant or dynamic as it’s counterpart across the country, only more serious. Just remember, no matter what city your heart, or your body lies in, color allows you to choose.