Girmai: New York City’s indomitable fashion sense

If you’ve ever read “Eat Pray Love,” I’m sure you’re familiar with the notion that… If you’ve ever read “Eat Pray Love,” I’m sure you’re familiar with the notion that every city has one perfect adjective that encapsulates its personality. Well, I believe the same is true of every city’s style. My recent trip to New York reaffirmed this belief.

There are few places worldwide that I consider to be fashion epicenters. Although Europe has Paris, Milan and London, the United States only has one: The Big Apple.

New York City seems to be overpopulated with, among other personality types, the stylish, the powerful and the determined. So when I began to consider what its word might be, I dismissed anything that might set limits on the city. In “Eat Pray Love,” author Elizabeth Gilbert named it ambition. I’ve decided to name the city’s lifestyle “drive.”

My own reasons for visiting the city related directly to the word in question: I had interviews for summer internships at two high-profile magazines. I spent an inconceivable amount of time preparing for something that lasted only a few minutes, but the experience was eye-opening and offered me a behind-the-scenes look at the industry I so desperately want to be a part of.

I ended up wearing a silk purple skirt, a sleeveless black sweater and a green velvet blazer paired with black tights and patent leather heels. That’s why I love the fashion industry: Had I been interviewing anywhere else, chances are that outfit would have been unacceptable. Too short, too much color, too much everything. But as I would soon come to witness, New Yorkers don’t let the office dress code stifle their senses of style.

On the sidewalks, in the parks and even in the building I visited, style was everywhere. I was surrounded by an abundance of thigh-high boots, statement necklaces and bags that, before that moment, I thought were urban fashion myths. Even in the café where I lunched, there were businesswomen in svelte suits and 4-inch heels, and just about everyone donned a Burberry trench. At first glance, I might have said the power-hungry political hopefuls in D.C., where I’m from, dressed the same way. But New Yorkers were different. Their suits had flair and didn’t come exclusively in shades of gray and black, and they were unapologetic in allowing their personal styles to creep into their professional wardrobes. As a result, they carried themselves extraordinarily. It was obvious that they were not only comfortable in what they were wearing, but also took pride in it.

There were two more important accessories that almost everyone seemed to be wearing. These were subtler than the rest, and would match with everything in your wardrobe. They were resilience and determination.

In my experience, people are quick to judge the fashion industry as superficial and finicky. But if I learned anything on my trip, it’s that the fashion industry is anything but. The women I saw walking through those halls walked with purpose. Most were young, and they didn’t try to hide their self-assuredness. It was clear that they had all worked to get to where they were, and it didn’t come easily.

Even just at a glance, their virtues — confidence, motivation, aspiration and inspiration — were as visible as scars. But none of these women wanted to cover them up, minimize them or erase them from view. Instead, they wore the scars of their ambition with pride, as testaments to their hard work and continued dedication to their passion.

New York is a place seemingly in constant growth. Its people, companies and style are always moving forward, and its fashion exemplifies that growth. After all, New Yorkers are always taking risks and pushing boundaries. So the next time you get dressed for an interview — or even for a night out — take your cues from the Big Apple and don’t leave the house without your most important accessory: Confidence.