5 NYC Women Share How the City Has Changed Their Style

When it comes to style in New York City, the overall aesthetic can be described in three words: powerful, polished, and personal. The energetic city is built on diversity and authority, and you can certainly see that through what women wear and how they take on the day. From fresh matching suit sets to creative outfit combinations and the latest sneaker trend, style in NYC lends a polished and put-together vibe with a side of innovative charm. It wouldn’t be the iconic city it is without the vibrant personalities that make up the Big Apple (and the city’s fashion is no exception).

To highlight the city with impeccable fashion, today we’re featuring five NYC women with inspiring style and their thoughts on style in the city. On top of that, we also asked each style setter how fashion in New York has evolved in the last 10 years. Meet the women keeping NYC’s style inspirational, covetable, and unique below.

Lyndsey Butler, Veda Founder 

When asked how her style fits into the city, Lyndsey Butler explained, "NYC has a lot of different styles, but downtown the vibe is very cool and unique without looking like you try too hard. Which doesn't mean casual or sloppy; it feels really authentic to me. I live and work in Chinatown, and this neighborhood is incredibly inspiring to me. It just has such a range of characters and style," the mastermind behind Veda (the brand that stocks the best leather goods) shared. 

Karen Blanchard of WhereDidUGetThat

Karen Blanchard of Where Did U Get That admitted, "Due to New Yorkers' love of comfort, being a pedestrian city, the trend of wearing sneakers with everything is everywhere, both for men and women. Years ago there wasn’t such a deliberate choosing of sneakers at all price points, as a fashion shoe statement. Now it has taken over the city and more recently the ugly 'this isn’t supposed to stylish' sneaker is reigning supreme for the cool set." 

Olivia Perez, Founder of Friend of a Friend

Friend of a Friend founder and Forbes contributor, Olivia Perez compared the city's style to L.A. sharing, "NYC style is much more refined than L.A. I definitely dress up more in NYC as my days are jam-packed. I can leave my house at 8 a.m. and not return until 10 p.m., so I need whatever I’m wearing to be able to take on the full day so I can look my best."

Katie Sturino of the12ishstyle

Katie Sturino of the12ishstyle noted, "The great thing about NYC style is that there are so many different categories and so many different places to experiment with your own style. I would say I have my own look, but that I don't stand out, because that's the point of NYC. Everything blends in like a beautiful tapestry of individual style."

Sarah Slutsky, Celebrity Stylist

Celebrity wardrobe stylist Sarah Slutsky added, "I think, universally, fashion has been affected by the digital era. There is always an audience, if you choose, but hopefully the choice is to have fun, be true to your wildest dreams and play. Today, I definitely think there is a stronger push to mix and match. Items that might have felt a touch wild are exciting to a global audience." 

Shop the key pieces for a NYC-inspired wardrobe: