Things I Accomplished So Far This Semester:

hayakawa aki on a casual day < 3

Backstage @ Yohji Yamamoto F/W 2015

Things I Wish I Used In A New York Winter

This past winter I studied in NYC for university, which most of you may know from previous posts. I cannot say that I truly loved or hated New York (a review on the city coming soon) but I will say that as the Fall turned to winter, I learned the importance of dressing for the weather. In my hometown on the West Coast, dressing poorly for the weather bares the consequence of you being slightly cold in 60 F weather or slightly warm in 90 F weather. Unless you are out in the nighttime, in which case you would only be slightly more uncomfortable. In New York, dressing poorly for the weather (especially as a commuter student/worker) means you have to walk between buildings with cold fingers and chilly air breezing through your jeans. Without much of the proper attire pre-planned, I found myself in a pickle as the cheapest department stores were sold out of gloves and thermal leggings. I ended up buying online, but had to suffer 40 F weather for an additional week 'till my stuff arrived. Lesson learned: Don't be like me! Anyways, here are my most recommended winter items for people studying in cities with cold winters. They are geared more towards women, but of course, I think anyone can wear whatever they like.

A Balaclava - Heat escapes from your head! A solid beanie is work appropriate for people not looking to make a scene, but I think balaclavas are even better because they cover your ears and face, too.

Knit Balaclava $23 - Etsy - shorturl.at/lHIT3

Recycled Cashmere Beanie $44 - Nordstrom - shorturl.at/ehlo3

Side Note: The bright blue options on both of these is an excellent way to brighten up your day and soothe passer-byers on your daily stroll.

A Real Wool Coat - I cannot emphasize enough the *real* part of real wool. It bothers me so much to see brands charging $200-300 for wool blend coats that are mostly plastic anyways. You can find them for $500+ on Nordstrom, or search for them secondhand on Etsy, Mercari, and Postmark for the best sales.

Touchscreen Gloves - A no-brainer is to cover your thinnest limbs from frostbite and the general cold. I recommend touch-screen gloves so you will actually use them and not disrupt your daily feed-scroll on the way to class.

Water Repellant Touchscreen Gloves $25 - MUJI - shorturl.at/iryCJ

A Warm Perfume - Buying yourself a new bottle of perfume is such an ingenious way to brighten up the dull winter months. You don't have to buy yourself a full-bottle either--I just bought a travel size and I've barely made a dent since November (I only use it for dates/nights out/bad days so half the week).

Maison Margiela Replica Coffee Break $76 1 oz - Nordstrom - shorturl.at/ekxGL

https://www.instagram.com/p/BL5s9g3FKOu/

♡

Feeling sad, might buy more art prints and used books today