Another Night in Murray Hill

It' a drizzly, damp, oddly temperate for mid-November Saturday night. My Husband and I are returning from dinner with his parents at our favorite local Greek restaurant, Ethos, located in the heart of post-college frat scene, Murray Hill. Though our reservations were at the ripe early bird hour of 6:30, we still managed to collide with the barely legals as they headed out to the vast array of bars that spans 4 long blocks of our neighborhood. While this was probably least pleasant for my poor in-laws, who are not accustomed to the drunken squeals and unsteady teetering of 22-years olds beginning their night out, it was a treat of sorts for me. Aside from the glimpse back into my college years (and unfortunately, New Years eve an embarrassingly short time ago) that this run-in provided, it also was an eyeful of fashion, and, like tequila, there was the good, the bad and the ugly.

Exhibit number 1. A skinny girl, not a day older than 21, dressed in a micro-mini skirt made of an indiscernible synthetic, reminiscent of pleather, topped off with a voluminous faux fur cropped jacket, and chrome heeled ankles booties. While this poor soul would be a Glamour Don't had I had a camera, she manages to just teeter by with a few disbelieving stares. (Faux fur is better than real fur, but in the same way that rug burn is better than a 3rd degree burn.) But there is one point that her ensemble makes, that fashion trickles down from the runway and eventually hits the streets, literally. The micro-mini is a popular silhouette. And ankle booties, as you are well aware, are hot. The volume of the girl's coat is right on track with the unfortunate 80's revival I loathe, yet still recognize.

Exhibit number 2. An average framed girl, about 23, donning skin-tight, shiny leggings tucked into Tory Burch low boots, no coat over her paper thin James Perse tank, and a coordinating Tory Burch clutch. I won't harp on the leggings (even though these were double offenders because they were shiny). The boots are cute, and Tory Burch is on fire lately, ever since her cultish Reva flats hit the shelves a few years ago. I think girls over the age of 12 should not wear thin tank tops by themselves, let alone in the rain, but this was likely the girl's intention. And like Stacy and Clinton say, your bag should not match your shoes so perfectly unless you live in the 1960's or are a cast member of Mad Men. Luckily my in-laws made it back to Grand Central for their train back to Connecticut unharmed by the atrocities of Murray Hill on a Saturday night.