Sandy, AKA the girl we all love to hate, really put a damper on this week. Of course, we should all be immensely grateful for how little we were affected (even if it did mean we had to attend class). My friends back at NYU — along with nearly all of Manhattan — were without power, and my hometown of Northport, NY now resembles Atlantis. However, as fortunate as we are to have been spared Sandy’s wrath, campus still looks as dreary as can be. The incessant, mild drizzle, the overcast sky… it’s all so depressing! I can’t even look forward to getting dressed in the morning, for I know my ensemble will include a slicker and rain-boots, unless I want to risk ruining some other piece (which I do not). Sadly, fashion cannot always come first when weather is involved.
However, my fellow fashionistas should not be too forlorn! Another reason we are so lucky is that we did not, overall, lose power or electricity. This means we had access to our iPhones, iPads and Macbooks — Hallelujah! Besides the fact that we all were able to tweet incessantly about Sandy and post angry Facebook statuses about the lack of class cancellations, we were also about to occupy (or waste) our time with iPhone and iPad apps. This is where fashion freaks are saved. So what if we cannot dress glam in gloomy conditions? By downloading my following favorite fashion apps, you can have the latest trends at your fingertips, live vicariously through the world’s top fashion-mavens and even maintain — or attempt to maintain— a budget for all the online shopping you’re undoubtedly doing to pass the time indoors.
1. Instagram (FREE): OK, we all use and love/loathe instagram. If you say you don’t use it, I don’t believe you, unless you don’t own an iPod or iPad, and even then I’m suspicious. Instagram can be a bit indulgent at times; I mean, how many pictures of your dog and your dinner do you need to post? However, it can be fun to post pictures of an especially great outfit you’ve put together, or to see friends’ ensembles. Facebook is an odd place for such pictures, but Instagram, being an app dedicated to photos, is the perfect place. Furthermore, most of your favorite stores probably have Instagram accounts, and following them will keep you up-to-date on new products, promotions and styles! I’m personally a fan of Free People (@FreePeople) and Bergdorf Goodman (@bergdorf), but there are so many accounts worth following that anyone can find a favorite (or forty).
2. Twitter (FREE): This is another no-brainer. Instead of reading your friends’ tweets about the most basic mundanities of everyday life (“So stressed about prelims! Ugh!”), follow the many highly entertaining and insightful fashion gurus who tweet everything from style tips to photographs to the basic mundanities of their lives (which are just more interesting than ours. Sorry). Vogue Editor-at-Large, Andre Leon Talley (@OfficialALT), will keep you in the know, while fashion blogger Leandra Madine AKA Man Repeller (@ManRepeller) will entertain you with her witty (yet uber-stylish) insight. Model Karlie Kloss (@karliekloss) is also a must-follow, with her twitter revealing she’s just like us: She bakes cookies (but does she eat them?). FREE.
3. Chicfeed (FREE): Simply put, virtual eye-candy. This app gathers pictures from top fashion sights and puts them in one place for your viewing pleasure. A MUST-download for those who frequently feel fashionably frustrated, while struggling to choose an outfit or find inspiration, especially amidst the drearier days of fall.
4. Style.com (FREE): Style.com itself is the go-to source for all the international happenings of fashion. The convenient app delivers all the rich resources of this site directly to your fingertips. Constant updates about and images of runways, new collections, announcements and even glamorous galas (yay!) make this app a staple for the style-lover.
5. iXpenseIt Lite (FREE): OK, so this app is not as much fun as the others, but is probably a lot more necessary. With iXpenseIt Lite, you can calculate and (try to) adhere to monthly budgets, photograph and save receipts and find out different ways and places to save your money, even though, let’s be honest, you’ll inevitably be saving so you can spend it elsewhere. Downside of this app? You won’t be able to lie to yourself anymore regarding your empty Checking Account, nor can you fantasize that your credit card must have stolen and misused.
There you have it. The next time you’re stuck indoors, do not sulk, my stylish friends. Cast aside thoughts of hideous rain-boots and bulky slickers, pick up your electronic device and indulge in all your fashion fantasies. Oh, and, in all seriousness, be grateful that slightly ugly clothes are the worst weather-induced problem with which we Ithaca folk are dealing!
Original Author: Meghan Flynn