Around 11AM, I started walking towards Toby Estate Coffee 44. An ideal brunch timing in New York City. I love the West Village, the simple yet classic townhouses with exposed brick walls all lined up along the streets. A quiet neighborhood but it was not due to lack of people. The people here are just quiet, most of them working in coffee shops. Just like the architecture, the people emulate a simple and classic look. The dress sense, of course being winter consisted of a lot of Canada Goose. I would say everyone in this neighborhood is fairly wealthy, a lot of branded items here and there. No one wore anything out of the ordinary, neutral colors, classic turtlenecks, jeans. Paired together nicely with a watch or a bag. Simple, yet aesthetically pleasing. Similar to the overall environment in the coffee shop, with the clean and elegant typography and the bonzai plants and the recurring exposed brick walls with marquee lights. Everything around me, just screamed “Instaworthy.” Everyone clearly thought the same because there was no shortage of picture-taking. There is a certain sophistication in the simplicity.

I didn’t realize that I was such an awkward person, I initially couldn’t bring myself to ask people what they were wearing and to take a picture. Thats why I only asked two ladies what they were wearing. The first lady I talked to was sitting right next to me, her name was Nousha. I saw her with her film camera around her neck and I was automatically intrigued. She was wearing vintage Clarks, Tanya V leggings, a Uniqlo jacket, a red scarf from India and an H&M beanie. Uniqlo is definitely an all around favorite in the winter, the “HEATTECH” clothing line is warm but it also lightweight. I could definitely spot out some Uniqlo pieces in the crowd, including my own. I had three layers of HEATTECH on.

I met the second lady that I asked for outfit details in the line when I went to order a latte. Her name was Kate and she seemed approachable so I felt less nervous. She was wearing Superga shoes, LaRock jacket, Rag&Bone tank top and an H&M sweater. Clearly H&M is a popular fast fashion store. I had never heard of Superga or LaRock before this encounter so that was interesting to learn.