Hi, it’s me, the new Fashion & Lifestyle Editor here at StyleCaster. As a longtime beauty writer, making the switch to working in capital-F Fashion was more than a little bit daunting. Especially when you factor in that my first week on the job just so happened to be New York Fashion Week. I had to look office-appropriate, feel comfortable enough to run from show to show, and still be on-trend enough to get stopped for a few street style snapshots. It wasn’t easy to create the perfect street style outfits that still worked well for my first week as an ~official~ fashion editor, but according to my Instagram likes, I did a pretty good job.

I’d be lying if I said I woke up every morning of Fashion Week and threw on whatever thrilled me. It’s my first Fashion Week as an editor, not my first Fashion Week ever, y’all. I knew the drill! In reality, NYFW requires a lot of prep, and I had four key references when styling my looks. First, a few brands very kindly lent me pieces to be styled, which made a few of my outfits no-brainers. Second, my subscription to Rent The Runway really came in clutch, as I was able to wear an outfit to an AM show, drop it off at the Rent The Runway store, and have a new look delivered to my apartment for the very next day. Third, I thrifted a LOT of fun accessories. When you can’t splurge on designer duds, jazzing up your current wardrobe with unique thrift finds can really change the game. Last but not least, I had my very own closet, of course. There’s no better time to explore your own wardrobe and get creative with what you’ve already got than while prepping some NYFW slays.

Bella Gerard

Day One:

Here I am posing with my far-more-stylish friend, Belle! Afaf Zahira, the genius Creative Director of Heurueh, blessed me this (very cold) Fashion Week by lending me a few beautiful faux fur coats from her company. This pink-and-brown fur situation is my fave, and I wore it not once, but twice this week. While I’m all for wearing my fave pieces often on the reg, it’s rare to repeat during NYFW, so that says a lot about how much I loved this coat!

Because it was rainy and gloomy outside, I stuck with cheery bright pink but kept my overall look comfortable, with basic black boots and the Topshop Rose Long Sleeve Shirtdress. I paired it all with a classic black Chanel bag and a matching (lol) black umbrella. Since the look was so low-key, I really didn’t expect to get my photo taken, but because my friend, Belle, was also wearing a pink faux fur Heurueh coat, the photogs couldn’t get enough of us together. Shout out Will from @collectiveframes, aka my all-time fave street style photographer! Pro tip: If you’re scared to get your photo taken solo, coordinate with a friend.

Bella Gerard

Day Two:

‘Twas on this day that I snapped with a full athleisure fit. My joggers, long-sleeved shirt, and yellow bomber are all by Pyer Moss, and I rented the trio using my trusty Rent The Runway subscription. Y’all, I wouldn’t have survived Fashion Week without it! (Use my code RTRFAM11C7505 for a discounted membership if you feel the urge!) I styled the $1,035 three-piece set with some rain boots I picked up at River Island during a recent London trip, and avoided any rain-ruined hair by throwing mine up in a basic pony.

To distract from the underwhelming hairdo, I whipped up this black-and-yellow graphic eye look. I felt VERY nervous with the dramatic makeup and updo, but almost everyone I saw agreed this was my best look of the week. Good makeup can really make or break a ‘fit, y’all. To think, sweatpants and rain boots were my top NYFW slay!

Bella Gerard

Night Two:

When Day Two was winding down, a surprise landed on my desk. Okay, in my email inbox: a ticket to Christian Siriano’s Fall/Winter 2020 show. I was over the moon! I knew right away that I needed something a little more glam than my Pyer Moss athleisure look, so I ran home and threw on a look Victoria’s Secret had gifted me for just such an occasion. I paired one of their bustiers (The Lightly Lined Bustier is the most similar style currently available) with the stunning Button Midi Skirt in “Bronzed Olive” and grabbed one of my go-to thrift finds, a small black beaded evening bag. Was I cold? Yes. Did I slay? Yes. Zero regrets.

While I usually snag a second-row seat (Sometimes, for smaller shows, even front row!), I found myself fourth row for Siriano, a seat I was still thrilled to have. In fact, it gave me the perfect view of the star-studded front row across the way. I watched Heidi Klum, Alicia Silverstone, and Leslie Jones as closely as I watched the actual models—I even snapped this video of Leslie cheering on Coco Rocha, which then went viral, getting posted by Saint Hoax, InStyle, and even Christian Siriano himself. No big deal!!! (It was a very big deal.)

Bella Gerard

Day Three:

This outfit is brought to you by SKIMS Body Tape. Not really, but it should be, because I relied on it heavily to achieve this, um, perky look. Atop my tape I wore a Proenza Schuller Wildflower V-Neck Dress, which typically costs a cool $1650, but you guessed it, I scored it using Rent The Runway. I also rented the Diane Von Furstenberg Navy Soiree Top Handle Bag, thereby saving myself $548 bucks. I topped off my look with the Lele Sadoughi Sugar Petite Padded Candy Jeweled Headband, which got me approached by many a hair blog photographer whilst posing for street style photos. For a little contrast, I threw on the Steve Madden Kinga Boot in “Blue Snake.” I wouldn’t normally clash like this in my daily life, but at Fashion Week, anything goes!

It was in this outfit that I answered some questions for a Jimmy Kimmel segment, in which I knew I would most likely get made fun of, because, well, that’s what Jimmy Kimmel segments are all about. He asked questions about baseball scandals and my friend (Belle again!) and I could only respond with “Huh?!” on repeat. Looking back at the clip now, though, the most embarrassing part was my not-so-TV-appropriate cleavage. I loved this look, but will not be wearing it again, LOL.

Bella Gerard

Day Four:

On this day, I was generously gifted a look by Petite Studio, a brand that caters specifically to petite bodies. This was especially cool as someone who doesn’t have the tall-and-skinny model body type so often seen at fashion-related events (Do better, NYFW!). As a 5’1 curvy gal, I was beyond excited to give their stuff a go, and I was ultimately quite pleased with my picks. I snagged this blue-and-stone-colored set from the brand’s coming-soon Spring collection, and inspired by the color-blocking, I paired one of my Steve Madden blue Kingas with one stone-colored boot from the depths of my closet. I cinched my waist with a white fur Moschino belt I gifted myself for my birthday last year from Nordstrom Rack.

This look is not my usual style, and I admit, I was a little nervous to see what people would think. Especially because of the boots! I did a poll on my Instagram Stories asking how people felt about the mismatched shoes (So very Carrie Bradshaw, if I do say so myself!) and 73% of voters were in favor. I doubt I’d try it again, but I’m glad it was a hit.

Bella Gerard

Day Five:

Five days in, my incredible hot pink Heurueh coat made its second appearance. Get a load of that lining! This time around, I paired it with the Topshop Floral Ditsy Flounce Midi Skirt and the Marissa Webb Emmerson Oxford Shirt. Another rainy day, I kept my shoes simple with comfortable black boots and saved my hair from frizz with the Lele Sadoughi Jet Mixed Crystal Headband.

This look was so low-key, but it ended up being a great lesson in accessories: making my basic button-down and skirt Fashion Week ready was easy with a bold coat and hair accessory! If there were two standout staples for me this fashion week, they were faux fur and funky headbands. I was mostly backstage checking out the shows’ beauty looks for StyleCaster on this day, but when a last-minute change allowed me to stay for the Libertine show, I still felt glam enough to attend.

Bella Gerard

Night Five:

Is it obvious that I went to Topshop before Fashion Week began? Here I am in yet another Topshop piece, the Smudge Mesh Long Sleeve Midi Dress, which gave me serious Fuzzi vibes. I reached for my classic black Chanel bag yet again, plus the Steve Madden Dakota boots in “Black Suede,” and bam! A look was born! As you can tell by the photo, I was really feeling myself.

That said…At this point in the week, my friends and Insta followers were hardcore gassing me up, and I had over 200 DMs praising my cool new job, my stylish outfits, and my “super fun life.” A reality check for anyone who felt that way: My feet were KILLING me, I was majorly stressing about if I was over-posting, and after being surrounded by models and fashion’s elite all week, I did not feel very cute. Instagram is a very fun highlight reel, but don’t be fooled. I love Fashion Week, but there’s more (stress) than meets the eye!

Day Six: