5 Places To Visit While in NYC as a Fashionista on a Tight Budget and Limited Amount of Time.

As many of you may know, The Not So Billionaire Girls Club strives to bring our followers fashion inspiration and advice at the upmost level but on the lowest budget. We try to keep our extra pennies not only in our pockets but yours as well. That is a big reason why we created this blog. 

Recently, my roommate, Camila, decided to ask me on quite short notice if I wanted to voyage with her to the Big Apple. She is involved with modeling and had a few castings and had to make her way up there for a short visit. I decided I had nothing to lose (but the few dollars in my checking account) and told her hell yes! Once I realized how stupid of a decision I had just made because of my intense shopping addiction, I quickly brought together a plan. I began researching what I could do and where I could go in New York City as a fashion enthusiast that wouldn't break the bank. I instantly found numerous attractions and shops that had great reviews- even for someone on a tight budget. If I was going to make this commitment, I had to do it the right way. I also could not stop thinking of how awesome of a blog post I could turn this trip into. So, here it is…5 places a fashionista must visit in New York City with only chump change in her pocket and limited time on her watch. 

Before we dove into a fashion-induced coma, we had to grab a bite to eat. We both were craving something greasy and immediately had the urge to sink our teeth into a ridiculously huge slice of NY style pizza. But, as we took a look around, a unusual burger shop snagged our attention. We had never seen this place before so we decided to give it a try. I was extremely pleased with Brgr and it totally satisfied my greasy craving. They had many options to choose from but I decided on the Fresh Morning Brgr which had a fried egg on it along with the typical toppings. I also ordered a freshly squeezed lemonade which was ahhhmazing as well. The best part was that their patties were 100% grass-fed beef. Now, I am not one of those people that cares too much about what I eat, but it definitely made me feel a little better about all the grease. The whole experience was quite yummy and pretty decently priced. I would recommend it to anyone.

Now that we were energized, we were ready to hit the American Apparel Factory Outlet. I will let all you American Apparel gurus know right now, if you do not know about the factory outlet yet, you do not want to miss out! I definitely recommend planning a trip to New York just to visit this store if you plan to spend a mass amount of money on a big order at American Apparel. It is well worth your time. The deals you will receive will blow your mind. Some of their merchandise here is damaged but for the most part everything was in great condition. I almost purchased another pair of easy jeans but decided on black disco pants instead. Easy jeans are normally $78.00 in store and online but they were $30.00 here. Also, disco pants run for $85.00 regularly and once again were discounted down almost 40% and rang up at $50.00. Along with my disco pants I snatched up the last pair of high waisted striped bikini briefs and two tops to match. At the register, the damage was only around $90.00 which would have been what I spent on one pair of pants at retail price. 

Once we left SoHo, we journeyed to the nearest subway and made our way to the FIT Museum. I really enjoyed this stop for many reasons. The first reason was because it was FREE! The main reason I was so intrigued by this attraction was simply because I am currently learning about the Victorian Era in my Contemporary Fashion course and I found it so exciting that I could actually semi-relate to the clothing. I could identify many of the pieces and it amazed me how fashion has changed just over the course of the last century. Even the last decade. There were many other decades included as well so it was interesting to see the difference from one era to the next. If you are studying fashion design or fashion merchandising, make this museum a priority. It did not take much time at all and it was around many other stores we wanted to visit. It was nice taking a break at swiping my credit card and revamping. I actually had the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge as I took a walk through the exhibit. I promise you will enjoy this type of learning. 

When we had finally made our way to the Garment District, I couldn't pass up the chance to visit the monumental Mood Fabrics. As we climbed up to the third floor, I was super excited that in seconds I would be in the very spot where parts of Project Runway were shot. When we stepped through the doors of Mood, I was shocked at all the brilliant colors and how big the store actually was. Now, prior to taking a textiles class, I would have been in and out within ten minutes. But, since I am currently enrolled in Textiles at school, I could not stop touching every fabric. Once again, it was crazy to me how I found something like fabric so interesting all of a sudden. The VCU Fashion department has really done a fabulous job at creating a groupie for anything fashion related. It's pretty awesome seeing the education I work so hard for actually being put to use in an everyday environment. It eventually came time to pull myself away from all the beautiful textures and colors and commit to an actual yard of fabric. My roommate and I both chose a fabric we liked and we will make a simple scarf from it sometime soon. My fellow blog mate, Ali, gave us this idea and it was definitely something I'm glad I did because now I have a little keepsake of this trip. We quickly made our way to the register and rushed out in order to make it to our last store in time. Thank you, Mood.

Our day had quickly ran away from us and we only had limited time to make it to Buffalo Exchange. We were on a tight schedule because we had tickets to see the Black Keys in VIP and we surely weren't going to miss that. Oh, and a quick thanks to Chris and Melissa for the tickets and giving us a once in a lifetime experience. Anyway, back to the goods. I did not really know what to expect from this store but I had heard a lot about it. Once I left Buffalo Exchange, I literally wanted to scream to the fashion gods for introducing me to this amazing consignment shop. You might be wondering what is so great about a consignment shop, but I must tell you EVERYTHING is great about this consignment shop. You will never be disappointed for what you find here. Let me give you an example, I purchased a Marc Jacobs clutch for $22.00. It is in great condition and is perfect for adding a pop of color to any outfit. Along with my clutch, I purchased two pairs of Zara pants both around $20, two pairs of shoes, a Zara blazer, a denim vest, and an elegant Chanel-style tweed jacket. I spent around $150 and I walked out feeling like I ruled the world. Every item I purchased was, if not new, in outstanding condition. I love love love this store and will go back every time I visit the Big Apple.

Sadness fell upon me as we headed to the car the next day to return to the Rich city. I can say I felt like a queen with all my budget friendly purchases though. To all you fashionistas out there, keep these stores and attractions in mind. You won't regret it.