I Live on the East Coast, and I'm Seeing These 5 Trends All Over My Neighborhood

For the past year and a half of residing in New York City's East Village, I've come to love a lot about my neighborhood. Ridiculous rent prices aside, the area has so much to offer, like great restaurants and fun spots for a night out, but perhaps my favorite part is getting a glimpse into which trends my fashionable neighbors are embracing for the season. 

Between my neighborhood and the proximity to the Lower East Side and Soho, there is never a shortage of style inspiration. So, for research purposes, I recently planted myself at my favorite coffee shop, ordered a cup of tea, and stared out the window at the fashionable people passing by. Apologies if you caught me staring at you, by the way. Anyways, after taking my observations back to the lab (my apartment), I narrowed down which trends my neighbors are wearing the most right now. Scroll on for my findings, plus my top picks for shopping the trends yourself.

Puffer Boots

Not even an inch of snow has touched the ground in NYC yet, but the snow boots have been broken out, and I respect it. From my observations, puffer boots are the must-have winter shoe trend. This trend started to gain traction last winter, but the warm and functional boot looks like it's here to stay going into 2023. 

Penny Lane Coats 

I noticed the Penny Lane coat begin going viral on TikTok, but it wasn't until I took a stroll from East Village to Soho that I saw the trend in full effect. The coat that was made famous by Kate Hudson in Almost Famous seems to be the outerwear of choice amongst trendy Downtown dwellers for those days when a puffer isn't needed. 

Plaid Skirts 

Is it just me, or is every it-girl sporting a plaid skirt of some kind right now? The dark academia trend seems to be holding strong into wintertime, particularly knee-length to mid-calf versions. 

Fur Hats

While attending a By Far sample sale in Soho recently, I couldn't help but notice the amount of fur-clad bucket hats that fellow shoppers were wearing. Personally, I'm in full support of this trend. It looks so cozy yet so chic.

Leg Warmers 

If one style icon represents the East Village Gen-Z fashion aesthetic, it has to be Bella Hadid, so I wasn't surprised to see leg warmers already everywhere this winter. Pro tip: you can also use leg warmers as arm warmers for the days it's especially chilly outside. 

Next: I'm a Lifelong New Yorker—These Are the 6 Trends I'm Wearing Over Others.