10 Things You Need To Know Before Attending Fashion Week

Top Tips For First Time Fashion Week Goers

1. Shop for Fashion Week in stores
There is a big difference in the list of things you can get away with when it comes to fashion in your home/college town and the things you can get away with when surrounded by the world's best-dressed people. Let me be the first to tell you that not getting your clothes properly tailored is not going to cut it among the fashion industry elite. It is way easier to make your NYFW purchases in stores when you can instantly see what is going to need a little work before you take off versus buying online.

2. If you do shop online give yourself plenty of time to make needed adjustments
I learned Tip No. 1 the hard way because I ordered 90 percent of my Fashion Week wardrobe online. Unfortunately, a few of my packages did not arrive until as late as 5 p.m. the evening before I left. I was lucky that my new garments fit perfectly and did not require tailoring or adjustments. Learn from my mistake: Allow yourself plenty of time to have items hemmed or make returns and purchase different pieces for those looks that don't quite come up to spec.

3. Sleep, snack, repeat
If you follow any celebrities, socialites or bloggers who attend Fashion Week, you will notice a common complaint: everyone is hungry and exhausted. Don't get me wrong, Fashion Week is glamorous, and our trip was absolutely fabulous. To be honest, I totally thought everyone who complained about these little discomforts were just being dramatic … but now I get it! When you wake up at 4 a.m. to catch a flight and can't eat until 1 p.m., you'll seriously regret staying up all night doing last-minute packing and not throwing some granola bars in your carry-on.

4. Eye masks save lives
Trust me, you will not regret making a Sephora pit stop for these lifesavers! Once you start skimping on sleep to make sure you make the most of your time in New York, your ~designer~ under eye bags are going to become a problem. My advice? Bring a sleep eye mask for the plane, under eye sheet mask for mornings, and eye cream for before bed. I understand this sounds like quite a bit, but if you can't get sleep, at least look like you do.

5. There is no such thing as over packing
Seriously. If I could describe how I packed in one phrase it would be, "Threw entire wardrobe in suitcase." Obviously you might want to check with your preferred airline to see how many bags you can check without being charged, but after that, go nuts. NYFW only comes around every so often, and nothing will ruin your day like outfit doubt.

6. Organization is key
One trick that really helped me from becoming overwhelmed was making a word document with all of my clothes and accessories photographed and grouped by outfit. This makes it easy to identify things you still need to get and makes a great checklist for packing.

7. Be prepared to network
When my sorority sister and I landed in New York, we set our hearts on a goal, and we repeated the same mantra for the duration of our stay: "We will not leave New York until we are famous." Obviously fame is hard to achieve in 48 hours, but we did our best by handing out business cards and talking to anyone and everyone we came across. Who you know is everything in this industry, so don't be afraid to make friends!

8. Stay as close to the venue as possible
Like most fashion week attendees, we did many outfit changes between shows and dinners, and the only way that was possible was because our hotel was so close to the shows venues. New York traffic is no joke, and being late for shows is stressful, so you've simply got to plan ahead for that!

9. Here's what you might not have thought to pack
Portable charger, Advil, fashion tape, safety pins, champagne, extra hangers.

10. DUCT TAPE
Okay, I never would have thought to bring duct tape to a fashion event, but it really came in handy! A friend that was meeting us in New York suggested I bring some along, and I really should write her a thank you for the advice. While there, we used duct tape to create pasties, bras, belts, and even used it for small alterations. IT IS A MUST.

I definitely consider my first trip to New York Fashion Week to be a success, and it helped me fully understand exactly what I want my future to consist of: glamour, fashion and friends.

Vivre dans le luxe,
Jordin