How To Pretend You're At Fashion Week

We really should count it as a blessing each time our invitations to all of the designer fashion shows get lost in the mail. The worry of traveling to get there, rushing from show to show then staying up late for the after parties, trying to push through celebrities to get to your front-row seat... Yuck. We're much better off just watching the shows from our couch.

In case you need a reminder, fashion week is a chance for designers to show off their collection for next season (this upcoming one will be showing Fall 2015). And it's not really a week long. More like a month. Shows are typically back-to-back, leaving little travel time to get there. This year, to make things even more exciting for all the editors who are already kind of over the whole thing, the shows are spread across New York, rather than the usual Lincoln Center base. After NYFW kicks off the season, shows progress to Paris, London, Milan... basically all the stylish cities of the world. Plus, going to all those shows during the day means staying up all night to, you know, actually write any stories. So, yeah, maybe you should be grateful if you go to school somewhere that isn't commuter distance from NYC — Fashion Week is much more glamorous from afar.

But, just in case you still kinda wish you could be in Manhattan, arguing with Ms. Anna Wintour about which seat is actually yours and which seat is actually hers, I've put together a little guide to how you can be at fashion week without actually being at fashion week.

Step 1: Check The Schedule

Check the date and time of your favorite designers' shows. You don't want to check Style.com aimlessly to learn you missed the most important show of the season. Style blogs, editor Twitter feeds, and the CFDA usually make the dates of shows easy to find.

Step 2: Respect The Stream

Thanks to the 21st century, many designers are now live-streaming their shows, making life easier for literally everyone. Take advantage of this opportunity to watch the shows as they happen. You will literally be in the same room as Ms. Wintour. Well, virtually.

Step 3: Bounce Thoughts Off Friends

After Fashion Week days come Fashion Week nights, and they usually involve editors drinking wine and discussing what they saw the day before. Although my invitation to happy hour also got lost in the mail, I can only imagine the fashion editors are discussing their thoughts on the shows — what they like, what they didn't like, that one weird dude standing outside with a cat on his head waiting to be street style'd. Do the same! If you're watching the shows and flipping through street style slideshows, it's more fun to do so with a friend or two (and you guys can totally drink as much wine as a fashion editor. I believe in you).

Step 4: Write About It!

After you've watched the shows and discussed trends with friends, write about the shows. Sure, you're not Eva Chen yet but spilling your thoughts out into your personal blog is a good way to practice for when you get your big break into the magazine world.

Step 5: Eat All Of The Snacks

You're in for a long day. Plan well. Getting up for another piece of cheese could mean missing Kendall Jenner walking down the runway, so make sure you stock up beforehand.

Step 6: Comfort Is Key

Another reason you're at an advantage this fashion week: You don't have dozens of photographers trying to capture your NYFW style as you're rushing for shows Feel free to wearing leggings and that oversized sweatshirt for each show. TBH? A lot of beauty editors covering backstage at NYFW are doing the exact same thing.

Step 7: Memorize The Hashtags

Also thanks to the 21st century, we can stay up-to-date via social media. Each designer will probably have a hashtag so all the tweets and photos from their show end up in one place. Scroll to your heart's content.

Step 8: Archive Your Work

Remember how I mentioned practicing for when you become Eva Chen? I wasn't kidding. Most online publications these days want you to have a website with clips before you apply for even an entry level position. Even if it's just your Tumblr, save all your NYFW musings to show potential future employers.

Step 9: Go Beyond NYFW

NYFW might be the biggest week for us Americans, but, as I mentioned earlier, fashion month doesn't stop in New York. Repeat steps 1-8, but now with the shows in Europe, and on European time, without having to leave your couch.

Images: Getty; Giphy (9)