What a 21-Year-Old Blogger Wore to Her First Fashion Week

Twenty-one-year-old blogger and college student Reese Blutstein, the brains behind @double3xposure, just wrapped up her very first fashion week. Seeing as she serendipitously appeared in Man Repeller’s street style slide show no less than one bajillion times, it’s clear that she crushed the whole “cool outfit” thing like a grape in Napa. Since this club is in the business of unpacking feelings alongside clothes, we asked her to mentally and emotionally annotate the experience we only saw from afar. Click through the slideshow below to see her clothes, read her thinking behind them and learn exactly how many band-aids were on her feet.

Is there a particular version of yourself that you were trying to channel? How does this outfit reflect your personal style, or how does it color outside the lines of your comfort zone in any way?

I think because this was my first fashion week, it was such a foreign concept that I just tried to channel myself, or the most genuine part of myself. Instead of listening to the voice in the back of my head that told me I needed to look as cool as everyone else or wear the newest and nicest clothes, I just stuck to what I felt was 100% me.

I think my outfits reflected my personal style in the sense that I mix up my aesthetic a lot; sometimes it’s edgier and masculine and sometimes it’s more feminine. However, I think I wore a lot more color than I usually do, and I guess that was my way of pushing myself but still sticking to pieces I felt comfortable in.

How do you decide when the outfit felt “right”? Did you change anything last minute?

I would change my outfit at least three times before landing on the “right” one. I am generally a one-and-done kind of person and don’t typically try on a bunch of outfits, but I think I felt more pressure to make it look completely right during fashion week, so it took me longer than usual. Once I looked in the mirror and felt my attitude change (like, okay, I’m ready to take on this day), I knew it was the right outfit.

Are you wearing anything that you’re particularly obsessed with? Where did you get it? Why do you like it so much?

My blue Orseund Iris shirt. I love it! The shop is based in New York. I had been eyeing this shirt for a long time and finally bought it. I’d been thinking about it for so long I already knew what I was going to wear with it, so my first fashion week outfit was the easiest one. I like it because I don’t own many pieces in that shade of blue, and also the structure of the shirt is super unique. I am very drawn to the thick, ribbed material.

Where are your favorite places to shop lately? Any affordable gems? Instagram discoveries?

I mostly shop vintage or thrift, but I found some of my favorite paper bag-style trousers that I wear all the time at Pixie Market, which is pretty affordable for me. I think the best way to shop on a budget is thrift, which is why I mostly do that.

Nanushka and Walk of Shame are cool shops I found through Instagram that both make killer pieces. Oh! One that I think a lot of readers on Man Repeller will like is an Instagram account called @fromtrinity. The designer behind it makes everything out of denim. I have a little bucket bag by her. She just buys a bunch of denim and recycles it and gives it new life in the form of a bag or shirt. Her stuff has a very “Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears denim outfit” vibe, and who doesn’t love that? My other two favorite Instagram sellers are @courtyard_la and Subrina Heyink.

What’s a weird fashion trick/hack/tip/secret you store inside your brain — particularly one that doesn’t cost money?

Whenever I go to a store and I try something on, I don’t buy it unless I can make at least three to five different outfits with it in my head. That way I know it will be a piece I can wear multiple ways. If I am going to spend money on something, I want to wear it all the time but not get bored of it or have limited styling options. Also, another good rule of thumb: if you have any doubt at all in the fitting room, don’t buy it.

T/F: Your shoes were comfortable during fashion week.

I think I did a good job wearing comfortable shoes for the most part, except for the last two days. On the last day of fashion week I was wearing twelve Band-Aids on my feet…so maybe if I had a redo, I would make sure all the outfits I picked had shoes I could comfortably walk in.

T/F: Your outfit felt weather-appropriate.

Yeah, for the most part, they were all pretty weather appropriate. On days I had to wake up early and temperatures were still in the 60s I would just incorporate a cool jacket that went well with whatever outfit I was wearing.